WiiU vs Switch (2 years later)
I was one of the few and one of the proud who wore the WiiU like a badge of honor. I was one of the 12 million people who bought a WiiU. I preordered and picked up on day one. I was a original fan of the Wii and as a hardcore gamer I fully understood the difference between the Wii and the WiiU, unlike the mass population which could partially explain the reasons for its failure commercially. Over the lifespan of the WiiIU it felt like it was quite the flop for Nintendo, but was that just how it was spun in the media? 13 million units sold isn’t great by any means but they were able to develop lots of great software and ultimately it helped them refine many features that would be implemented with the Switch hardware. With the Switch being out for a little over two years now, we take a look back at the how these systems stack up with two years under their belt. Let’s see if it’s as bad as we remember it.
NintendoFlix
I know we all have AppleTv and chrome cast and smart TV’s but what is the major issue with allowing a few video apps on your system. The WiiU had YouTube, Amazon, Hulu, and Netflix to name the bigger ones. I understand if you are trying to protect yourselves as a company from people being able to get on the internet to look at less than child friendly content but if you had these closed apps you wouldn’t have to worry about it, plus you need a subscriptions for all of those video services. I understand that a game console is designed for playing games but its always nice to have another place where you can find you movies and tv as well. This especially doubles down for the functionality of the switch which is meant to go anywhere. I dont want to unplug my AppleTV just so I can watch Netflix next time I go traveling. It just makes too much sense to not have feature like this on a hybrid console. Currently the only services that have been added are Hulu and YouTube
WINNER - Wii U
Launch Pricing
Although when looking back at the library of the WiiIU system it looks quite solid, there were a few major issues with it. The first was that many people complained that there was just too much time in between major releases and the second was that the launch lineup was mostly terrible. The WiiU deluxe launched with two versions in case Nintendo hadn’t already confused casual gamers enough by naming it WiiU, which to most parents just sounds like add on hardware that you might not need. The standard system was 299 and the deluxe was 349. Purchasing the standard bundle didnt make any sense because it only came with an 8GB hard drive, while the deluxe model launched with a 32GB hard drive. This alone would have made more sense to purchase but it also came with a pack in game, NintendoLand, which showcased the use of the tablet well enough, it came with a sensor bar and it also came with a Nintendo Network subscription.
When talking about the Nintendo Switch, they kept it simple this time around and only had one SKU at launch and it was 299. There was a colour option of all grey or the red and blue joy con bundle. Nintendo clearly learned their lesson from the launch of the WiiU by not offering multiple bundles at launch, which simplifies the purchasing for the average consumer. Part of the reason that the launch price was able to get under the 300 sweet spot was that it didn’t include any pack in game.
WINNER SWITCH
Launch Games
In terms of what to play on your new system at launch both had fairly minimal selections. Just by launching the Switch on the same day that you are releasing a brand new Zelda was arguably the smartest move Nintendo has made in a while. Not to mention that Breath of the Wild is on the short list of best Zelda games of all time including Wind Waker, Link to the Past and Ocarina. Its well known that you need a killer app to move software. Halo moved Xbox and solidified its place among the consoles and it was the reason I bought one in the first place. Who knows if it would have made enough sales if not for Halo. Mario Bros and Duck Hunt helped move NES units and established Nintendo as a major player to this day. Tetris was a clear reason that Gameboy was the king of handheld gaming for such a long time and that Nintendo has remained in the handheld market since. Super Mario World, FZero, and Pilotwings made Super Nintedo a gem as well as Super Mario 64 on the N64 showed you don’t need quantity, you need quality and finally keeping with the Nintendo theme, the Wii launched with pack in Wii Sports which was a huge hit with fans of all ages and also launched with Zelda:Twilight Princess. The WiiU launch lineup just didnt have that killer app that was needed with the best first party offering being New Super Mario Bros U. This was a good game for a 2D Mario but not really a good enough reason to convince anyone other than the hardcore to pick up the system. It did have quantity with a lot of mediocre third party titles who were very unfamiliar with how to use the gamepad properly in game to fully demonstrate why you need it.
WINNER SWITCH
Classic Nintendo and Indie Games
Without a doubt, one of the best things about the WiiU was the Virtual Console. The WiiU featured over 300 of the best games Nintendo has ever offered for the Nes, SNES, N64, GBA, DS and even had some games from the TurboGrafx16. On top of all of the vintage classics on the virtual console, which could be a reason enough to buy this console, it also feature backwards compatibility with the ability to play almost all Wii games too. The total amount of games that you could play on the WiiU is well over 2000 when you include all of the retro library you have access to.
The hope is that some form of Virtual Console will come to the Switch with more offerings than just the NES titles. At one point in time before Reggies retirement he did say that the Virtual Console was not dead on the switch but that it will change into something different. The hope is that Nintendo Switch Online (NSO) is that and that we havent seen its full capabilities as of yet.
One area where the Switch excels is where the company has embraced indie titles. 2018 alone saw some of the best indie titles get released day and date with other consoles. These stand out titles included Celeste, Dead Cells, Hollow Knight, and OverCooked 2 just to name a few. Nintendo has become so synonymous with indie titles that they have dubbed them Nindies and feature them in their own Nintendo Directs a couple times a year.
Winner WiiU
Sales
This isn’t really much of a competition as the switch has been on a roll since it released and hasn’t lost momentum since. The release of the rumored console iterations this summer should continue to push the Switch sales forward. As for raw numbers after a little under two years the Switch has sold almost 33 million units. The Switch was even keeping pace and outpacing the Wii within the first two years at certain points which is impressive as the Wii was Nintendos fastest selling console and eventually amassed sales of over 100 million. Compare the sales of the WiiU which even during the full life cycle of the generation only was able to sell a little over 13 million units. This makes it the worst selling Nintendo system ever, console or handheld. The next closest system is the GameCube with over 20 million units sold.
As a small consolation prize the WiiU does currently have a higher attach rate than the switch at almost 10:1 vs the switch which is currently sitting around 5:1. Clearly the only people that bought the WiiU were the hardcore fanbase. As a funny side note the best selling game is the same for both consoles at the time of writing this article. Mario Kart 8 on the WiiU with over 8 million sold as arguably the best game in the series and the port of that game Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Switch with over 15 million sold.
Winner - Switch
Games
Within the first 24 months the WiiU got Mario Kart 8, one of the best Mario Karts ever, an excellent 3D platformer with Super Mario 3D world, A smash brothers and a great 2D Mario with New Super Mario Bros/Luigi Bros U.
The switch had arguably the best Zelda entry release on launch day and then continued to see a steady stream of good to great games including Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 2, Super Mario Party, Mario Tennis Aces, Pokemon Lets Go, and Smash Bros Ultimate. We would be remiss if we didnt mention the ports the system has received as well including Captain Toad, Mario Bros U, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Nintendo heard the complaints from the WiiU era regarding the massive gaps between major releases. The fixed this with a solid roadmap of new games and ports of WiiU faves.
Winner Switch
Verdict
When I first started writing this piece I thought the WiiU was going to give the Switch a decent argument as to which console reigns supreme. After gathering all the data and breaking it down, it has become quite clear that the Nintendo Switch is by far the superior console and I don’t even want to say thats it close. Over the course of its lifespan the WiiU gave us some terrific games but almost all of those games have been ported or received a sequel. The only game that is still being held hostage on the WiiU that I would love to see is Super Mario 3D world. There is still hope that we might get another entry from 3D world.
The only benefits the WiiU has over the Switch to this day is that it was a good streaming device and the fact that it had the virtual console with the ability to play some of the best games Nintendo has ever made. With E3 being just around the corner that could be one announcement that they make right before the launch of the dual console iterations we are supposed to get. Want to sell the parents on buying their kid a new portable system, just put all the games that they could ever need on it and tap into some nostalgia.
The whole argument didn’t even take into account one thing, the intangible. The basic fact that the Switch just works all the time, whether that is docked or on the go it truly is the perfect system. The ability to experience some of the best triple content Nintendo has ever delivered and to be able to take that with you wherever you go will never get old.
In case you didn’t already figure it out the clear winner is the Nintendo Switch.