So the Nintendo Switch (Lite) Surprised me.

Having to Buy an Entire Platform to do One Thing

I have conflicting thoughts on this issue, as it is annoying to be required to buy a system to use one piece of software, initially at least. I will compare the expense of a Switch Lite to my computer, if I had bought the computer at MSRP thanks to the pandemic that did not happen.

• Switch Lite $279.99 plus tax
• Computer $2200.00 or so, plus tax. And this does not include my monitors.

So one is obviously cheaper, but I do a lot more on my desktop.

• work
• general entertainment
• video games
• communication

I simply cannot do these things on a Switch Lite, but it is not meant for that and that is okay.

Let us not forget that Nintendo wants to sell their unique hardware and cultivate a player-base, which they have successfully done. And extending this issue to some software needing more powerful hardware, when it comes to simple computers, so the same could be said about desktops. I suppose it only stung when I had the whimsical desire to play a singular game, and was hit with the need to spend far more than just the sticker price of the game.

This is not really an Issue, homogeneity is not an ideal state, so bespoke hardware is benign.

Physical Footprint & Thinking about the Physical Design of Objects.

This portion is only thinking/talking about the Switch Lite, since it is what I own. And I somewhat regret not buying the regular Switch as I would love to play games on my computer monitor, which is not possible with the Switch Lite.

Anyways, one thing that struck me about the design of the Switch Lite is the minimal weight of the device and the overall ergonomics. For context, I also had a Nintendo 3DS XL, which was difficult to use for extended period of times. The XL version was mean for larger hands, but still caused cramping when used for longer periods of times, at least in my hands. This is not the case with the Switch Lite, which was an alleviation of a fear I had when thinking about the specific game I wanted to play. Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a strategy game where each map, later in the game, could take substantial time to compete, which could wreak havoc on my hands. Again, this was not the case, and the lack of heft meant that my wrists and forearms did not fatigue from holding the console. Button placements, for the most part, are ideal and so far I have not had any issues in relation to control degradation.

I feel as though considerable care was given to the usability of the device for its intended use, wow what a surprise. But if I were to think about devices that I have had some issue with, physically, I can think of quite a few. They are not video game consoles, so the relation is not 1:1, as a major point of video games is to attempt to immerse the player into the world of the game. Nothing sucks the user out more than the agonizing hand pain when interacting with the product.

Admittedly this has decreased over time, as the intricate design of objects before mass production revolutionized the world seemingly made the look more important than its usability. Taking a snippet from Henry Dreyfuss' Designing for People, this concept is visualized.

The Negative

While this is a positive thought process on the physical design of the Switch Lite, it would be disingenuous to not mention the main negative I have had with the system. It is not a physical feature, but any digital aspect of the system that is not the default landing page, or playing a game itself, it bad I feel.

I'll give a little run down:

• Articles in the News Section, when scrolling, actively hurt my eyes. The text while moving turns into an aggressive blur, so when reading and needing scroll down to continue, you should look away from the screen.
• The Store is immensely slow, and the process to buy digital games is tedious & the previous point about text applied

I think those points have to do with the Lite only, as it is a lower powered version of the full system. Although the text issue is not an issue within games.