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Now that it's been out a while, are you playing Switch in the form you expected to?

Coda

Member
I'm actually one of those people who has probably played the system more docked than handheld. Mainly because if you're at your home hanging out and have the option to play on a big screen, with better graphics and a Pro Controller, why wouldn't you? It's just a more comfortable experience to me, I love the fact that I can take it on the go at anytime but overall handhelds always feel a bit uncomfortable to use for long periods of time; at least with my big hands.
 
I use it in the dock except when taking it with me out of the house, when my GF wants to use the TV, or when I want to play in a room without the TV. Honestly it's about 50/50 handheld or docked.
 

ghibli99

Member
90% handheld. I always expected to play it more that way, but not THAT much. The freedom of not having to sit at my desk or in front of a TV to play something, and to have the experience be 1:1 (except for screen size, obviously), is so liberating.

And handheld doesn't mean "outside the house" for me. I have some friends who can only wrap their mind around the handheld idea if they're traveling or whatnot. The thought of playing somewhere else inside their house besides in front of the TV is a foreign thing, which hey, different strokes, but it still makes no sense to me. :)
 
Bought it around 2 months ago, have played maybe an hour total of MK8D, docked with a friend. Just not much time with all the big studio games and new TV shows. I do look forward to Mario Odyssey next week, although I am playing South Park right now and will have AC Origins, Wolfenstein 2, and Shadow of Mordor as well plus Star Wars Battlefront 2 soon after. Mario Rabbids is the one game I bought that I haven't touched yet and regret (not playing).

I'm glad Destiny 2 kind of petered out after a few weeks, because that was sucking up all my free time for a while.
 

AdropOFvenom

Neo Member
Thought I'd be 95% Docked, 5% Undocked (Travel, etc)

Finding I'm about 70% Docked, 30% Undocked. Sometimes you just want to plow through a smaller game or something while Sports or something else is on the TV.
 
I travel a ton for work, so it's really my console companion in that way. The dock is annoying to pack up, but I might invest in that nyko portable dock soon to ameliorate that situation.
It's nice knowing I'll be able to take Mario Odyssey with me as I bounce around next week. I would be distressed if I missed out on playing because I was travelling.

In my head I definitely prefer docked, but every single time I play handheld I remember I love it.
 

Nairume

Banned
It usually depends on the game, but lately I've been definitely playing it portable a little more frequently than docked.

So, yeah, I guess it being a hybrid is working out pretty well.
 

tootie923

Member
Most of the time I've played docked with the Pro Controller. The only time I take the console out of the dock is to update the firmware and set demos to download.
 

Enduin

No bald cap? Lies!
Yup handheld 99% of the time. Just an all around great experience just using it in bed, on the couch or on the train to/from work.
 

nampad

Member
I'm actually one of those people who has probably played the system more docked than handheld. Mainly because if you're at your home hanging out and have the option to play on a big screen, with better graphics and a Pro Controller, why wouldn't you? It's just a more comfortable experience to me, I love the fact that I can take it on the go at anytime but overall handhelds always feel a bit uncomfortable to use for long periods of time; at least with my big hands.

Personally, I don't like being stuck at the TV and prefer lounging around somewhere and play there. Especially longer games like Zelda or other RPGs would not be doable for me if I had to play them in front of the TV.

For that, I gladly take the hit in the graphics department. And it's not like docked Switch is a powerhouse anyway.
 
Yes! It's bananas how much I'm liking the hybrid aspect of it. Nintendo really nailed it out of the park with that one.

Now if I can find people for local multiplayer... that be nice.
 
To people saying they haven’t even taken their dock out the box, it is at least useful for charging. You can just drop it in the dock whenever you’re not using it, and it’s fully charged the next time you go to play it.
 

jibece

Neo Member
Well, I was planning to use it as an handheld, and I'm using it.. as an handheld :)

It's mostly :
- 95% in handheld mode, because it's more comfy to play from my bed than sit down in front of my tv
- 4,8% in docked, when my arms are tired
- 0,1% in tabletop mode, when I played some multiplayer games with my bro, it's pretty cool but I don't see my bro everyday :(
- 0,1% as a frisbee, as a training for Windjammer and when I'm dying in a fcking game (don't worry, it lands on my bed).
 

Kamina

Golden Boy
I found myself using it differently with each game i play. While i used to play BotW mostly in Docked mode, Mario and Rabbids i played only in Handheld mode. Pokken also mostly as Handheld. Mario Odyssey i can imagine to play mostly docked again.
 

mas8705

Member
Honestly, I thought I would spend an even amount of time playing the Switch in both forms, and I have.

Only in situations like with Splatoon 2 or ARMS do I find myself playing on the big screen. Other times, it doesn't really matter if it is on an HD or on the tablet.
 

Gamegeneral

Member
I honestly thought I would bring it with me to more places, but I always feel like it will get stolen, so it tends to stay home in favor of my 3DS.

That said, I DO use it more than I thought, just mostly undocked at home.
 
I expected to hardly ever take it out of the dock, but I've ended up using it in handheld mode a lot more than I thought I would.
 

Coricus

Member
I planned to use it as a hybrid with the majority of play time at home, and that's how it's been. Main things I wasn't expecting were having as many opportunities as I have to take it out/use tabletop mode and the fact that with a TV in my bedroom I just don't feel compelled to take it out of the dock often at all.

. . .My handhelds may end up kind of dinged up, but the bathroom is a line I don't cross.

Honestly more surprised by the controller setup I've been using. I was wondering if it was going to be a competition between free handed Joy-Cons or the grip, but I got a Splatoon 2 Pro Controller because I thought it looked collectible and it's completely stolen the show.
 

Azriell

Member
99% in handheld mode. TV mode is not something I'll do, except for local MP at home (I've only done this twice, unfortunately).

This is more or less how I thought I would use it. I love handhelds.
 

Macleoid

Member
I got mine three weeks ago. I started a new job with a 50 min train commute each way. I've only got Zelda so far and I play docked at home, except when the missus is watching bake off, and portable on the train.

It's pretty much perfect for me lifestyle wise and it's doing exactly what I bought it for.
 
Were you buying it more as a handheld or a console, and how has your actual hands-on experience stacked up to your preconceived notions in your head regarding its "default" mode/form-factor for you as a user?

I went in viewing it as a purely set in the middle hybrid that I'd mostly utilize as a console. While I do play it hooked up to a TV, I find myself playing it lounging in bed or on the couch as a handheld far more than I anticipated.

Haven't really played it outdoors or on the go very much at all. Mostly cause of the lack of a competent case that offers full protection without nerfing joycon attach/detach and docking functionalities + dealing with the sun's glares on a gaming screen. But, I've ended up taking the whole thing to friends' homes more than I thought I would. It takes me back to when I used to take memory cards with me when I'd visit buddies.

It's definitely changed up the way I consume my games a bit. What about you guys ?


We bought a switch for our 7 year old son, it's used as a console by the entire family. I use it as a hand held mode.
 

brinstar

Member
I use mine almost 100% as a handheld, like I thought I would.

That being said I do find Xenoverse 2 and FE Warriors more comfy in console mode, and I almost only play Splatoon 2 on TV.
 
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