Bought a Switch, is it really this expensive?

[Macross]

I traded in my extra PS4 a few months back when they had a great trade-in deal at EBs. My plan is to gift it to my wife for the holidays. I have started looking at games and accessories and I am kind of shocked at what appears to be a pretty steep price to set up the console at a respectable level of function.

I may be incorrect on some assumptions here, so please correct me if I am misunderstanding things. It seems like the following are common purchases for most users?

Memory card so you can install more content (I'd think 128GB is a smart choice) $55
A case so it doesn't get mucked up when used outside the house $20
A second controller so you can play with your friend/husband $60
A car charger for travel use $10
A game like Mario so the gift is fun $60
A year of online $20
A screen protector $10

That is $235, almost as much as the console itself. What am I missing here?

 

[Borman]

Black Friday memory cards have been 19.99 for 128gb, sales are pretty common on them. And most of the other stuff really depends on what you are into, pretty common for any console or portable.

 

[sn00zer]

Yup... Plus games are pricey, very pricey compared to PS4 games. I kinda regret my Switch purchase once I realized how expensive Nintendo games are.

 

[G_Shumi]

Yeah, that sounds about right. Doesn't seem like you're missing anything at the moment.

 

[Brandon]

Yes it is expensive.

 

[phant0m]

You don't NEED a second controller. You can play 2 players with the joycons in the box.

You don't NEED a case if you have a laptop bag/backpack.

You don't NEED a car charger unless you regularly have car rides over 5 hours

You don't NEED to pay for online unless you want to play MK8, Smash or Splatoon 2.

You *definitely* don't NEED a screen protector. Seriously. Unless your wife is 8?

Also, 128 GB card is pretty hefty. I've found 64 to be more than plenty, though I'll admit most of my Switch games are physical.

No offense man, but it sounds like the guy at the shop took you to the cleaners.

 

[Desma]

Yeah, it's pricey. But if your concerned with 2 controllers, you could each use a single joycon.

It's not comfortable, but it works

 

[Fat4all]

ive saved a lot of money by always being alone and never taking it anywhere

 

[SMD]

If you only bought Mario Odyssey then the second set of Joycons aren't really necessary. Also the Switch is USB C, you can plug it into the USB charger in cars, trains and planes.

 

[Derrick01]

Pretty much all Nintendo hardware is cheaper with the actual system compared to others but then they gouge the ever loving shit out of you in accessories. God help you if your dock breaks, that flimsy piece of plastic with almost nothing in it is like $90 for a replacement.

Then you have games that almost never go on sale and if they do you're lucky if they dip below $40-45.

 

[Inugami]

Memory card so you can install more content (I'd think 128GB is a smart choice) $55
A case so it doesn't get mucked up when used outside the house $20
A second controller so you can play with your friend/husband $60
A car charger for travel use $10
A game like Mario so the gift is fun $60
A year of online $20
A screen protector $10

Click to shrink...

I mean... Most of that would be based on use case... Controllers for example would be the same for either. As would purchasing software. The year of online is cheaper than the competitors by a large margin.

 

[phant0m]

ive saved a lot of money by always being alone and never taking it anywhere

Click to shrink...

I just put mine in one of the zip pockets of my backpack, and the included joycons are sufficient enough to play MK8, Odyssey and Pokemon with my wife on the couch.

 

[DNAbro]

Controllers and games are expensive. Like if you buy a new controller, a new game, and online on other consoles outside of current deals it's like 180$

 

[SuperFakerBros]

You don't NEED a second controller. You can play 2 players with the joycons in the box.

You don't NEED a case if you have a laptop bag/backpack.

You don't NEED a car charger unless you regularly have car rides over 5 hours

You don't need to pay for online unless you want to play MK8, Smash or Splatoon 2.

You *definitely* don't NEED a screen protector. Seriously. Unless your wife is 8?

Click to shrink...

^This

I mean, you can argue this for just about any system, such as getting a headset, paying for online, getting a second controller, expanding internal storage, etc. For the vast majority of people, you don't need all of that extra shit. Lord knows I never bothered

Pretty much all Nintendo hardware is cheaper with the actual system compared to others but then they gouge the ever loving shit out of you in accessories. God help you if your dock breaks, that flimsy piece of plastic with almost nothing in it is like $90 for a replacement.

Click to shrink...

They don't do that anymore than their competitors, seeing as you don't really need any of the accessories, save for local multiplayer, which is the same for any of the other systems and, if you're somehow finding a way to break your dock, I don't know what to tell you save for perhaps taking better care of your stuff

 

[Datajoy]

Shockingly, the cost of the console doesn't include games and accessories.

Most of the "extra" expenses you listed are either totally unnecessary (car charger, screen protector etc), standard for any video game console (a game lol, a second controller), or cheaper than the industry standard (the online sub).

 

[brochiller]

^This

I mean, you can argue this for just about any system, such as getting a headset, paying for online, getting a second controller, expanding internal storage, etc. For the vast majority of people, you don't need all of that extra shit. Lord knows I never bothered

Click to shrink...

Anything is more expensive when you buy all the accessories.

 

[Jaded Alyx]

That is $235, almost as much as the console itself. What am I missing here?

Click to shrink...

The television.

Seriously though, a 128GB memory card for $55? Now?

A case and a travel charger aren't mandatory, that's a choice. A second controller also isn't necessary since 1). 2 joycons 2). do you also count the cost of an extra controller when talking about the price of other consoles?

The $20 year of online? A game? These are not part of the cost of the console.

 

[Skittzo]

What you're missing is that you really don't need the majority of that.

Just get what you need right now like a game and then buy other stuff when the need arises. If you're getting physical games mainly you don't necessarily need a micro SD card. If your dock isn't broken and you don't foresee that much wear and tear on the screen you don't need a screen protector. I don't know anyone who has purchased a car charger.

Just get what you really need, otherwise you'll wind up paying for stuff you'll never really use.

 

[Deleted member 437]

It was the same with wiiu.

Games were still full priced years later.

Never bothered with that system in the end because of it.

 

[Lant_War]

Honestly, the only real problem there is the games. That's like saying that you NEED to buy a second controller, a good pair of headsets, an external HDD and a 4k HDR TV just to get a PS4 Pro

 

[SuperFakerBros]

Anything is more expensive when you buy all the accessories.

Click to shrink...

Exactly. You might as well go all out and include the cost of the TV, your lease for your apartment / house, the electric bill, a chair to sit on, and food and water to keep yourself alive

 

[SpottieO]

Not really, I didn't buy anything other than BOTW at launch.

 

[TAJ]

Shockingly, the cost of the console doesn't include games and accessories.

Click to shrink...

I get what you're trying to say, but the other consoles have huge libraries, with most of the games having had time to come way down in price.

 

[808s & Villainy]

You really made this just to complain about voluntarily buying a bunch of completely optional accessories? Or because games cost the same as other systems? The only necessary ones IMO are an SD card and another controller

 

[Brandon]

It was the same with wiiu.

Games were still full priced years later.

Never bothered with that system in the end because of it.

Click to shrink...

I remember wanting to buy a Wii U but the cost of entry for someone that didn't already have a bunch of Wii stuff was quite high.

 

[UsoEwin]

You don't NEED a second controller. You can play 2 players with the joycons in the box.

You don't NEED a case if you have a laptop bag/backpack.

You don't NEED a car charger unless you regularly have car rides over 5 hours

You don't NEED to pay for online unless you want to play MK8, Smash or Splatoon 2.

You *definitely* don't NEED a screen protector. Seriously. Unless your wife is 8?

Also, 128 GB card is pretty hefty. I've found 64 to be more than plenty, though I'll admit most of my Switch games are physical.

No offense man, but it sounds like the guy at the shop took you to the cleaners.

Click to shrink...

I wouldn't give my worst enemy a single joycon

 

[Deleted member 48897]

Wired controllers are usually cheaper even if they don't have the full set of features the (excellent) pro controller. For that matter, stuff like 8bitdo's line is almost feature-complete with the pro controller and is significantly cheaper.

 

[Strings]

You don't NEED a second controller. You can play 2 players with the joycons in the box.

You don't NEED a case if you have a laptop bag/backpack.

You don't NEED a car charger unless you regularly have car rides over 5 hours

You don't NEED to pay for online unless you want to play MK8, Smash or Splatoon 2.

You *definitely* don't NEED a screen protector. Seriously. Unless your wife is 8?

Also, 128 GB card is pretty hefty. I've found 64 to be more than plenty, though I'll admit most of my Switch games are physical.

No offense man, but it sounds like the guy at the shop took you to the cleaners.

Click to shrink...

You definitely need a screen protector. My dock scratched the shit out of my screen.

You also don't NEED a Switch, blah blah.

 

[Powerofthecloud]

I traded in my extra PS4 a few months back when they had a great trade-in deal at EBs. My plan is to gift it to my wife for the holidays. I have started looking at games and accessories and I am kind of shocked at what appears to be a pretty steep price to set up the console at a respectable level of function.

I may be incorrect on some assumptions here, so please correct me if I am misunderstanding things. It seems like the following are common purchases for most users?

Memory card so you can install more content (I'd think 128GB is a smart choice) $55
A case so it doesn't get mucked up when used outside the house $20
A second controller so you can play with your friend/husband $60
A car charger for travel use $10
A game like Mario so the gift is fun $60
A year of online $20
A screen protector $10

That is $235, almost as much as the console itself. What am I missing here?

Click to shrink...

Some those are options

But let's compare to an another console in the same vein..

Tv $200-10,000
Stereo $100-100,000
Heaphones $20-2,000
Extra controllers $60 * friends/family
Online $60
Game pass /psnow $60
Etc....


=P

 

[phant0m]

You definitely need a screen protector. My dock scratched the shit out of my screen.

You also don't NEED a Switch, blah blah.

Click to shrink...

My dock hasn't left a single blemish on mine?

 

[Kaeden]

You definitely need a screen protector. My dock scratched the shit out of my screen.

You also don't NEED a Switch, blah blah.

Click to shrink...

No scratches here, but do I still need it?

 

[Maxina]

-128gb is literally $20 on amazon right now.
-you basically have 2 controllers to use off the bat, if you want a pro controller, that's based on personal preference, but isn't required.
-Mario Odyssey (unless you were talking about some other Mario game) has been down to $40 throughout the year.
-you shouldn't even be whining about spending money on a screen protector, unless you're dropping your Switch around every second, a single screen protector will last you forever basically.

-Video games are a luxury by the way, a lot of people continue to forget that.

 

[DannyClash]

I've bought like 2 of those things OP

Protector+ Mario

the fact it has 2 controllers out of the box is a plus

 

[Strings]

No scratches here, but do I still need it?

Click to shrink...

They're inexpensive, so I'd say grab one to be safe. Can find pictures in this thread: https://www.resetera.com/threads/ar...g-crap-is-real-gg-warranty-out-of-date.46496/

My dock hasn't left a single blemish on mine?

Click to shrink...

That's rad for you, but it definitely happened to a ton of people.

 

[Br3wnor]

Yeah it's expensive but that's every Nintendo console, worth it IMO.

 

[Amaterasu]

You definitely need a screen protector. My dock scratched the shit out of my screen.

You also don't NEED a Switch, blah blah.

Click to shrink...

You definitely don't need a screen protector. My Switch goes in and out of my Dock constantly and has never been scratched.

 

[SuperFakerBros]

You definitely need a screen protector. My dock scratched the shit out of my screen.

You also don't NEED a Switch, blah blah.

Click to shrink...

In that case, using a bit of padding on the dock might've done you better than going and getting a screen protector. Granted, I haven't had any issues with scratches on my end but that's what I'd have gone for, if it was a concern

 

[Deleted member 42484]

 

[Skittzo]

You definitely need a screen protector. My dock scratched the shit out of my screen.

You also don't NEED a Switch, blah blah.

Click to shrink...

You only need a screen protector if your dock is bent. I have docked and undocked my Switch thousands of times and it has not gotten scratched once.

 

[VICTORsaurio]

You're reaching quite a bit, you get 2 controllers out of the box and I'm sure plenty of kids are happy playing fortnite and other FTP games on switch.

 

[Deleted member 1413]

128GB card was on sale today for like $20.

System also already comes with a second controller so if the price turns you off you can just rock the joy con

 

[Deleted member 5535]

When you buy every accessory possible, of course it'll be expensive. I only bought the console and a game last year and it was fine and not expensive.

 

[Mr. President]

You need to pay for electricity and rent for a place to charge it too. And you got to buy food so you can keep being alive to play. What a scam

 

[PeakPointMatrix]

Gf was interested in picking up a Switch so we could play Pokemon together. We saw it was still $300 and felt we could wait until a revision.

 

[Mass Effect]

Memory card so you can install more content (I'd think 128GB is a smart choice) $55

Click to shrink...

bro no. you can easily find a 128gb for ~$20

but other than the screen protector and case, aren't the other purchases not unique to the Switch at all? Those would apply to a PS4 or Xbox as well.

 

[Stardestroyer]

Some those are options

But let's compare to an another console in the same vein..

Tv $200-10,000
Stereo $100-100,000
Heaphones $20-2,000
Extra controllers $60 * friends/family
Online $60
Game pass /psnow $60
Etc....


=P

Click to shrink...

The tv seems a little underpriced.

Tv 100 to 20000 from Samsung.

 

[daniel77733]

Damn.....that's expensive. Luckily, im one of the few where the Switch is just for me and I only buy and play physical games. No digital anything for me.

 

[feroca]

Click to shrink...

Came expecting this.
Outside the SD, OP doesn't "need" everything else...and if OP goes retail at first, is not needed at first.

 

[Datajoy]

Switch is actually the cheapest system since you don't need a TV.

 

[LavaBadger]

I can't tell if this thread was made in earnest.

I mean, you listed a game as an added cost.