OPINION: With the Nintendo Switch 2 announcement less than six months away, does it even make sense to capitalise on what are sure to be the best Black Friday savings ever on the outgoing OG Switch consoles? Let me make the case for both.
First of all, if you’re considering buying a Nintendo Switch now, welcome to the party. But also, where have you been? The hybrid gaming system has been out for more than seven years now, having been released in the spring of 2017. And boy, have we had fun in those seven years.
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Brilliant new games from the ageless and peerless Mario and Zelda franchises have entertained the earliest and the latest Nintendo gamers. The likes of Animal Crossing got half of us through the pandemic. Metroid made a comeback, Splatoon considered its quest to cover the universe in neon paint, and the Switch Online service brought access to the best of Nintendo from the NES to the N64 and even threw in some Sega Megadrive classics for good measure.
However, all good things come to an end and the original Switch, Switch Lite and Switch OLED consoles are coming to the end of their epic run.
Nintendo has promised to announce the successor system before the end of March, with an on-sale date likely before the end of 2025.
So, with potentially the best ever savings on Nintendo Switch consoles due within the next couple of weeks, the question is. Is the original Nintendo Switch worth buying on Black Friday.
Let’s argue both cases:
Yes, a brilliant games library is worth it
The nature of Nintendo’s unique gameplay makes many of these games utterly timeless. We still have as much fun playing Mario Kart 64 as we do razzing around within Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. In 7-years Nintendo has built a huge library of titles for you to explore and the best ones, like Tears of the Kingdom, are going to age like fine wines.
And consider this: The Switch 2 might not actually go on sale until the holiday season of 2025, giving you a whole year to wait to play them if you don’t take advantage of deals on the original Switch this Black Friday. You’ve already waited 7 years.
When the Switch 2 system does arrive, you know for sure it’s going to be much higher priced than the best Nintendo Switch Black Friday deals and bundles. Think about whether you *would* actually buy the Switch 2 straight away, or whether you’d wait a couple of years for price cuts that haven’t actually been that impressive on the original Switch.
Nintendo has never been a price slashing company; some of the bundles offered on Black Friday down the years remained the same year after year; maybe with an extra tenner off here and there. Sometimes a deal is a deal and not everyone budgets for a brand new console.
And one more thing to consider. Nintendo consoles are often in the shortest supply right out of the gate. It was true with the original Wii, just as it was true with the Switch. The Switch 2 might an absolute nightmare to get hold of for months after its launch. And where does that leave you? Battling with the scalper bots or paying over the odds, that’s where.
And, one more thing, it’s not like that Switch 2 system is going to be accompanied by a huge number of brand new games that will be available instantly. The Switch 2 library, which will take advantage of whatever new console capabilities we’re yet to hear about, will take time to build. Some of the first releases may support the OG Switch or simply be “Deluxe” versions of existing games, as we saw with Mario Kart 8 that started out as a Wii U game.
Finally. Are we totally sure the Switch 2 is going to be worth buying at all? Remember the last time Nintendo followed up a cultural phenomenon? The Wii U was a giant flop. It might be better to wait to see if Nintendo has learned its lesson more than a decade on.
All of that is a very compelling argument for going with your gut and snapping-up an original Nintendo Switch on Black Friday. It promises to see some unbeatable deals as Nintendo looks to move as much of the old inventory before announcing the new console.
Besides, if you do decide to quickly upgrade to a Switch 2, Nintendo hardware tends to hold its value moderately well. You’ll probably get a price you’ll be happy with and recoup enough money to put towards the new system to have made the investment, and the fun you had with it, worth your while.
No, wait for the Switch 2 and play all the games
Nintendo has stayed typically tight-lipped about the new system itself. We literally know nothing about the hardware, save for rumours and speculation.
However, the company did drop a very important nugget recently: the Switch 2 will be backwards compatible, meaning every game that’s available for the current generation will be playable on the successor.
That’s a big argument for holding out for the Switch 2. On day one – whenever that may be next year – you’ll still be able to play every great Nintendo Switch game on the new hardware.
In early November, company president Shuntaro Furukawa wrote on X: “Hello, this is Furukawa. At today’s business direction briefing, we announced that Nintendo Switch software will be playable on the successor to the Nintendo Switch.”
Sure, this means waiting a while longer to play them, but it ensures these titles won’t be lost to the ether and you’ll have a big library of Switch games to play while the Switch 2’s own library fills out.
If you buy the original now, you’ll have to get used to the idea that new releases for that system will start to become few and far between. Soon, the original Switch library, as brilliant as it is, will be as good as it’s you’re going to get.
You may begin to get a little FOMO this time next year if there’s a new mainline Super Mario 3D platform game that you’re not going to be able to play on the last-generation console you dropped more than £200 on a short while ago.
Nintendo has also confirmed the Switch Online platform is coming to the new system too, so it’s not like you’re going to lose access to those classics of yesteryear by quickly buying a Switch 2.
All this points to hanging fire and waiting for the Switch 2, which will likely have another long and illustrious run for 5-7 years as Nintendo’s top machine.
Conclusion: Fun now vs FOMO
We’ve presented two compelling cases for buying a Switch now and saving a load of money, or waiting for the Switch 2 because paying full price will be worth it in the long run.
Ultimately it’s your call though.
If you feel particularly excited to play more games right now, and want to scratch that itch, go ahead. Don’t second guess yourself. The bargain price will feel great and I highly doubt you’ll regret the fun you have with the OG Switch. Plus, you can always recoup some cash by selling the console to facilitate an upgrade.
If your personality is more FOMO-centric, and you’re thinking it’s going to be a bummer watching the new hardware and graphical capabilities – including perhaps some fun new gameplay mechanics – and exclusive games arrive while you’re sat with an incompatible console then wait it out. You’ll still be able to play all those awesome OG Switch games on the Switch 2.
If I’m in your position, I’m buying a Nintendo Switch this Black Friday and waiting a couple of years, at least, until the best Switch 2 games come to the fore.
Regardless of your decision, we promise to bring you the very best Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals to help inform your choice.
