It's official: Nintendo Switch owners prefer handheld to docked use

By Garrett Hulfish Published April 21, 2022

When Nintendo first revealed the hybrid design of the Nintendo Switch, it was met with mixed results. Some praised the company for the concept while others worried about the devices lack of power. With handhelds being replaced by smartphones, many wondered if people would even take the Switch out of the dock. As it turns out, people prefer it that way.

According to Nintendo’s latest six-month financial results briefing (via Nintendo Life), there is a lot of new information about how people actually use the Nintendo Switch. As expected, a large number of players swap between both handheld mode and docked somewhat evenly. Interestingly enough, about 30 percent of users play the Switch in handheld mode a majority of the time. In contrast, just under 20 percent of players keep the Switch docked most of the time.

Recommended Videos

In addition to gameplay style, Nintendo also revealed the buyer ages. An overwhelmingly large portion of consumers are in their 20s and early 30s. The Switch is also selling well with ages 10 to 19, as well as those in their late 30s.

1 of 2

nintendo switch handheld vs docked usage 1 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

nintendo switch handheld vs docked usage 2 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Since launch, the Nintendo Switch has been selling out almost as soon as new units were produced. Despite the successful sales, production has finally caught up. When someone goes into a store today to find a Switch, chances are they will find one.

With all the success surrounding the Switch, Nintendo has updated their sales projections. Within the system’s first year, the company expects to sell 14 million units — that is about 500,000 more systems than the Wii U managed to sell throughout its lifespan from 2012 to 2017.

Nintendo deserves this success. On top designing a well-crafted console with an innovative trick, the company has produced some of their best games in recent memory. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild launched alongside the console and has been met with critical acclaim. Similarly, the recently released Super Mario Odyssey has already sold more than 2 million units in three days.

As the holiday season nears, it will be interesting to see if the Nintendo Switch still continues to sell at a rapid pace. Notable games that are still to come include: Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Breath of the Wild DLC, and more.

Topics

Garrett Hulfish

Contributor

Garrett is the kind of guy who tells you about all the tech you haven't heard of yet. He also knows too much about other…

Gaming

The confusion around $90 Switch 2 games proves how broken the internet is

The Nintendo Switch 2 playing Mario Kart

If you're a gamer who has been on Facebook or YouTube in the past week, there's probably a good chance you've seen people arguing about the Nintendo Switch 2's pricing. My Facebook algorithm has interpreted my interest in the system as a sign that I want to see a constant stream of angry memes about how much it costs. While I've seen concerns over the hardware itself dying down, the one complaint that's stuck is the price of its games. My feeds are filled with engagement memes daring commenters to justify Mario Kart World's $90 price tag.

There's just one problem: Mario Kart World does not cost $90, at least based on what we know right now. No currently announced Nintendo Switch 2 game appears to either, but it hasn't stopped that detail from spreading on a fundamentally broken internet.

Gaming

I need these 10 GameCube games on Nintendo Switch 2 as soon as possible

A Nintendo GameCube sits on a table with Luigi's Mansion.

There are tons of exciting features coming to Nintendo Switch 2, but what's the one thing I'm most excited about? Nintendo GameCube games are coming to Switch Online. I know it's the nostalgia talking, but I can't help it. The Nintendo GameCube was my first real childhood console and I have a lot of warm memories tied to it as a result. I can't wait to jump back into games like F-Zero GX and Soulcalibur 2, two defining games of my childhood, the first chance I get.

My love for the GameCube isn't just about the good memories, though. To this day, I still believe that the GameCube features perhaps the best exclusive video game lineup of any console. It's not a deep catalogue, but it featured some of Nintendo's most experimental swings as well as some oddball third-party exclusives that have rarely been ported to other platforms since. With the Switch Online upgrade, there's now a great opportunity for Nintendo to bring some of those great games back from the grave, just as it's already doing with games like Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance. These are the eight games that I hope to see add in the service's first year (assuming that recently remastered games like Metroid Prime are out of the equation).

Gaming

Switch 2 launch game Deltarune is getting surprise mouse support

deltarune heroes in old portraits

Deltarune is one of the most-anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 launch games, and now its creator Toby Fox says it's getting exclusive, mouse-mode-only content. This content was hinted at in the trailer, but only briefly. If you aren't familiar with Deltarune, it's the follow-up to the cult classic Undertale. Fox assures fans that the content will also be in other versions of the game, but it will play slightly differently due to different control schemes.

"As an effort to make the most of being a launch title for the Nintendo Switch 2, I really wanted to try do something special," he writes. He says the difference in content lies in being able to use mouse controllers on both of the Joy-Cons at once. All non-Switch 2 versions of the game will have the exact same content. Before the FOMO kicks in, though, Fox goes on to say, "There is no meaningful difference in content amount, dialogue, setting, music etc between any version, so you will have a full package of fun no matter which you get! No one gets left out!"