From Skepticism to Stardom: How the Switch Won Us Over

I didn’t line up at midnight for the original Switch — I picked mine up a few months later, mostly because I really wanted to play Mario Kart on something other than my old Wii. Breath of the Wild wasn’t the hook for me — I’ve still never played it, honestly. But Mario Kart 8 Deluxe? That sold me. The idea of a tablet-console hybrid sounded risky at best, but the thought of racing friends on the go was too tempting to pass up. I was a big PSP and PS Vita fan back in the day, and after Sony left the Vita to collect dust, I’d been waiting for something else to fill that handheld gaming gap. A console with the power of the Switch — in 2017 — felt like the future finally caught up to what I always wanted.

But here we are, seven years later, on the day Switch 2 preorders go live — and it’s clear the original wasn’t just a hit. It was a turning point.

What Made the Switch Work?

A Hybrid That Actually Worked

Nintendo's bet on a hybrid console wasn’t their first attempt at innovation, but it was the first one in a while that actually clicked — literally and figuratively. The Switch wasn't just novel; it was useful. Seamlessly going from docked to handheld play was the kind of flexibility that turned casual gamers into everyday users.

A Killer First-Party Lineup

Nintendo didn’t just drop hardware — they launched it with Breath of the Wild. That alone would've carried the console for a year, but the hits kept coming: Super Mario Odyssey, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Smash Ultimate, Metroid Dread, the list goes on. They kept momentum alive in a way that the Wii U never could.

Indie Heaven

The Switch became an indie darling almost overnight. Games like Stardew Valley, Hollow Knight, and Hades found second lives on the system. It wasn’t the most powerful hardware, but it was the most portable and most fun — which turned out to matter more.

Real-Life Impact: Joy-Cons, Dust, and All

I’ve taken my Switch on a few flights, played it in bed more times than I can count, and yes — I’ve played Mario Kart in the park. It’s always been my personal getaway console. it was mostly my personal getaway console. Battery life could be rough, and don’t get me started on Joy-Con drift. But still, it earned a spot in my daily life like few other devices have.

For years, it was my go-to for winding down. And that quick "pick up and play" feeling? Nothing else nailed that combo of speed, comfort, and game quality. The UI was dead simple, the sleep mode was instant, and the load times (at least compared to older consoles) felt zippy.

Trevor Score: 9/10 — Not Perfect, But Absolutely Pivotal

This isn’t a formal review — it’s just how I felt using this thing. A gut-check from someone who actually used it.

That said, the Switch wasn’t without its frustrations. Performance was a big one — plenty of third-party games either ran poorly or didn’t show up at all. Ports of major titles like The Witcher 3 or Apex Legends were impressive as tech feats, but not always enjoyable to play. And we missed out on entire genres that simply needed more horsepower.

For me, the biggest letdown was how often I had to choose between playing something on Switch or playing it properly somewhere else. That tradeoff got old. Here’s hoping the Switch 2 finally closes that gap.

The Switch didn’t just revive Nintendo — it redefined what a console could be. It wasn’t flawless (the Joy-Con issues alone cost it a point), but it did what so few consoles do: it stuck. It filled a handheld-sized hole in my gaming life and became my go-to, whether I had 10 minutes before bed or an hour on a flight.

Final Verdict: A Console That Lived Up to the Dream

The original Switch took a huge risk and somehow nailed it. It was the right mix of accessibility, innovation, and good old Nintendo magic. As we look toward the Switch 2, it's worth remembering that none of this was guaranteed — but Nintendo pulled it off.

Here's hoping they do it again.

Big thanks to the Joy-Con grip that lived in my backpack for six straight years — you deserved better than all the drift.