Switch 2: Incredible Tech + Unwarranted Hate & FUD
The Switch 2 has been out for about a month now, and honestly? I think it’s an excellent piece of hardware—far beyond what I expected. We’re talking 4K output, a 120Hz VRR-capable handheld screen, DLSS, and performance that hangs tough alongside Xbox Series and PS5 versions of games. I couldn’t have asked for anything more.
But despite its success and strong launch, there’s a surprising amount of FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) circulating around Nintendo’s new console. Now, I’m not referring to the legit concerns, like the increased $80 price tag on many games (a tough pill for many, and I totally get it), or the conversation around Game Key Cards, which has everyone revisiting the discussion around physical vs. digital game ownership.
I’m talking about criticism that doesn’t seem to be in good faith. Some YouTubers—who I won’t name—are really out here bashing Switch 2 in nearly every video, clearly pandering to the anti-Nintendo crowd that’s always hovered around certain gaming forums and who are very vocal in the several comments sections. You know the type.
Even Digital Foundry, a highly respected source for hardware and performance analysis, raised eyebrows with their coverage lately. They had expected the Switch 2 to be on par with the Steam Deck in terms of power and performance. But when it released and turned out to be well beyond that, their tone shifted. Some of their recent takes feel more like fault-finding than fair critique. A revealing back-and-forth between John Linneman and Doctre even called out one such inconsistency.
I think the backlash stems from how disruptive the Switch 2 is. Microsoft, for example, reportedly canceled its own handheld plans and is now partnering with ASUS to bring Game Pass to the ROG Xbox Ally—a mobile PC. That pretty much confirms we won’t see Game Pass on Switch 2, which is a shame after titles like Ori showed up on Switch 1.
The mobile PC crowd, predictably, has nothing nice to say about Switch 2. As for Sony, they’ve been playing the “no threat” card—reviving the tired old “Nintendo is for kids” narrative. They even claimed gamers will eventually “graduate” to PlayStation. But l think Sony is clearly feeling pretty nervous.
Sony’s bet on live service games over new single-player experiences hasn’t paid off the way they’d hoped. Their foothold in Japan has weakened considerably, and Square Enix seems to have noticed. With Square bringing heavy hitters like the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy to Switch 2, it’s clear they see more long-term potential with Nintendo. Even Monster Hunter Wilds hasn’t moved PS5s in Japan like l hoped it would.
And then there’s the forum crowd. The “hardcore” detractors who bash Nintendo while simultaneously fixating on what Nintendo fans do, say, and buy. You’ll see claims like, “Nintendo fans will buy anything!”—it’s as if these folks are spending hours watching the pockets of Nintendo gamers instead of playing their own games on their own more powerfulconsoles!
These are the same people who, back in the Wii era, didn’t want Wii Sports or Wii Fit to be counted on NPD or Famitsu charts because it made their favorite PS360 titles look bad. It’s wild how much energy they still put into hating Nintendo and policing others’ fun.
Case in point: one third-party game underperformed on Switch 2, and suddenly that was evidence that “third-party games don’t sell.” Never mind the fact that the system had only been out for a few weeks. That narrative is going to age like milk.
Thankfully, the FUD will likely fade as the Switch 2 continues to break records—it’s already the fastest-selling system of all time—and as more must-play games hit the platform. Nintendo-specific forums will be full of players celebrating, sharing tips, and loving the experience.
Meanwhile, the usual suspects will still be glued to their hate-watch cycles, more invested in criticizing Switch 2 and Switch 2 users than enjoying their own backlog of games.
And you know what? That’s fine. The rest of us will be too busy having a blast!