Nintendo Switch UX Strategy Report
About
For this project, a team of myself and two others were tasked with researching the UX strategy of the Nintendo Switch, comparing it to the UX strategies of two competitors, and making recommendations for how Nintendo could improve the Switch.
Nintendo Switch UX Strategy
Positives:
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Nintendo has a strong catalogue of games that can only be played on the Switch
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Since they can only be played on the Switch, Nintendo does not have to focus on making their games work on different systems and all games are tailor made for the Switch
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Nintendo Games are also family friendly
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The Nintendo Switch has three different modes for users to play on: handheld, tabletop, and connected to a TV
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This versatility allows users to enjoy their Switch anytime anywhere
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The Nintendo Switch also has a flexible controller setup, with detachable Joy-Con controllers
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Users can play games with one or two of these controllers and they decrease the amount of controllers needed for couch gaming with friends
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Negatives:
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The Nintendo Switch does not have a high level of performance compared to other gaming hardware
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The Switch has adequate performance for Nintendo games that are made for it, but many other popular titles do not run very well or at all on the Switch
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The Nintendo Switch Online subscription service does not include many modern games in its game catalogue
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The Nintendo Switch does not offer as good of an online experience as competitors
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Nintendo still uses peer-to-peer networking, voice chat is only possible through a smart phone app, and adding friends is overly difficult
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Nintendo Switch UX Strategy:
The Nintendo Switch's UX strategy revolves around versatility and exclusive family friendly games. Nintendo does not compete with other consoles in performance, game subscription services, and online experience. Instead, it has carved out its own niche, focused on allowing users to enjoy Nintendo games in different settings, alone or with friends. The most popular games on the Switch are made by Nintendo for the Switch, and do not require the performance that other consoles provide. Most Nintendo games do not have a strong focus on online multiplayer, and are better suited for couch gaming multiplayer.
Nintendo Switch Value Innovation
Nintendo Switch User Profile
Nintendo Switch Value Proposition
Xbox X|S UX Strategy
We chose the Xbox Series X|S to represent the traditional gaming consoles side of competition for the Nintendo Switch.
Positives:
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Gamepass offers access to hundreds of games for an affordable monthly rate ($10- $20)
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Easily connects to a TV
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Has better performance than handheld devices
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Has access to a large library of games
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Has exclusives including Halo, Forza, and Starfield
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Xbox Series S is a good affordable option that still has better performance than handheld devices
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Offers connectivity to other devices (PCs, TVs, Phones)
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Makes online gaming easy with voice parties, discord connectivity, and reliable servers
Negatives:
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Has worse exclusives than Nintendo and Sony
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Has worse performance than most PCs
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Limited storage space
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Is not easily portable and must be connected to a TV
Xbox Series X|S UX Strategy:
Xbox’s UX Strategy has come to revolve around the Gamepass. The Gamepass is the best subscription service in gaming, and it allows users to play tons of different games without having to purchase all of them. Xbox is made to be played on a TV and has performs well among traditional consoles. Xbox does not have the best exclusives, portability, or performance, but it offers users access to the largest number of games for the cheapest price at competitive levels of performance for a traditional console.
Comparison the Switch:
While the Switch focuses on versatility and their exclusive game titles, Xbox focuses on granting users to a large catalogue of games and allowing them to play them with solid performance. Xbox also makes online gaming easy. The Switch is better for users who want to play Nintendo games or who want to be able to game on the go and move their console around a lot. Xbox is better for users who want to play a wide variety of games, get good performance for a console, easily play games online, and who are not bothered with having their console stuck in one place.
Steam Deck UX Strategy
We chose the Steam Deck to represent the handheld gaming side of competition for the Nintendo Switch.
Positives:
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Users can play a wide variety of games through the Steam library.
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Powerful for a handheld device.
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OS built on Linux allows for lots of customization.
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Base model offers a decent amount of storage that can be easily expanded via micro SD.
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Online play is always free through Steam
Negatives:
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Considerably heavier than the Switch. Bulky design.
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OLED options are expensive.
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No “low cost” options
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Only comes in one color.
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No disk drive or cartridge slot. Only supports digital copies of games.
Steam Deck UX Strategy:
Steam supports a significantly larger game library than the Nintendo Switch. Furthermore, tech savvy users can try to dual boot Windows for unlimited access to PC games. The Steam Deck’s competitive advantage lies in its game library, and performance focused features. The closed console-like environment of Steam OS is friendly to casual users, while still supporting a game catalog comparable to PC.
Comparison to the Switch:
Like the Switch, the Steam Deck allows users to play games anywhere anytime. However, the Steam Deck cannot easily be hooked up to a TV. The Steam Deck has a larger game library than the Switch, but it does not have exclusives and even though users can download a game, it may not run well or at all on the Steam Deck. The Steam Deck offers connectivity to PC gaming and has a high level of customization. Overall, the Steam Deck offers mobile gaming at similar performance to the Switch, it has a larger library but all of the games are not made for the Steam Deck, it offers acceptable online features, but it is mostly limited to being handheld.
Recommendations for the Nintendo Switch
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Nintendo should look to improve the performance of the Switch (graphics, loading speeds, storage, processing power, etc…) to attract more tech-savvy consumers, and support the development of more resource intensive games.
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Nintendo should expand their online subscription library to include a wider variety of titles.
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Nintendo could allow some connectivity with PC and maybe even consoles (cloud gaming, discord integration, etc.)
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Nintendo should modernize its online gaming experience