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It does have a web browser, all the eShop and Facebook/Twitter interaction is driven by it. I’ve even used it to browse this very website. I posted a photo of it ages ago.
And Nintendo has stated in the past that getting a YouTube app onto the device is not up to them, but the third party itself, which in this case is YouTube. If Nintendo felt that YouTube was a priority then they would’ve done it themselves and paid to have one developed on YT’s behalf. Obviously it wasn’t because they see Switch as a gaming device first, and other forms of entertainment come a distant second, and its runaway success driven purely by games shows that they’re on the money.
As for its battery life, well, I’ve never had it run dry, even after hours-long BotW sessions away from the TV. I have had Pokémon GO destroy my iPhone X’s battery in a matter of hours. The Switch actually has a much bigger battery, it’s just how it used and how efficient each individual app is.
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Personally, I don't really care if the Switch has video/internet apps. It's not much bigger than a phone, and tablets make much better large touch screen devices at the moment. That being said, the internet masses (whether they like the system or not) seem to care a lot, so Nintendo should probably work on getting those features, just so it can check those "feature" boxes off. The thing I've long liked about Switch OS vs Xbox's for example, is how clean and fast it is, because it's very light on features. No ads everywhere, no dynamic icons, automatically streaming video, etc. Nothing in the background sucking down resources and causing overall performance drops, just find your game and play.
Picked up a few games recently:
- StarFoxLink - Very enjoyable, yet repetitive. Has some fun elements from a variety of game styles. Exploration ala NMS, RPG elements in terms of levels, item equips, missions, etc, and a very very minimal Risk type territory control. Have about 30 hours into it, probably about 2/3 through. Taking my time, was worth the money for my style of gaming, but I could see those who want a super fleshed out single player campaign would be left wanting. Controls and flying around are enjoyable, solid... but nothing amazing.
- NBA Playgrounds 2 - Figured I'd give it a shot since I enjoyed the first one. They improved the gameplay and presentation, so that's good. BUT they replaced the tournament with a "season" so the single player mode is actually less fun compared to the first imo. I probably should have waited on a sale so I could buy the the "unlock players" $10 DLC and just call it a day.
- Child of Light - haven't played it on Switch yet, but wanted to support the game because I really like the art and music direction. Played it on Wii U, but never got around to finishing it. Gorgeous 2D platform/RPG hybrid, I'll be getting to it shortly.
- Diablo III - never played a Diablo game before so wasn't fully sure what to expect. But it sounded like something I'd enjoy in that it's a dungeon crawler/grind fest. Will be good time waster I think. Everything seems solid, but my expectations were "OMG ITS THE MOST AMAZING GAME EVER" going into it, so I'm left a little "this is it?". Performance is good, everything seems "good", but I'm not blown away by it.
Breath of the Wild and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 really spoiled me on big expansive games for the Switch. Everything else since then has been a little less impressive. Not to say I haven't had good games and a lot of hours spent since, but it was just a high bar to meet for me.
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The Kindle Firestick lost the ability to have a dedicated Youtube app so they took their own web-browser and made a dedicated skin for it that looks exactly like Youtube, the only difference is the color of the icon you click on to open it. There was a customer need and they responded to it immediately; different corporate culture/ethos in play.
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The whole Youtube rumor brought up an interesting "thought" around the internet... Hulu came out about a year ago, so people are thinking if video apps start popping up on Switch here soon, it could have been Hulu had some sort of exclusive (which would be so stupid).
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The Switch at the beginning was, I think, purposefully avoiding direct comparison to other tablets. They didn't want to have a web browser which they then needed to keep competitive and add parental controls to. They didn't want to make streaming services a priority or even mandatory.
When it comes to what Switch fans have been asking Nintendo for, it's been first party/virtual console games, online save backup, and Bluetooth/voice chat support directly on the device. Maybe the people that are on the fence about buying the system feel differently, or the people that were never going to buy it anyway, but from owners the streaming services seem to be further down the line.
It might be because there's not really much chance for it to be a better experience than what most people already have. It won't have 4K support, there's no available remote control, there's no voice control support, there's no cellular data, there will be no multitasking or picture in picture support. I'll be glad that it's added, but I don't foresee myself using it much. And I watch a lot of YouTube.
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I installed Hulu at launch a year ago.
I never once used it on the Switch, even though I'm a subscriber, ended up clearing it off my Switch to make as much room as possible for a game install. When I'm at home, I have Hulu through my TV, Chromecast, and Xbox, all run it better than the Switch does when hooked to a TV (4k capable, Switch is not). When I'm mobile, I'd rather use my laptop, tablet, or phone. All have better screens and better battery life, and a more comfortable form factor for watching things.
So yeah, in practice, I don't really understand the "need" for streaming media and web browsers on the Switch. But in terms of features, sales, internet points, etc... Nintendo should probably make them available to users, so it's one less thing hurting them in the gaming landscape.
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My Kindle Paperwhite has a web browser on it. It's just one of those things, like power windows in cars, where it is weird not to have it.
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In line with Jason’s post, here’s some more games I recommend:
I’m currently playing The Gardens Between. It’s Aussie-developed and has a neat time-based mechanic for navigating each stage. Beautiful art design. Perfect for Gen-Xers because it’s based on the notion of childhood memories and all the props are straight out of the 80s & 90s.
Dark Souls needs no introduction so I won’t. Killing and being killed (a lot) by the undead while on the go is great fun.
Lumines for all the puzzle nerds out there. I haven’t ‘clicked’ with the game yet but I have read that once you do, it becomes an amazingly zen experience and you start to play it almost without thinking. It has taken up more of my Switch time than I feel comfortable admitting. But so has the demo for Puyo Puyo Tetris. Ugh.
I bought Dead Cells thinking it’s going to be yet another cut ‘n’ paste Roguevania but it’s surprisingly deep and satisfying to play. The idea is that you get one life, and each time you die you’re transported back to the start. However, you would have gained a new piece of equipment or more health, which is available to you on your next run, thus making you a bit stronger and more able to deal with your enemies. I was sold on the back-of-the-box quote that it has responsive controls, and they ARE responsive. Hack and slash!
Membrane is a janky looking puzzle-platformer, but it’s cheap, so buy it. I think it’s a story about navigating the brain of someone deep in the middle of an LSD trip.
And finally Gorogoa is well worth your time. It’s probably going to go down as the best mobile game this year, and it’s cheaper if you buy it on iOS, but I bought it on Switch just to support the platform a little more. It’s a ridiculously clever point ‘n’ click adventure that uses touchscreen controls, and it’s short-and-sweet length of about 5 hours is the perfect thing for those who fly across the country.
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YouTube?
More like YEEEWWWTube, amirite?
It’s out now on Switch and it works pretty well. It’s the same app as the smart TV and console YouTube app, just ported to Switch. It’ll pull down a 1080/60 feed for display on a big screen. I noticed that the Switch display is a bit bluer and more of a crispy white than the warmer tone of my iPhone’s OLED screen.
Straight away I found the limit of the Switch’s built-in speakers - the sound quality is terrible! For some reason the dialogue sounds like it has come through a plastic tube. I’ve never really noticed it before while playing games, so I guess it’s the different purpose of sounds for different media that highlights this weakness. Oh well. Headphones will fix that.
As it stands, the app is harder to use than the iOS version, it sounds worse, the screen is a lower resolution than basically every modern device, it won’t push videos to a TV app, nor will it receive videos from a mobile app.
Buuuuut, it’s YouTube on Switch and my built-in Nintendo bias is happy, plus all of those people can now shut up* about Switch not having basic functionality because it’s the sort of thing that they’d expect the machine to feature in 2017.
* I guess this just means that they’ll move on to complaining that it’s not as good as other ways to access YouTube.
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I suppose we expect it because you can play the Switch on a TV. I have twelve year old hardware (PS3) running Youtube apps in my house right now. I also have a phone in my pocket that runs it. Not much of leap to expect a gaming system you play on a TV to be able to play other media.
