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

By Garrett Hulfish October 31, 2017

nintendo switch handheld vs docked lifestyle shot 14631 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

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.

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.

Editors' Recommendations

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

Nintendo introduces a new Super Smash Bros. Switch OLED for Black Friday

Super Smash Bros. Nintendo Switch OLED.

Nintendo unveiled all of the Black Friday deals and bundles it plans to offer in the coming weeks. These offerings are headlined by a brand new Nintendo Switch bundle with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate that has never been available before.
The Nintendo Switch -- OLED Model: Super Smash Bros. Ulitmate Bundle costs $350 and comes with a code for the fantastic 2018 crossover fighting game as well as three months of a Nintendo Switch Online Membership. The bundle's Joy-Cons feature a design based on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Unfortunately, this deal includes neither Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's Fighter Passes nor the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack. Nintendo says this bundle will be released on November 19, although they've already been spotted in some stores.
The other big new offering from Nintendo this holiday season is the Super Mario Party + Red & Blue Joy-Con Bundle. It costs $100 and includes a download code for Super Mario Party in addition to Red and Blue Joy-Con controllers. Keep in mind that this bundle includes 2018's Super Mario Party, not 2021's Mario Party Superstars, which remastered a lot of content from the series' older games.
https://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/status/1721527869355049300
Nintendo also plans to offer bundles that have been available before, like the Nintendo Switch Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Bundle and Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo Switch Lite.
Various game discounts for Switch games will also go into effect on November 19. In terms of Nintendo-published games, people can expect Everybody 1-2-Switch! and Nintendo Switch Sports to be discounted by $10, titles like Luigi's Mansion 3, Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Xenoblade Chronicles 3 to have $20 discounts, and for Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe, Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze, Mario Strikers: Battle League, and Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes to all be available $30 cheaper than usual. Sadly, it does not look like Nintendo itself will offer any major deals surrounding this year's The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
All of these bundles and deals will become available on November 19.

Gaming

All upcoming Switch games: 2023, 2024, and beyond

Bowser in Super Mario RPG.

The Nintendo Switch is one of the most popular consoles Nintendo has ever produced, with a wide variety of games to choose from and plenty of unique features. We’ve already gotten to play new entries across the Zelda, Super Mario, and Pokémon series on Nintendo Switch, but there are still plenty of great games on the way for the hybrid console. These include exclusive games developed internally by Nintendo, as well as third-party titles and ports of games that are also available on other platforms.

Here's our list of the best upcoming Nintendo Switch games for 2023 and beyond. Of course, some titles without release windows could skip the Switch entirely and wind up on Nintendo's next-gen console.
Upcoming Switch games 2023
The games listed below either have 100% confirmed release dates or solid release windows that we expect them to hit this year. Anything that's up in the air due to more vague launch predictions or previous delays will be listed below confirmed launches.

Gaming

When does Hogwarts Legacy come out on Nintendo Switch?

A student waving a wand in Hogwarts Legacy.

Hogwarts Legacy is the latest and greatest adventure in the magical Harry Potter universe. Set in the 1800s, the story focuses on a generic fifth-year student who’s tasked with taking down a brewing Goblin rebellion in-between their school duties. For Potterheads of all ages, a game that allows them to traverse the halls of Hogwarts, learn their favorite spells from the books and films, and fight enemies like dark wizards, trolls, and dragons is an absolute dream.

The game launched on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC in February. While reviews were mixed across the board, longtime fans jumped into the wizarding world in droves — over 15 million copies of the game have been sold to date. Unfortunately, players on the top-tier consoles were the only ones who had access to the game for a while. Instead of launching on all platforms simultaneously, Hogwarts Legacy's release has been staggered.