Should you buy your first Switch in 2023?
I'm going to brain dump a lot of information here - No worries if it doesn't all make sense at first. Feel free to digest it and reach out with any questions!
First, the basics:
There are three (current) models of Switch. They are:
1) Nintendo Switch ($400)
2) Nintendo Switch OLED Edition ($450)
3) Nintendo Switch Lite ($260)
Option 3 (Switch Lite) is the only one NOT compatible with playing on a TV. It works in Handheld mode only, so right off the bat, you'll want to discard that as an option if you want to be able to play on the TV. There was also an older model of the Nintendo Switch that's no longer being sold (they improved the battery life and patched a hardware security hole) but you shouldn't have to worry about that.
A base Nintendo Switch will come with everything you need for Basic Play:
1) The Switch itself (basically a small tablet with a 7 inch screen)
2) Two "Joy-Con" controllers, Left and Right which slide onto the tablet
3) The Switch TV Dock
4) HDMI and Power Cord
5) A Joy-Con "Grip" and two Joy-Con "Straps"
The Joy-Con's are very versatile little controllers. All Joy-Con's are either a "left" or a "right" Joy-Con, depending on if they go on the left side or right side of the Switch. Although Left and Right Joy-Cons have all the same functionality (almost - right also has a rarely used IR camera) they are not identical as the button placement is slight different on each.
You can use them in three main "modes" - one attached to each side of the Switch for single-player, handheld mode. In this mode, both controllers act together as a "singular" controller. The second mode is both attached in the "Joy-Con Grip". Again, in this mode, both controllers act together as a single controller, but not physically attached to the Switch (side note, the Joy-Cons do not need the grip to act as a singular controller, it just helps with ergonomics). Finally, you can use each Joy-Con as a singular controller. They can be simply held, or it can be attached to your wrist with the provided strap if you are using the Joy-Con's motion controls (do you happen to remember the Nintendo Wii / Wii Remotes? Same idea, only smaller).
However, there is a caveat here. Only some games will allow you to use a singular Joy-Con as a controller. Other games will require that *each* player have a *pair* of Joy-Con's (L/R) to play the game.
I'll talk a bit more about controllers later. First, I want to briefly mention the Nintendo Switch OLED Edition.
This is a relatively newer model of the Switch that still has all the same features as the original (including Handheld and TV play). It's main differences are 1) The screen is bigger. The console itself is the same size, but the screen takes up more space. OLED is also a higher quality display than traditional LEDs like you'll find in the regular Switch; 2) It has more internal storage, 64 GB instead of 32 on the regular Switch; 3) A wired Internet port (in addition to Wireless). It also has a higher quality, stronger kick-stand on the back of the Switch.
If *I* was buying my "first" Switch now, or, wanted a second one for some reason, I would spring the extra $50 and get the OLED model. You can also often get a console bundle at Costco.
But here's the thing - the OLED one is really intended for players who want a "premium experience" (including better online play). Many folks just won't care about that. You absolutely 100% DO NOT NEED to get an OLED Switch. If you're more of a casual/family player, a regular Switch will work just fine and save you $50. So it's up to you, but there is literally zero difference in functionality between a regular Switch and an OLED Switch, the OLED one is just "fancier".
Back to Controllers. In order to support at least two players on any given game, you'll likely want to buy an extra set of Joy-Con's. This will set you back $99 and sadly doesn't even include an extra Joy-Con grip which you'll likely want to buy ($20, $40 if you want the charging option). I love Nintendo - but they will absolutely Nickle and Dime you on EVERYTHING and it sucks. Alas, that's how it goes. There are some tips and tricks to save money though.
Another set of Joy-Cons gives you the most bang for your buck. Right off the bat, you'll have at least two controllers for any given game, and for many games you'll already have four controllers. However, using a Joy-Con as a singular controller isn't exactly the most comfortable experience. One thing you can do is buy a singular Joy-Con grip that makes it a bit easier to use ($20 for two). I recommend this if you'll be playing with singular Joy-Con's frequently.
However, this is far from your only option. The next mainstream option is the "Nintendo Switch Pro Controller".
This is basically a larger controller that works like two Joy-Con's glued together. It's larger, far more comfortable and ergonomic. It'll set you back $90 versus $99 for two Joy-Con's.
But, as always, nothing is ever that easy. There are a few games that will ONLY work with Joy-Cons and NOT the Pro Controller. This is mostly games that require motion controls. The Pro Controller has some motion controls, but much more limited than the Joy-Cons and just won't work with some games. But there aren't any games that won't work with the Joy-Con's.
So think carefully if your "second" controller should always be a set of Joy-Con's first - more versatile - or a Pro Controller for TV play.
There are third party controllers you can buy as well, which can be a little cheaper.
Don't waste your money on third party Joy-Con's, always buy the real deal (okay, I lie, there are two exceptions to this rule, but they are limited).
Third party Pro Controllers however are a bit better. Anything made by PowerA is almost as good quality as the original and will save you at least $20. You can also get wired pro controllers which are good quality and save you a ton of money - often up to $50. But the caveat is they don't work wirelessly and must be physically connected to the Switch Dock via USB. Not necessarily a deal breaker depending on how your Switch/Couch/TV placement is set up.
For what it's worth, the two exceptions to "never buy third party Joy-Con's" is if you are looking for a Hori Split Pad - larger, third party Joy-Cons that work in Handheld Mode only, and have a better Dpad. The other exception are "binbok" style joycons which are large and comfy and cheaper, but may not have a same quality control as Switch ones.
Let me chat a little about the Dock. The Dock is what allows you to play the Switch on the TV, and it's absolutely the Switch's killer feature. It's very easy to use. Just plug the Dock in to the power via the provided Power cord, and the HDMI cord to your TV. Then you "Dock" the Switch (place it in the receptacle, making sure to attach the USB port on the bottom) and voila - your Switch is now on the TV and you can play with it! Fun fact, the OLED Switch dock and the Regular Switch Dock are 100% compatible (the OLED dock has wired Internet).
This is how you'll charge your Switch 99% of the time. But the Power cord that connects to the Dock also connects directly to the Switch itself - so you can charge it that way too if you're taking your Switch somewhere.
You can leave the Joy-Con's on the Switch when Docked (this will also charge the Joy-Cons). But if you are using the Joy-Cons to play, just remove them from the Switch and either use them with a Grip or individually.
If you have four Joy-Con's, you'll only be able to charge two at a time with this method. Not necessarily a big deal, but it can be annoying to have to switch them out. You can also buy a Charging Grip to not have to deal with this, or a third-party Joy-Con charger (there are many out there that will charge four or so Joy-Cons at once).
For what it's worth, my personal setup is Four Joy-Cons (two L, two R) and two Pro Controllers. This gives me a wide range of options when playing by myself and with others. I actually used to have six Joy-Cons (three L and three R) but I sold one set as they were never used. The only game I had that even supported six Joy-Cons simultaneously was Just Dance and I never used that many at once.
I also have some adapters for allowing older and newer controllers to work on the Switch (Gamecube to Xbox Series). This is probably more advanced than you need to worry about (and doesn't work 100% perfectly either, but it's an option).
Okay, so onto games. First off, they ain't cheap. And the Switch doesn't come with any, so you get to buy those separately. Yay. An average, first-party Switch game will run you $80. There are some cheaper games too though which can still be enjoyable. You can buy games digitally or physically. Unfortunately, you don't save any money with digital games - it'll be $80 either way (there are occasional digital only sales, but they are rare). So I personally prefer to buy almost all my games physically. Yes, it's a bit more cumbersome, but the huuuge benefit is you can resell your games when you're finished with them, often for only $20 or so less than you paid. You probably already see where I'm going with this - but you rarely have to buy brand new games either. In my experience, once a game is out for a month or two (weeks in some cases), you'll see used copies on Facebook Marketplace for $20 off or so. These are perfectly okay to buy - while I can't guarantee it 100% of the time, I've bought tons of used games and never had an issue with any of them. The cartridges are pretty durable and hard to break (fun fact: they purposefully taste bad to discourage eating). So that's a great option to save some money unless you NEED to get a game on launch day, lol. Digital games are more convenient, yes, but cannot be resold or bought used in any way.
I will sometimes buy digital games if they are very cheap, or were only released digitially. The Switch also has a lot if "Indie" games (not made by "big" studios) who often don't have the resources to release games physically. So if I want one of those, I'll buy it digitally and they are usually cheap enough that it's not a big deal. I always prefer physical games though.
Also, the Switch's storage space isn't great (32 GB) and can be filled up quickly if you only bought digital games. So you'd have to buy a memory card anyway to fit more games.
So what are some good games to buy? I assume you'll be looking for more Family-oriented/kids games, at least for now. A rough recommendation list would be: 1) Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, 2) Luigi's Mansion 3, 3) Super Mario 3D World, 4) New Super Mario Bros Deluxe; 5) Just Dance (any); 6) Super Mario Party (requires Joy-Cons); 7) Mario Party Superstars; 8) Nintendo Switch Sports (requires Joy-Cons), 9) Animal Crossing, 10) Minecraft
Sometimes you can get a bundle with a Digital Game included - often MK8 or Animal Crossing or Mario Odyssey - this is worth it if you can get it, even though the game isn't physical.
One downside I'll mention to the Joy-Con's is the frequent problem of Joy-Con "drift" - the Analog stick's don't quite work properly and will cause the character to "move" without any pressure on the stick. Some people will see drift on their Joy-Cons right away, and some never will. For what it's worth, I've had my Switch five years, and only just saw drift for the first time this summer. To their credit however, Nintendo acknowledged the problem, and will freely repair any Joy-Con's that drift. You just have to mail them away, wait a few weeks, and get them back. They repaired mine no problem, and I don't even think it took a week.
You'll want to get a Carrying case for your Switch if you ever plan to take it anywhere (a screen protector is a good idea too!) - Costco usually has a good deal to get a Switch + Case + Memory Card (although you don't necessarily need the memory card so could save money just buying a case elsewhere). Also their cases will usually only carry the Switch + Charger + Two Joy-Cons. If you want to carry more (like the Dock or extra controllers)...you need a bigger case!
I'll also mention Nintendo Switch online briefly. If you want to play games with others other the Internet, you need a Nintendo Switch online subscription. It's $25 for a single user, or $45 for a family (up to 8 users) per year. As an included bonus, you get access to a decent library of older games at no additional cost (NES and SNES games). For an extra fee, you can also get N64 and Sega games, plus extra content for games like Mario Kart or Animal Crossing (which otherwise needs to be bought separately).
It would also only be fair to warn you that the Switch is over six years old. Many people believe it'll be replaced with a "Switch 2" in the next 1-2 years. But Nintendo is VERY tight lipped about stuff like that, some others think it'll be another five years until we see a Switch 2. So you could buy one now only to see a newer one come out. But would that stop me from buying one now? Absolutely not. You'll still get years of enjoyment out of your Switch, even if an upgraded model did show up.
I think that's all I can think of for now. I'll certainly send follow up notes if I think of any.
