“There are things known and there are things unknown and in between are the doors of perception.” — Aldous Huxley

I’m Huxley Westemeier (26’) and welcome to “The Sift,” a weekly opinions column focused on the impacts and implications of new technologies.

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It’s been eight years since the launch of the original Nintendo Switch, and over 150 million units have been sold. In 2017, the Switch’s ability to be both a handheld console and a tethered TV system was groundbreaking. Bluetooth controllers called JoyCons contained intricate haptic feedback systems (simulating rumble or other sensations) that were technically innovative, and a library of games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Breath of the Wild were graphically impressive. Sure, it wasn’t as powerful as a dedicated console such as the PlayStation 4, but the practicality and convenience of playing on the go OR at home was appealing.

It is a vast understatement to say that the original Nintendo Switch was computationally underpowered. Running a custom NVIDIA processor and GPU, it had the performance of a mid-range Android phone or tablet from 2015. A popular benchmarking suite, Geekbench 6, states that the 2017 Switch scores 712 for multi-core, indicating how powerful the chip is when working at maximum power. The 2017 iPhone 8 scores nearly double at 1486 (for reference, the current iPhone 16 Pro scores 8564). The Switch ran games optimized for it well, but it struggles to keep up with a non-Nintendo game such as Minecraft.

The latest generation, the Nintendo Switch 2, was announced on April 2nd. It’s much more graphically capable, with a modern NVIDIA chipset that can run at a higher 1080p resolution on the internal screen and up to 4k60 when connected to a TV. Nintendo has introduced a new experience or gimmick with each new console design: motion controls for Wii, a touch screen controller for WiiU, and a multi-purpose system with Switch. The Switch 2 is taking more of an incremental step abandoning the gimmicks. It’s more powerful, with estimates on par with a PS4 Pro, the screen is bigger and brighter while maintaining the same thickness, and the controllers can act like computer mice magnetically attaching instead of sliding into slots. These are welcome upgrades but not an attempt to revolutionize the Switch’s guiding ideology.

In Mario Party: Superstars, a digital board game interspersed with minigames, Mario’s nemesis, Bowser, is known for overcharging players who buy power ups from him. It’s hard not to believe that Bowser likely had a hand in the cost increase after seeing the $450 price tag of the Switch 2. The original Switch retailed for $299 in 2017 ($387 adjusted for inflation) and has retained that price, so the increase is likely due to the rising cost of chipset development. Switch 2 is no longer as affordable, and it is directly competing with PS5 consoles which have much higher computational power.

Even more criminal? The game prices. Mario Kart World (a vast and improved racing experience) costs $80 for a digital copy and $90 for a physical version. This is an unprecedented price for a video game. The release game for the first Switch, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, retailed for $60. Top releases for the PS5 are exceptionally impressive, like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, which retails for $70.

That’s the Nintendo Switch 2. It’s bigger, brighter, has a higher resolution, and is more graphically powerful. But is it worth the upgrade? While it is understandable that inflation called for a price increase, the value of the overall console has decreased. Sure, the second iteration is better than the original, but is it $150 better? Are the games really worth $20-30 more each?

I won’t be upgrading and giving Bowser any more money. Will you upgrade?