Thoughts on the Switch Lite - and Nintendo.

I was browsing through Facebook Marketplace the other day and saw someone interested in trading their Switch Lite for an Xbox One. Now, that is quite a strange trade seeing as how much more expensive it is compared to the Xbox One, but I'm not going to complain about this person's motives and I certainly wouldn't be stupid to let this opportunity pass.
This isn't my first time owning a Switch, but it is my first time owning the Lite model and while I'm not sure if I'll sell it for profit or keep it, it is still a nice little device that managed to impress me just a little.

I have more than enough gripes about Nintendo's predatory business practices, but considering I already own some digital Switch games, I might as well play them some more - bad company, good games (even if incomplete at times).

Having something to play in bed or outside while eating some churrasco with real controls and not just a touchscreen is always welcome, and this is more than enough to deliver some fun there.

I often see people complaining about small handhelds or controllers because their hands are too big, and while that's a valid complaint, I simply don't suffer from it. My hands are absolutely huge, enough to go from top to bottom on a 15" screen, but I'm rather fond of small consoles such as this. They feel nice to play on, comfortable. Considering I had no problems with the Powkiddy v90 which is way smaller, this actually felt even more comfortable.
It's about the same level of comfort as a 3DS XL, just with your hands further apart as the 6" screen is in the middle of the device (and is only the screen, of course.)

I am quite familiar with the Switch's library having owned one for over a year, so I knew from the get go that I'd have some good games to play, games that I already owned in my account.
Super Smash Brothers Ultimate, Mario Kart 8, the classic Doom ports, Animal Crossing, and more.
I'm playing them online quite a bit with friends and strangers, it's nice to get back in Smash to kick some butt or Mario Kart 8 to win some races. I've found that somehow I haven't lost my skills even after all this time - and of course, Tetris 99 is still a banging good game.

There are more games I'd really like to play such as Breath of the Wild or Shin Megami Tensei V, but I won't jump the gun while I don't even know if I'll be keeping the console or not.

And about the console, something that makes it a even better deal is that it came with some extra goodies.

Pokémon Sword was included, which I remember did not get such good reviews at launch but I'm still having a really good time with it. I've been a fan of Pokémon ever since I played gen 1 and 2 as a kid, so this does not feel out of place at all and is a very welcome evolution to the franchise, even if Hop, the main rival, is really annoying.

Another thing that came with the console was this beautiful Pikachu vs Mewtwo case by PowerA.
I'm really impressed with the build quality of this case, and the same can be said about the build quality of the console itself.

It's made entirely out of plastic and feels pretty toy-like, fortunately it seems like it's a really durable "toy."
The texture feels a lot like the one on the New 2DS XL, and that's a console I really liked to use and that felt very comfortable in the hand.
One odd thing about the Switch Lite which feels like a carryover from the New 2DS XL are the buttons.

They are... rubbery. In fact, they feel like they were made out of rubber and it's quite odd.
They are nice to use of course, but it's way different from the normal "old" Nintendo Switch. The same goes for the dpad which is a cross shape unlike the normal Joycon buttons which were made to be used as actual buttons when in two player mode.

After a while I did get used to this, and I think their feel is starting to grow me, they're actually really comfortable and quite clicky, exactly what I like.
It was weird at first, but now it's just becoming a different - but nice way to play all these games I used to play.

However,

I still have gripes about it, and it mostly boils down to how Nintendo deals with their costumers.
The system itself is great and has the potential to be a great little machine - if hacked.
Nintendo has always been notorious for doing things that make absolutely no sense. When they first announced that Nintendo Switch Online was going to be a paid service, I was a little angry, luckily my sister decided to put me in her Family Account and I haven't had to spend a cent on the online services... But what they're doing now is absolutely ridiculous. They have added a new "tier" to their online subscription services that gives you DLC and MegaDrive and Nintendo 64 games emulated. If you look around you'll quickly see headlines about how poor the Nintendo 64 emulation is, and that's an insult.

This "expansion pack" shouldn't even be paid in the first place. Microsoft is for now the only company whom I can trust to maintain their subscription services well and improve them free of charge - sure, there are two Gamepass tiers but the difference between them is so great that it's entirely justified.
Nintendo and Sony are both guilty of this, with the new PS Plus tiers, but I still believe Nintendo is doing it way worse.

Another insult that really pissed me off was seeing the new DLC tracks on Mario Kart 8's track selection screen, DLC tracks that I can't use but can't remove from there. This wasn't a thing in Smash, characters, stages and songs only showed up if you owned the DLC, this is essentially trying to make the consumer "complete" the product they already paid for. Some might not be so bothered but it just feels odd to have them there if they're completely inaccessible, it feels like the ads on the Xbox's dash - something entirely unnecessary.

The main thing that puts me off from owning Nintendo console is how Nintendo prices its services and games and how little they seem to care to costumer feedback.
While the games available are absolutely wonderful, I still don't think it's worth it supporting a company like this when we're treated like shite.
The one saving grace for me on any Nintendo console is hacking them and doing whatever I want, and that doesn't necessarily means playing non-legit copies of games - you can do so much with a form factor like this. Even Android or Linux work just fine and it works great as a little tablet from what I've seen... but the Switch Lite does not yet have a softmod and the hardware options are currently way too expensive.

If you're really interested in the Switch but don't have a kidney to spare, then get a v1 Switch and hack that thing, it essentially turns into a handheld PC.

Sorry for my ranting, have a good one.

All pictures were taken by me