The System
$299.99 for the Switch may seem quite reasonable at first glance. Unfortunately, however, the rather limited contents of the box doesn’t scream value. Then, factor in the cost of additional extras or replacements, and the Switch can end up costing you a small fortune.
In the box, players get the Switch itself, the dock so you can connect it to your TV, the two Joy-Con controllers, and HDMI and AC cords. It’s a pretty standard affair for a brand new piece of tech, but unfortunately, not enough to have it stand out from the well-rooted competition. Considering for $50 less, you can currently pick up a PS4 Slim and one of 2016’s finest games in Uncharted 4, or an Xbox One S with Battlefield 1.
The Switch package doesn’t do much to entice potential buyers. Had Nintendo opted to pack a game in with the system (though Reggie has already said this was not financially viable if they wanted to hit the $299.99 price point), the Switch would be looking a little better when stacked up against its competition.
If Nintendo really wanted to give the Switch a fighting chance, taking the hit and including 1-2 Switch as a pack-in title would have helped it fair better against its more powerful, cheaper competition. After all, it’s the perfect mini-game compilation to showcase the system’s tech, and one unlikely to set the world on fire at a $50 price point. Getting the Switch into people’s homes in these early months is crucial if the system is going to survive, and in that sense, the lackluster offering for $299.99 isn’t a good start.
