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What are the pros and cons of the Wii U vs the Switch? originally appeared on Quora - the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world.
Answer by Ryan Smith, I own NES, N64, Wii, Wii U, and Switch, on Quora:
Let’s start with the pros and cons of the Wii U (as compared to the Switch):
Pros
Cheaper price
- You can easily find a used/refurbished version for under $200 (case in point: Nintendo Wii U 32GB - Black (GameStop Premium Refurbished).
Selection of games
- At this point, there are hundreds of games for the Wii U, given that it was released back in 2012. Since it’s a Nintendo console, many of the 1st party games that came out for the Wii U are very polished and fun to play. If you’re a Nintendo fan (or even if you’re not), you’re bound to find a good number of titles that you’ll enjoy playing. This even includes Nintendo’s recent smash hit, Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Backwards-compatiblility
- The Wii U can play any Wii title. In fact, it’s compatible with the same motion controllers (i.e. “Wiimotes” and “Nunchucks”) as the Wii. If you already have a lot of Wii games that you still want to play from time to time, this is a killer feature.
Cons
Availability
- The Wii U was discontinued in November of 2016 (source: Report: Nintendo To End Wii U Production). Because of this, it would be very difficult to find a brand new copy if you’re uncomfortable with a used/refurb model.
Older technology
- While the Wii U was the first Nintendo console to support HD graphics, those graphics do look a bit dated by today’s standards. Also, because it’s disc-based, load times are going to be quite a bit slower than the Switch (which also benefits from a faster processor).
Controller
- The Wii U’s main control device is a tablet-like controller with a (by today’s standards) low-res touchscreen. It’s main selling points - the ability to continue playing a game on the controller instead of on the TV, and the ability to use the second screen to view additional info or interact in various ways - are somewhat gimmicky and under-utilized. Also, the range on the controller is pretty short: I tried taking it into my bedroom, which is only ~20 ft away from our living room, and the game froze up and eventually displayed an error. This somewhat negates the promise of untethered gameplay.
Lack of diverse/unique titles
- I know I listed the selection of games as a pro, but it should also be mentioned that many of those games are sequels or ports. And, with the exception of Nintendo’s first party offerings and a smattering of 3rd party titles, the quality of many Wii U games is….mediocre. Because of its relatively underpowered hardware, slightly gimmicky tablet controller, and lackluster sales, the Wii U didn’t win a lot of support from game developers. For instance, if you like RPGs, First-person shooters, or MMOs, you won’t find many quality options on the Wii U.
Now let’s look at the pros and cons of the Switch (as compared to the Wii U):
Pros
True portability
- I think of the Switch as a much better realization of the design philosophy/strategy behind the Wii U: the Wii U was designed to allow for an ‘untethered’ gaming experience, but this was limited by two major factors - relatively poor battery life (of the controller) and short range. The Switch has a dock that enables TV play, but the main ‘console’ is essentially a tablet with a controller on each end (i.e. the “Joy-cons”), and you can bring it with you anywhere. Just make sure you bring a charger if you want more than 3–4 hours of gameplay on the go.
Better/faster hardware
- This is true of almost every new piece of tech, but it’s really noticeable with the Switch. Not only does it have a more powerful/efficient processor, it employs cartridges instead of discs (Nintendo going back to their roots!!), so load times are MUCH faster than the Wii U. The UI is also very snappy and, in my opinion, more intuitive than the one on the Wii U. And like most modern tablets, you can turn on the Switch or put it into ‘sleep mode’ almost instantly. No, it’s not as powerful as a PS4 or Xbox One, but that’s not the comparison we’re making here (and to be fair, those systems are also disc-based, so game load times are still often longer than the Switch).
Overall Potential
- While the game selection is currently small (see Cons below), there are already several really solid and well-received titles, including: Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Splatoon 2, ARMS, and more. And Super Mario Odyssey, which is coming this October, is looking really really good (see: Super Mario Odyssey for gameplay footage and more info). Also, the Switch has been selling like hotcakes, which will undoubtedly entice many 3rd party developers - who may have passed on the Wii U due to the hardware and poor sales - to create games for the system. Bottom line: with time, the Switch will have plenty of great games to play.
No region-lock
- The Switch breaks from Nintendo tradition and does not use any region-locking. This probably won’t matter to the general audience, but if you have an interest in importing games that are exclusive to other regions - or, if you should decide to buy a Switch in another country - you won’t have to worry about compatibility issues (you might need to adjust the default language though). Nice one, Nintendo!
Cons
Price
- Currently the Switch has an MSRP of $300. This in and of itself is not a huge con, given that the Wii U also debuted at $300; however, with the Switch in high demand and supplies being low everywhere, you’re more likely to pay closer to $400 if you want it right now. This leads us to the next con…
Availability
- Perhaps Nintendo really underestimated the demand for the Switch, or maybe it was part of their marketing strategy. Whatever the case may be, it’s been really really difficult to buy a Switch. Nintendo has said that they’re working on ramping up production (source: Nintendo apologizes for Switch shortages in Japan, increasing shipments starting next month - Nintendo Everything), so maybe wait a month or two if you don’t want to pay more than the $300 MSRP.
Lack of games
- The Switch is still a new console, so it’s a bit unfair to expect that it’ll have tons of great games at the get-go. However, the lower-than-normal # of launch titles is made even worse by the fact that the Switch can’t play Wii U or Wii titles. Not to mention, one of the Switch’s launch titles - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - is also available on the Wii U.
Not backwards-compatible
- As mentioned, the Switch is cartridge-based, which means it can’t play any Wii U or Wii games. The only way Nintendo could enable you to play these older titles would be by putting them on the e-shop, in which case you’ll have to buy the games again (hopefully at a discounted price…)
In summary: the Switch is a better executed console than the Wii U, should have more support from game developers (leading to a more diverse game library), and is truly portable. However, it’s really hard to find right now, is more expensive, and only has a handful of must-own games.
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