A week away from launch day, it still feels like we’re finding new things out about the Nintendo Switch everyday. Unfortunately, the more information that gets revealed about the Switch, the more it’s becoming clear that Nintendo is launching their new console too soon.
The latest disappointing, yet unsurprising revelation regarding the Switch is that it will not have Virtual Console support at launch. This means that Switch owners who pick up their console on March 3 will not be able to download any classic Nintendo games on day one. Now, this wouldn’t be such a big deal if Nintendo had provided a time frame of when we might expect Virtual Console to be added to the Switch, but all they’ve said is “we will share more information in the future.” In other words, Nintendo is not willing to say or has no idea when a feature that launched with its three most recent consoles (including the 3DS) is coming out, which only further illustrates how quickly the company is rushing the Switch to market.
While it’s true that nearly all tech hardware released nowadays will be missing features that won’t get added until later on (heck, we’re still waiting for features for the PS4 and Xbox One that should have been released years ago), the Switch is starting to become more known for the features it lacks than the ones it actually has. Besides the hardware, everything else about the Switch feels like a missed opportunity at this point. The launch lineup includes a potential game of the year candidate in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but otherwise is lacking in both quality and quantity compared to more recent console launches (it’s important to remember that the Switch’s predecessor, the Wii U, may have lacked a game like Zelda, but made up for this by having a wide-range of titles that appealed to many different demographics.)
Photo: Nintendo