Can the Switch Replace the 3DS?

The Switch is Nintendo's most recent home console, but its portable nature has people suspicious if it will also replace Nintendo's current handheld, which is nearing its eighth year on the market. While some are expecting Nintendo's future to be nothing but the Switch, some people aren't sure that's a future Nintendo should strive for.

PRICE:

The 3DS is a great handheld that has followed Nintendo's typical thought process of using older technology that makes it more accessible for a wider audience. The 3DS is available for just $80 if you buy a refurbished 2DS from Nintendo's website. This price already makes the 3DS an easy system for people to get into. The Switch's price of $300 is much higher, and for a family with multiple children, the Switch immediately looks like it's better suited as a console.

GAMES:

I've been saying since we first knew the Switch was a portable console that it will kill the 3DS once it has a Pokemon game. While we don't know when, we do know that the next Pokemon game will almost certainly be on the Switch, which will mark the first game that will make the Switch a handheld. Nintendo has been making games like Breath of the Wild, Mario Odyssey, and Mario Kart 8 for the Switch. These games can be played on a portable system, but they aren't going to be advertised for their potability.

The 3DS is still getting games that make it look like a portable system, while the Switch is getting console games. Don't get me wrong, the 3DS remake of Luigi's Mansion is strange because the original game was on a console, but games like Captain Toad and Wario Ware make sense because of how easy they are to play in short bursts.

PORTABILITY:

The 3DS folds nicely due to its clamshell design. The Circle-Pad, Buttons, and C-Stick sit just millimeters past the surface of the 3DS, which helps it to fold mice and flat. The clamshell design also keeps both the screens of the 3DS safe from potential damage from things like keys.

The Switch doesn't have any of these advantages. The control sticks stick way out which will make them hard to stick in your pocket, and the screen is massive and completely unprotected. The battery life of the Switch is also far worse than the New 3DS systems. Yeah, people will say "the original 3DS had a terrible battery life too" but that's why the improved it in later models. The Switch doesn't have good battery life, and anyone who tries to say otherwise is in denial.

CONCLUSION:

The 3DS is still Nintendo's handheld of choice. They acknowledge the large install base the 3DS has, and they also acknowledge the price and size difference between the 3DS and the Switch. I personally think we'll see a more portable model of the Switch when we see a Pokemon game on the Switch.