I ended up impulse buying a Nintendo Switch 2.

I was frequently checking the stock indicator on the Nintendo website, to see if it was in stock near me so that I could conveniently pick it up in-person. I had been checking quite frequently, since I really wanted the version without Mario Kart World included. I was adamant, since I knew that I definitely wouldn’t play that game.

On one particular Friday, I got the invitation to purchase one from Amazon, as well as finding out that it was actually in-stock at the Walmart near me. It was actually during the evening, so I wasn’t sure if it was actually there, but I figured there was no harm in checking. If it wasn’t there, I could just order it online. When I got there, it was actually in-stock! There were only two left. The person manning the counter in the tech section even remarked on how she was surprised that the scalpers hadn’t come by that day to clear out the units. Lucky me!

Originally, I wanted to wait until there was a special edition that I really wanted, but after looking at all the special editions released for the original Switch, the only one I ended up liking was the Animal Crossing edition. Was I going to wait 1-2 years for a Switch 2 special edition that I may not even like?

Here are the list of excuses reasons that I had for buying a Switch 2

1. I can customize it using accessories from Geekshare (rather than waiting for a special edition). These accessories offer a wider range of color options, often with much cuter designs than the existing special editions. I can also change these as much as I want by buying a new cases.
2. I can play my current switch games with higher fidelity/frame rates.
3. The screen is much bigger, and therefore easier to see (I’m getting old lol)
4. I play mostly handheld, and the kickstand makes it easy to play with just the joycons, rather than supporting the whole console. I don’t have a Switch OLED, so this is a big upgrade for me. No more hand/wrist pain!
5. The speakers are louder/clearer.
6. I wanted to buy one earlier, in case tariffs in the US cause the price to go up even more.
7. I had cash rewards from my credit card that I could use to bring the price down.
8. I deserved a treat for what I had just put up with at work.
9. I would use my gaming budget, and buy less games for the rest of the year.

In the end, I wanted to play Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time with better resolution. It’s quite playable on the original Switch, but blurry. Combined with the camera being a little far away (and the zoom function is too close for normal play), I honestly felt like it was straining my eyes to play. I don’t even have any close-vision issues!

The Switch 2 Upgrade for Fantasy Life is only 3 USD, and it’s totally worth it (obviously you need a Switch 2 of course). Unfortunately, I bought my physical copy of the game too early, back when I didn’t have a Switch 2 and the Switch 2 physical edition of the game wasn’t even announced yet. Luckily, the cost of the upgrade wasn’t too bad.

I still haven’t bought any new Switch 2 specific games yet, since many of the 3rd party games are game key cards. There also haven’t been many games announced that have truly caught my attention. I am interested in Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar, but I never got that far in Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life. I want to actually complete that game, and maybe wait for a mild discount on Grand Bazaar before I pick it up.

While I am hopeful that maybe more games will get proper Switch 2 physical releases, I have an enormous backlog of Switch 1 games that I will happily play on my new Switch 2. Even if there aren’t obvious patches to improve the games, they run better just by having more processing power available to them. I’ve had a Switch for 7 years, and my current Animal Crossing one for at least 5 years.

I feel it was time for an upgrade anyways.