Commentary: Nintendo big and small, or my curious time with Switch
Nintendo Switch is the idea I’ve wanted for years : a Nintendo handheld that’s also a console. It docks in front of a TV, and it’s a regular couch-friendly game thing. Unpark it, now it’s a travel system.
Yes, the Switch is a handheld and a console. But is it more of a handheld, or more of a console? Does that question even matter? The funny thing is, it does a little bit. It’s the first device in a while that’s made me wonder what its best use case is.
Using it sometimes makes me feel like Alice in Wonderland, trying to get to the right size. Sometimes I felt curiously cramped. Other times, everything felt too big. I don’t know if I’ll travel with it, or if it will stay parked in the Switch dock. After a couple of weeks in, here are my observations.
Size: more like iPad than 3DS/Vita.
The Switch has a 6.2-inch screen. That’s the same as a Wii U GamePad , but the actual device is far smaller and thinner. Just to give you a sense of scale, the iPhone 7 Plus has a 5.5-inch screen.
The Switch feels a lot bigger than a phone, though, because its sizable bezels are added to with side-mounted controllers. It’s actually the same length as an iPad Air 2 (9.4 inches). In my hands, it sometimes feels close to an iPad Mini.
Why do tablets like the iPad bother me less? Maybe because I treat it more like a laptop. Also, I tend to use it in my lap, versus as a handheld. A company called Gamevice makes a controller add-on for the iPhone and iPad that felt a lot like the Switch, and I never used it. It felt too big for me.
I need a special bag to bring an iPad around. Same with the Nintendo Switch. It’s not pocket-friendly, not by a long shot.
The Vita used to seem big.
Does that matter? Well, I used to think the PlayStation Vita was too big. That’s nothing compared to Switch.
The Nintendo 3DS XL is somewhat big, but it folds up. It can go in my jacket pocket.
The Switch is something I’d need to have a little elbow room to play. As far as portable system goes, it’s basically an alternative to having an iPad. And, it has a fair amount of gear.
I usually end up taking all the accessories, just in case: my backpack currently contains the Switch, the AC adapter, those slide-on hand grips, and the grip connector to allow the Joy-Cons to become a stand-alone game controller. All that gear means a bag to carry it all. I feel a bit like a teenager going to my friend’s house with my NES.
