Nintendo Switch outsold the most optimistic predictions

By Gabe Gurwin September 22, 2017

Nintendo Switch review — Mike Epstein/Digital Trends

The Nintendo Switch has been quite difficult to find since it launched in early March, quickly selling out on sites like Amazon as well as in brick-and-mortar stores. Nintendo increased production of the console in order to better meet demand, but many are still left waiting to get their hands on the console. According to Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé, however, this doesn’t mean the company is ignoring fans.

Speaking to Mashable, Fils-Aimé said that Nintendo produced 2 million Switch units for the system’s launch window, but analysts didn’t predict that the company would be able to sell them all — during that time, about 2.8 million ended up being sold.

“So what do some of the consumers on Reddit say?” he continued. “‘Gosh, Nintendo, if you would’ve made more you would’ve sold more.’ Well, we did make more! And certainly we’re on a pace to supply in the current fiscal year 10 million units.”

Nintendo clearly wanted to avoid its mistakes with the Wii U, which quickly fizzled out after having a fairly strong start in late 2012. Third-party support for the system dried up as publishers moved to the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, but this doesn’t seem to be the case with the Switch. On the contrary, more publishers have jumped on board since launch, including Bethesda. The company will release Switch versions of both Doom and Wolfenstein: II The New Colossus, and a special edition of Skyrim is on the way, as well.

Fils-Aimé did concede that Nintendo’s solutions are perhaps rolling out slower than fans would like, as is the case with the NES Classic and SNES Classic systems. Nintendo recently revealed that the NES Classic and SNES Classic will both be sold in 2018, but short supply and third-party vendors have already made the prospect of getting the plug-and-play consoles rather daunting. With the SNES Classic, fans have the only legal way to play the previously canceled game Star Fox 2, which was scrapped in favor of Star Fox 64 on Nintendo 64.

The Nintendo Switch will be a mighty fine present during the holidays this year. In addition to great games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Splatoon 2, Super Mario Odyssey releases on October 27.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

Gaming

Hades 2 shows the Steam Deck’s biggest advantage over the Nintendo Switch

A Steam Deck sits next to a Switch OLED.

It's always an exciting week when the sequel to one of the greatest games of all time surprise releases on a Monday. That's what happened on May 6 when Hades 2 surprise launched into early access. Players are already diving into the surprisingly robust roguelike, testing their might in its new biomes. I've been enjoying it myself from the comfort of my couch -- and not on my Nintendo Switch, where I played the first Hades. Instead, I'm curled up with my Steam Deck.

The PC-only launch means that Hades 2 is a Steam Deck "exclusive" for the time being (or at least exclusive to portable PCs like it and the Asus ROG Ally). It'll likely come to Nintendo's system -- or its predecessor -- once it hits 1.0, but developer Supergiant doesn't expect its game to leave early access until at least the end of 2024. Until then, you'll need a device like the Steam Deck to play it on the go. That's a reminder that Valve has beaten the Switch at its own game, and Nintendo will have to get creative again with its next system to regain its throne.
Early access on the go
Based on my time with it so far, Hades 2 is a phenomenal match for the Steam Deck. It's already Verified for the platform, and for good reason. It looks fantastic (especially on an OLED screen) and runs smoothly. I've already taken it on the go and found that it's not a huge drain on the Steam Deck's battery. At this point, I don't imagine I'll need to play it any other way.

Gaming

3 retro classics to play on Nintendo Switch Online this weekend (May 3-5)

Kirby and his friends post in Kirby and the Amazing Mirror art.

With rumors of a new Nintendo console heating up, it's once again time to accept that the Switch's long lifespan is coming to its end. 2024 will likely be the system's last full year before a successor steals its thunder. That's apparent in Nintendo's recent first-party offerings, as the system is getting a lot of remasters and niche curveballs this year. As exclusives like Endless Ocean: Luminous underwhelm, you may have found yourself looking for reasons to fire up your Switch.

Thankfully, you have a lot of great excuses to do so if you're subscribed to Nintendo Switch Online. The service is home to plenty of classic games from the NES up to the Nintendo 64. Even if you're a game historian, there's a good chance you haven't played everything Switch Online has to offer. This weekend, I have three recommendations for anyone looking to fire up some great, old games. These aren't random picks; I've chosen three games that feel spiritually linked to some of this spring's biggest games.
Kirby and the Amazing Mirror

Gaming

Is Stardew Valley cross-platform?

Stardew Valley Multiplayer Fishing

Stardew Valley is a game made by just one person, but it has seen more success than most games made by dozens, or even hundreds, of people. It's even one of Digital Trends' top 50 video games of all time. Since its release in 2016, the game has been updated regularly with new features and content to keep its avid fans coming back. This includes an online multiplayer component that allows you and up to three friends to hang out on each other's farms. And with the recent trend of games allowing players on different platforms to join together, you may wonder if Stardew Valley offers cross-platform functionality. Here's everything we know about cross-platform support in Stardew Valley.
Is Stardew Valley cross-platform?
Stardew Valley does not offer cross-platform support, meaning you can't play online multiplayer between any of the systems the game is on. So if you want to team up with some friends, make sure you all are playing on the same platform, such as the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, or PC. Also be aware that whoever starts a multiplayer game is saving that shared world locally, meaning no one else can reenter that world without the host present.

The sad fact of the matter is there doesn't seem to be any indication that crossplay will come to Stardew Valley. The game's official Reddit still lists it as not being supported, and there was only one mention of it by the developer on Twitter back in 2018, when he responded to a question asking if crossplay would come to the game. He replied, "Unfortunately, there will not be crossplay. Apparently, the technical barriers are very high. It's still something I really want to add and I promise to look into it more closely, but first priority is getting the update out there." This was many years ago, and there has been no further information about cross-platform play since, so it seems very unlikely that we will see support for this functionality come to Stardew Valley.