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.
Joy-Con Controllers
In a perfect world, you’ll never lose, damage, or completely ruin your Joy-Con controllers, and as such, will never need to buy another set. Unfortunately, this isn’t a perfect world, and chances are that during the lifespan of the Nintendo Switch, there’s going to be a fair share of players who need to pick up a fresh set. This is where Nintendo stumbles in the price tag region again.
To replace just one of those bite-sized controllers, you’re looking at $49.99, with a pair setting you back $79.99. While this will hopefully not be a necessary purchase for all players, it does seem a little extreme. Considering you can pick up a DualShock 4 which has rumble, a touch pad, internal speaker, and light bar for $45.99, the pricing does come across on the steep side. Hopefully, the pricing of the Joy-Con will drop once there’s a steady supply of them out in the wild, but for anyone who suffers from an early Joy-Con casualty, the cost is really going to sting.
Pro Controller
The cost of Joy-Con sets could be forgiven considering you’ll only ever use one set with your Switch at any given time. However, the Nintendo Switch’s Pro controller is once again another instance of extreme accessory pricing.
The Pro controller, for those of you unfamiliar with it, is essentially a more traditional video game controller for the Nintendo Switch. It features the same HD rumble feature that the Joy-Con do, built-in amiibo functionality, and will cost you $69.99.
HD rumble and built-in amiibo functionality aren’t going to be cheap features to include in the controller, but when stacked up next to the DualShock 4, there certainly seems to be some disparity between the product and the price tag.
Charging Grip
The Joy-Con Charging Grip has been another accessory at the heart of a lot of confusion following the reveal event last month. While many thought that the grip, which charges your Joy-Con as you play, was the one that came in the box with the system, it turns out this is not the case.
If you don’t pick one of these Charging Grips, you’ll be forced to dock your Joy-Con to the side of the Switch every time they run out of battery. Hardly ideal if you want to play on your TV and don’t have a Pro controller.
To avoid this charging inconvenience, you’ll be paying an additional $29.99. If you’re looking at picking up a Pro controller and a Charging Grip so that you never have to worry about charging issues, you’ll be adding an additional $100 on top of that $299.99. At $399.99, you’re looking at the same price as a PS4 Pro, and still don’t have a game to play on your shiny new system.
