Parents, Are You Buying Your Kid a Switch 2 at Launch?

The question of our times, even if we don't know how much a Switch 2 costs yet.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

We don’t know when the Switch 2 is coming (probably late spring), how much it will cost (likely no more than $400), or what games will be available at launch (at least a new Mario Kart), but when the family sat down to watch the reveal, there was a clear consensus among my eight-year-old and four-year-old: they both wanted a Switch 2.

The Switch’s role in the lives of my children is unique, more akin to a phone or tablet. It’s personal. They have their own Switch. Dad has one. Both sisters have one.

That’s when it dawned on me that I might be the bad guy if the Switch 2 comes out and the only person walking around the house or on the couch with one is…Dad.

Oh no. Do I suddenly have to buy three Switch 2s?

Here’s how Switch distribution went down in my family. I suspect I’m not alone.

The original Switch arrives in early 2017. My youngest was born in the summer of 2016, and I have fond memories of playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild as she slept on my chest. Switch arrived at the perfect time in my life. Portable gaming enables opportunities to play games in situations where you also have to be a parent, so the Switch has remained a huge part of my life! It was no great surprise, then, that my oldest asked to play with me. Later, of course, she wanted to play on her own. 

When I upgraded to a Switch OLED, I surprised my daughter with my old Switch. She didn’t know or care if it was something new. We picked out a case and themed shell together, and she also care of the handful of physical Switch cartridges we have in the house. She uses it less these days, thanks to Roblox, but she still loves that it’s hers. 

A few years later, we had our youngest daughter. Can you guess what happened next?

Jealousy. 

She wanted to play Mario Kart on a Switch, too. I got away with handing her my Switch for a period, but a key behavioral differences between my kids is that my youngest gets, uh, angry. Her emotional intelligence has come a long way, but in a fit of irresponsible frustration, I pulled out a spare Switch Lite and handed it to her.

(You’re probably not supposed to chuck it at the wall, but hey, it can survive the hit.)

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

I exist in unique circumstances. My job means I am often in possession of additional hardware, like an extra drawer Switch. I suspect I would’ve purchased a used Switch for my oldest at some point, but I’m not sure that would’ve happened for the youngest.

Mario Kart 8 sold a bajillion copies on Switch—67.35 million, in reality. There’s a reason Nintendo is teasing a new Mario Kart for the Switch 2, and there’s no chance it’s multi-platform. If you want to play the next Mario Kart, I bet it’s only on Switch 2.

The Switch 2, thankfully, can be connected to a TV. I can buy extra controllers, which means everyone can experience Mario Kart 9, or whatever it’s called, as a family. I anticipate we’ll start as a solo Switch 2 family and…well, see what happens from there.

It’s not hard for me to imagine, for example, buying a Switch 2 for my oldest when Animal Crossing comes along. That’s a reason for her to want a personal experience.

Time will tell, but in the meantime…

I asked Crossplay readers what they’re planning on doing. Let’s check in.

Some version of this was a consistent sentiment. For many kids, this is their first console transition. But Switch 2 comes when kids aren’t used to upgrading their “entertainment” devices the way we move from PlayStation 2 to PlayStation 3. You don’t buy a new iPad because Apple releases a new one. They stick around forever. It’s easy to imagine children simply blinking at the notion of a Switch 2, and will prove one of the longterm hurdles for Nintendo. Can their games prove enough of a carrot?

Ain’t that the truth? I suspect that’s where I’ll end up. Their iPads run their primary gaming platform, Roblox, and a Switch 2 is, for the most part, a shiny new object.

This is why I’m asking this question now. My prediction: the Switch 2 costs $400.

Mario Kart being a launch title means a single, family-oriented Switch 2 docked to the TV can work. This isn’t based on any insider information, but I strongly suspect Nintendo will go largely Switch 2-exclusive when it comes to software after Switch 2 launches. Maybe a game like Metroid Prime 4 straddles generations, because it was already announced for the original Switch. But the most popular games in the world don’t rely on fancy graphics, nor will Switch 2. It’ll be over exclusive experiences.

This is the way. I won’t be surprised if Nintendo leans hard into Switch 2 variants, because they’re going to want to push families into the trickle down effect that was so important to Switch’s longterm success. I gave extra Switch consoles to my kids, and while some might get away with handing down an older Switch, not everyone will.

It’s possible Nintendo talks about Switch 2 ahead of its April 2nd software reveal, but it’s also possible we’re speculating before that—and, likely, pre-orders—finally arrives.

Have a story idea? Want to share a tip? Got a funny parenting story? Drop Patrick an email.

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Also:

• My youngest has been on a Mario Kart kick lately, and it’s shocking how good that game still looks. It’s fundamentally a Wii U game. It came out back in 2014!

• Is this where I quitely hope Mario Kart 9 has a single player component? The Splatoon campaigns were so good, and I’d love to see them take a crack here.

• Please port Super Mario 3D Land at some point, Nintendo. That game was great, and while the “3D” part was awesome, it’d be nice for more people to play it.