It's almost crazy to think that the Nintendo Switch has been around for a full seven years. But yet here we are, having witnessed the original console, step-up Nintendo Switch OLED, and portable-only Nintendo Switch Lite launch during that time cycle.
In the wake of all that hardware, and with rumours ramping up about a Nintendo Switch 2 or Switch Pro, however, there's never been a better time to buy a Nintendo Switch than right now. The reason is quite simple – and it has nothing to do with price, believe it or not.
As I've always found to be the case with Nintendo – and a big part of the reason the company is still going strong in my opinion – it's all down to software; the games. Especially now, as Nintendo just dropped one of the biggest and most significant games of 2023.
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom went on sale today, 12 May 2023, and it's already been applauded by critics the world over, awarding 5-star and 10/10 scores left, right and centre. As T3's critic pointed out in our review: as the sequel is based in the same world as its Breath of the Wild predecessor, if you've never played that then right now is an opportunity to explore one of the best open-world games ever made.
Nintendo Switch just has the best games
I've already pre-ordered my copy of Tears of the Kingdom, and no doubt will spend many hours plodding around Hyrule, where the game is set, with a beaming smile on my face. This single piece of software is why the Nintendo Switch is now at its best point to buy: it's awash with top-quality games that are fully worth the cover price.
It doesn't start and end with Zelda, though, as there are umpteen other games to consider. There's Pikmin 4 on the horizon, if you love puzzling; there's Animal Crossing: New Horizons if you like building (and want to entertain the kids); there's Super Mario Party for fun adventures with all the family; there's Super Mario Odyssey, which is one of the best 3D platformers ever made; and the list goes on and on...
Sure, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are much more powerful than the Nintendo Switch – but I really don't care about that. I'm fortunate enough to own two out of three of the consoles – and of the lot really think that now the Switch is at its peak. It's probably at the end of its life, too, but what better swansong to sail away on than dozens of hours buried into the latest Zelda title? Nintendo, as ever, is right on point. And Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom just makes it even more so.
