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The day I got my Switch!

As of today, 5 June 2025, the original Nintendo Switch is now officially an old-gen console. With the release of the Switch 2, the original Switch joins the ranks of the PS4 and the Xbox One S/X, passing on the torch to the next generation of game consoles. My parents bought me my Switch when I turned 10 years old. I am 15 now. For the past 5 years, my trusty little hybrid console has served its master well. Its colourful Joy-Cons and snappy feel is a source of immense joy to me even today.

The main feature of the Switch that impresses me to this day is its sheer versatility and usefulness as a console. You can enjoy the premium feel (as premium as a Switch can get it anyway) by playing on your TV. TV’s taken? Sit on the couch, squint your eyes and play on tabletop mode with a friend. And of course, you can enjoy its most comfortable mode playing in handheld. It doesn’t matter where you’re at- on a flight, at a hotel far from home, or just in bed: the Switch can be your companion everywhere.

Despite the inherent problems of handheld consoles such as performance issues, overheating, lagging and inability to play certain titles due to its limited power, the Switch is still undoubtedly a fun console to play on. Through my Switch, I have put countless hours into exclusive AAA titles like Breath of the Wild and Smash Bros, played old gems like Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm ported from the PS3, and have had tons of raw, unadulterated fun with friends and family on the heavily underappreciated indie game Retimed. The system’s limitations don’t matter too much in the long run as long as its job of providing you a fun and creative gameplay experience has been achieved (although it may get you shouted at by your friends for lagging too much in Fortnite).

With the Switch 2 covering most of the console’s weak points, improving its battery life, performance and overall specs, I can’t wait to see what Nintendo has in store for us next. The fact that a hybrid console has the same specs as a PS4 Pro and can run games like Elden Ring and Cyberpunk 2077 at 4K is absolutely wild. While I probably won’t be getting the Switch 2 anytime soon, I am happy to join my friends in gaming with their still wonderfully relevant old gens. The Switch is still going to be active in retirement, presenting beautiful storytelling from Zelda games, raw action from Smash Bros and letting you join the squad with your friends in Fortnite.