The Nintendo Switch 2’s arrival is a joyous occasion. Finally, after years of coveting a more powerful console, capable of playing bigger and better games, Nintendo fans have their wish. But with this console outright replacing the original Nintendo Switch, in functionality and compatibility, it’s hard not to feel a bit sad to be leaving my most prized possession behind.
I’ve been through a number of Switch consoles over the years, all inspired by personal preference. I was an early adopter in 2017, and trundled along with the base Switch for many years after. Eventually, I picked up a Switch Lite. I wanted to have an easily accessible, more portable console to take anywhere. Then, Nintendo released the Splatoon OLED console, and I fell even further in love.
I owe the Nintendo Switch so much
Since picking up the console, the Nintendo Switch has been my constant companion. As a journalist, it was the first major console I covered, from launch, all the way up to its final stages. I reviewed a raft of games in that time, and made plenty of friends and memories through them.
With the launch of the Switch 2, I can’t help but reflect on those years, and every piece of joy the original Switch brought me. I aged alongside it, changed careers, changed my life. It’s a console that became so personal, for so many reasons.
Part of that, I attribute to the Switch’s role in my life through the coronavirus pandemic. There’s no doubt others feel the same. When the world shut down, and everyone was confined at home, there was so much joy to be found playing the console, and specifically diving into Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
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In my world, the Nintendo Switch became a gateway for escape. The atmosphere was dour elsewhere, but hopping onto the Switch meant I could visit friends in a virtual world, and relax in a cosy town where even debts could wait forever. Over several months, I spent 220 hours in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, working on my island, hanging out with friends.
Switch in hand, I felt I could take on the world – and it didn’t matter that everything was falling apart.
When Animal Crossing: New Horizons lost its sparkle, there was also new worlds elsewhere. I played and replayed the excellent Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! during the pandemic. I devoured Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Mario Party Superstars, and Monster Hunter Stories 2.
Any time I was down, the bright, quirky games of the Nintendo Switch brought me up. I will always be thankful to the console for that.
A new and familiar era
Saying goodbye will be hard. By nature, the Nintendo Switch 2 is essentially a replacement for its predecessor, and the transition will be smooth. But the physical act of leaving behind my Nintendo Switch, to enter a new era, hurts. And not just because I so admire the colours of the Splatoon Switch OLED I adopted.
Change is hard. Obsolescence is hard. Even with the Nintendo Switch 2 offering all of the same features (but better), I’ll miss my old console. I’ll miss the memories attached.
At the end of the road with my Nintendo Switch, I’m taking stock and remembering exactly what this console gave me: an escape when I needed it most, a joyful way to connect with friends and family, and a reminder of the power of play. It may be put on a high shelf when the Nintendo Switch 2 arrives, but it will occupy a very important place in my heart.
The Nintendo Switch wasn’t only a good console. It was a fantastic one. Now, it’s on the Nintendo Switch 2 to help forge new memories, to live up to the ample legacy of its predecessor.
We’ll have much more on the Nintendo Switch 2 on ScreenHub in the coming days.
