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[ggx2ac]

Update 2: You do not need to the answer the questions as I have already got the data I wanted.

Discuss about the numbers if you like, about what you think it means for people that play with a Switch.

Update:

Upto post #135 I recorded 50 respondents and just did some quick numbers.

They don't really mean anything in the context of a general population and I haven't​ taken a random sample and done any tests etc.

I'm not at a computer to do any pie charts so you'll have to deal with text.

Of the 50 respondents:

1.
a) Those who played what modes:

All: 42%
TV/Handheld: 30%
Handheld: 10%
Handheld/Tabletop: 8%
TV/Tabletop: 4%
TV: 4%
Tabletop: 2%

b) Those who played what mode the most:
Handheld: 50%
TV: 48%
Tabletop: 2%

2.
a) What control methods were used when not in handheld mode:

Pro Controller: 28%
Pro Controller/Joy-Cons (separately): 16%
Joy-Cons (separately)/Grip: 14%
Grip: 14%
Joy-Cons (separately): 12%
N/A: 8%
Pro Controller/Grip: 4%
All: 4%

b) What control method was used the most:

Pro Controller: 50%
Grip: 28%
Joy-Cons (separately): 22%

3.
a) Have you used the Switch in local multiplayer?

Yes: 64%
No: 36%

b) What modes were used?

TV: 34%
Tabletop: 31%
Both: 28%
Didn't specify: 7%

c) Control methods used by all persons involved:

Single Joy-Cons: 97%
Joy-Cons/Pro Controller: 3%

4.
a) Have you taken the played the Switch outside your home in Handheld mode?

Yes: 70% (31% of those that said yes played only​ in Handheld mode outside)
No: 30%

b) Have you taken the played the Switch outside your home in Tabletop mode?

Yes: 50% (4% of those that said yes played only in Tabletop mode outside)
No: 50%

-----------------------

There are lots of different ways to play games on your Switch, but maybe you play it differently to others.

1. a) Which modes do you play? TV mode? Tabletop mode? Handheld mode?

b) Can you rank in descending order your most played mode to the least?

2. a) Which control methods do you use when not using Handheld mode? Joy-Cons (separately)? Joy-Con Grip? Pro Controller? If you play Handheld mode exclusively, skip all of question 2.

b) Can you rank in descending order your most played control method to the least?

3. a) Have you played Switch in local multiplayer? If no, skip b) and c).

b) Which mode?

c) Which control method do you and the other person(s) use?

4. a) Have you played the Switch in handheld mode outside your home?

b) Have you played the Switch in tabletop mode outside your home?


I think that's a good set of questions to cover the topic.

Here are my answers;

1.
a) TV mode, Handheld mode.
b) TV mode, Handheld mode.

2.
a) Joy-Cons, Pro Controller.
b) Pro Controller, Joy-Cons.

3.
a) No.
b)
c)

4.
a) No.
b) No.

---
Template for your convenience:

1.
a)
b)

2.
a)
b)

3.
a)
b)
c)

4.
a)
b)

---
I've been interested in finding out how other people use their Switch since trying out the Joy-Con Grip. It felt so small to hold and with the stick and button placement not being adequate I decided to use either the Pro Controller or the Joy-Cons separately.

Even though the Joy-Cons are small, it's been interesting hearing things like people playing Metal Slug in tabletop mode with another person.

Add in comments if you want, what you do now with your Switch will probably change in a year with new games available.

 

[Makai]

Zelda mode

 

[rje]

1a) docked, handheld, tabletop
1b) see above
2a) pro controller, joycon separated
2b) see above
3a) yes
3b) tabletop mode
3c) separate joycons
4a) yes
4b) yes

 

[Mediking]

Handheld mode all day.

Zelda all day... oh wait... Persona 5 stopped that.

Love my Switch.

Only complaint is the terrible battery. I'm constantly charging.

 

[Oreoleo]

1. Which modes do you play?
All of them. Docked ~50% of the time, handheld ~30%, tabletop ~20%

2. Which control methods do you use when not using Handheld mode?
Grip when docked, separate joy cons in tabletop. Don't have a pro controller, joycons are like 90% fine for me, and that last 10% hasn't justified spending $70 on a new controller, yet.

3. Have you played Switch in local multiplayer
Tried the Snipperclips demo. Docked mode, split joycon for each player

4. Have you played the Switch in handheld mode outside your home?
I have not dared to take my Switch out of the house yet. The argument for buying a carrying case is really strong and I'll probably end up getting one in the coming weeks/months.

Only complaint is the terrible battery. I'm constantly charging.

Yeah it's really bad. If you want to use the system as a true portable a power bank is basically a necessity.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

It's a docked Zelda box at this point.

 

[Killthee]

Finished Zelda a week ago and haven't touched it since. Probably won't touch it again till Mario Kart comes out and then it'll gather dust again till Splatoon.

 

[snowsabre93]

1.
a) Handheld Mode, TV mode
b) Handheld mode, TV mode

2.
a) Joycon grip, joy cons (seperate)
b) Joycon grip, joy cons (seperate)

3.
a) Yes, I've played two player Fast RMX
b) Tabletop mode
c) seperate joy cons w/comfort strap

4.
a) yes
b) yes

So far I've used the system every single day since I picked it up about 2 weeks ago. Zelda has chewed up a majority of time but Fast RMX and Snake Run are my go to games when I need a break. It'll be interesting to see how frequently I pick it up after I'm done with Zelda, but by then it should be MK8 time.

 

[LowParry]

Honestly, it sits in a box. Might sell it at this rate.

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

Handheld mostly. Zelda.

I did finally grab the pro controller. Been playing more on the TV. Wish the UI supported 4k.

 

[Fat4all]

always docked

 

[Keyser Soze]

I still haven't taken the dock out of the box. I use it exclusively a handheld almost every day. Playing on the couch, with TV on in backround.

I think there was only one day this month where i did not play it for at least an hour

Zelda, Snake Pass, and Shovel Knight are my three games.

 

[Chill Penguin]

I'd say maybe 60-40 handheld to docked. Docked for my long sessions during the day on weekends, handheld during commutes and during any pockets of free time during the week.

 

[jnWake]

1.
a) TV mode, Handheld mode
b) TV mode, Handheld mode

2.
a) Joy-Con Grip
b) Joy-Con Grip

3.
a) No
b)
c)

4.
a) No
b)

So far I've only played Zelda and haven't taken the Switch outside.

 

[Mass Appeal]

I guess I can make this easy. Haven't played anything but handheld mode and I love it. Haven't docked it once, in fact my dock is still in my box! I also purchased a pro controller but it's still sealed in its box next to my Switch box....


One of these days I will dock it. Probably when Mario Kart is out for the local multiplayer.

 

[EVA UNIT 01]

Docked only.
Zelda only.

Now its a paperweight til mario,FE,SMT,or xeno.

 

[ArkkAngel007]

Always done handheld with Zelda with a quick switch and back to and from tabletop for specific puzzles.

Tabletop with the Snipperclips demo.

Splatoon 2 testing handheld.

Haven't even hooked up the dock, given Zeldas performance.

 

[newsguy]

Strictly HH and Zelda. When MK8 comes out I'll dock it to play with my son.

 

[Cert.in.Death]

I just got it today, don't make me choose!!

 

[Sword Of Doom]

A. Docked Zelda machine with undocked from time to time. No idea what I'm gonna do with it once I'm done with Zelda. I'm not into Mario Kart
B. Pro controller mostly. I don't like the sticks on the joycons

 

[vern]

Handheld mode all day.

Zelda all day... oh wait... Persona 5 stopped that.

Love my Switch.

Only complaint is the terrible battery. I'm constantly charging.

I played Zelda for the majority of a 5 hour flight, airplane mode, no sound, dimmed screen. I'm more than pleased with the battery, I wish it was longer and I could play at higher brightness and with sound, but I can't imagine many situations where you'll be without the ability to charge it yet able to play it straight through til it dies. When I'm at home I definitely don't play for 4-5 hours straight... and I also have a plug on the wall.

As for how I play, so far only in handheld mode. Don't own a tv. Played it with the kickstand up once or twice for snipperclips demo, otherwise it's in my hands on the sofa or bed, or taxi or train or plane. It's fuckin fantastic.

 

[Yagami_Sama]

1.
a) TV Mode all the time.
b) See above.

2.
a) Pro Controller,
b) Pro Controller, "Dog Pad" for a few days, while I was wating for the Pro Controller.

3.
a)No.
b)--
c)--

4.
a) No
b) No.

 

[Knuckle Sandwich]

Beat Zelda and then gave it to my kid. Always played it docked.

He mostly uses it handheld since he has a PS4 and Xbone and only 2 HDMI ports. He's playing the Arkham games right now though so I don't think he uses it much.

 

[RPGam3r]

1. Ranked by play time:

TV (most)
Tabletop
Handheld

2. I've played with Joy-Cons and Joy-Cons with grip. Mostly without the grip.

3. Yes, in TV and tabletop modes. Using just Joy-Cons.

4. Yes and yes.

 

[herbchamberz]

Prob docked about 70% of the time with the Joycon grip. But handheld mode has been huge for me. Had a 5 hour train ride - bringing Zelda along was awesome. Also play in my bed more often than i'd like to admit.

And of course. Zelda has occupied most of my playtime. With a little Snipperclips local multiplayer. Can't wait for MK8D and Splatoon.

Oh, and I really haven't done much tabletop mode - if at all.

 

[kuroneko0509]

1.
a) all three
b) 90% handheld 9% tv 1% tabletop

2.
a) separate &grip
b) grip >>> separate

3.
a) no

4.
a) yes
b) no

 

[ViciousDS]

Docked only.
Zelda only.

Now its a paperweight til mario,FE,SMT,or xeno.

Pretty much, mines been sitting in a case for a couple weeks now till Mario kart, Mario, FEWarriors.....etc


Don't care about splatoon though




Also


1.Docked only
2. Zelda......and some NeoGeo games with pro controller

 

[bumpkin]

1. a) Which modes do you play? TV mode? Tabletop mode? Handheld mode?
TV, tabletop, handheld

b) Can you rank in descending order your most played mode to the least?
TV, handheld, tabletop

2. a) Which control methods do you use when not using Handheld mode? Joy-Cons (separately)? Joy-Con Grip? Pro Controller? If you play Handheld mode exclusively, skip all of question 2.
Joy-Con Grip or Pro Controller.

b) Can you rank in descending order your most played control method to the least?
Joy-Con Grip, Pro Controller

3. a) Have you played Switch in local multiplayer? If no, skip b) and c).
Yes.

b) Which mode?
TV

c) Which control method do you and the other person(s) use?
Joy-Cons separated

4. a) Have you played the Switch in handheld mode outside your home?
Yes.

b) Have you played the Switch in tabletop mode outside your home?
Yes.

 

[RandomExpletive]

1. Usage: 80% Docked, 20% Handheld
2. Control Method: 100% Split Joycons
3. Local Multiplayer: My friends have played Snipperclips together in Tabletop mode
4. Outside the home: Handheld mode while waiting for Lyft clients

I imagine I'll be using handheld more with other games, but for Zelda so far I've found docked w/ split joycons (or Tabletop with split joycons) to be the way to go.

I haven't got a pro controller, but split joycons are the way to play. Zelda is great, as was the Splatoon testfire. I used the grip once, for 30 seconds, before sliding them back off. Split joycons IS the way to play the switch.

 

[Conor_Fool]

Not gonna do the template but I'll address most questions.

Majority docked but I played Zelda for an entire 6 hour train ride a couple weeks ago, it was total bliss. Played some Shovel Knight and Snake Pass but it's still pretty much just a Zelda machine for me. Play with my Pro controller 100% of the time in docked mode. No online multiplayer unfortunately, extremely bummed that Pocket Rumble got delayed and Nintendo presumably wont let the devs tell us shit for an update.

I love the machine and it has sooo much potential but my god they need to add some obvious features. If it had an even halfway decent Virtual Console I would get like twice as much use out of the thing.

 

[kirby_fox]

1.
a) I've played all three.
b) Handheld, docked, tabletop (only did it twice)

2.
a) Joycons in grip.
b) N/A

3.
a) Once.
b) Tabletop mode trying out Snipperclips.
c) My nephew and me used the joycons with one each.

4.
a) Yes, I played it at a friends, my parents and while at the laundromat.
b) Yes- again at my friend's and my parent's.

I've been using it more as a handheld that I expected to, but I should've known better considering I play a lot more while watching Netflix. I oddly need multiple things going on, it drastically helps my eyes from getting tired.

 

[Kindekuma]

Basically all modes. I play mostly in handheld mode because that screen is fucking crisp. Outside of that I play with the grip, I don't mind it really. However I do see myself purchasing a Pro controller somewhere down the road.

Handheld > TV > Tabletop in terms of most played. I guess Snipperclips count as local multiplayer, I've done that mostly in TV mode but also in table top mode.

Oh lawd yes I've used the Switch outside my home. Because of some personal health reasons I've been out of the house often and having the Switch has been a godsend. Playing out of the house and then picking up where I left off on the TV at home and vice versa has been my favorite feature of this system. Lastly only done table top a small select times outside the house, mostly at a friend's. I only really use table top when I'm eating lunch and in the middle of a Zelda session or something.

 

[Sword Of Doom]

Surprised at the number of people who use predominantly in docked mode

 

[hersheyfan]

1.
a) Handheld mode; TV mode
b) Handheld mode; TV mode

Note: This is like a 90/10 split in favor of handheld.

2.
a) Joy-Con Grip
b) Joy-Con Grip

Dual wielding split Joy-Cons just feels off to me, my hands need something more substantial to grip while playing.

3.
a) Yes
b) TV mode
c) Single joycon (1 each)

Pretty much used only to play Snipperclips and Fast RMX.

4.
a) Yes.
b) No.

Handheld mode is amazing for killing time while chilling in the parking building before work.

 

[LordDisco]

1.
a) TV, handheld, and tabletop.
b) Handheld, TV, tabletop.
I travel to work often, so I play on the train just about every day in handheld mode.

2.
a) Pro Controller
b) Pro Controller
In my opinion, it's the only controller worth using, if you have one.

3.
a) Yes.
b) TV and tabletop
c) Joy-Cons (Shovel Knight, 1-2 Switch, Snipperclips)
While TV is preferred, tabletop mode is a LOT of fun. I'm glad it's an option!

4.
a) Oh, yeah. Almost every day since release.
b) Yes. With co-workers at a conference just last week, and on the train back to Tokyo from the conference (We played 1-2 Switch while riding. It was hilarious!).
I love the diversity of the device, and it has quickly become my top console because of its abilities.

 

[Dremorak]

1.
a) All of the above
b) Tv, handheld, tabletop
Tv about 60%, handheld 30% tabletop 10%

2.
a) Joy-con seperate, joycon grip
b) joycon seperate, joycon grip
Love the relaxed feel of split joycons, feels weird holding a controller after playing for ages lol

3.
a) yes
b) tv and tabletop
c) a joycon each

4.
a) yes
b) yes

 

[valeo]

Honestly, it sits in a box. Might sell it at this rate.

This.

 

[Arttemis]

I only play in docked mode, and use the Pro Controller. Joycons felt better than I expected, but the signal is too weak to reach the system when lying down, so as soon as I tracked down a Pro Controller, I jumped on it.

 

[Wiitardation]

1.
a) All
b) TV, Handheld, Table top

2.
a) Pro Controller, split Joy-Con, single Joy-Con
b) Pro Controller, single Joy-Con, split Joy-Con

3.
a) Yes
b) TV mode
c) Single Joy-Cons

4.
a) No
b) No

 

[ggx2ac]

4.
a) Oh, yeah. Almost every day since release.
b) Yes. With co-workers at a conference just last week, and on the train back to Tokyo from the conference (We played 1-2 Switch while riding. It was hilarious!).
I love the diversity of the device, and it has quickly become my top console because of its abilities.

That's definitely an interesting story since you were able to play 1-2 Switch with others while riding the train.

 

[Jubbe]

I bought it the day before going to Japan, so I played handheld and multiplayer tabletop (snipperclips and puyo puyo tetris) on planes and trains as well as airports/hotels/etc..

Since getting home, I plugged the dock into the TV, put the switch inside and haven't touched it since.

 

[Platy]

Docked only.
Zelda only.

Now its a paperweight til mario,FE,SMT,or xeno.

No handheld
Zelda only

Final Destination

 

[secretanchitman]

1A: Docked/TV mode
1B: Docked, Handheld.

2A: Pro Controller
2B: Pro Controller, Joy-Cons.

3A: Yes
3B: Tabletop
3C: Pro Controller for me, Joy-Cons for the other person

4A: Yes
4B: Yes

For the record, I primarily play the Switch in docked mode with the Pro Controller.

 

[primasaurus]

Looking at the comments quickly, this is what I see

Interestingly most people that use Switch significantly in Handheld try out a variety of games, and are using their Switch consistently

Those you who are almostly only using Docked, tend to only have played Zelda and are not trying other games with little incentive to use their Switch more regularly

 

[KaYotiX]

Mostly handheld and sometimes docked

 

[NoKisum]

1) TV/Handheld most, only used docked maybe 2-3 times or so? Or when showing it off to friends.
2) Pro Controller, only used the Joy-Con grip once when I first got it.
3) Not yet, will probably test that out when Mario Kart drops.
4) Handheld when in transit or at a friends place, tabletop once at a hotel when getting ready for a work convention thing. Was cool, but not the best method for me.

 

[Dremorak]

A neat side note: The telephone game on 1 2 switch is the first game my 3 year old is able to play. my 4 year old loves the gun duel game and the runway one.

 

[ggx2ac]

Looking at the comments quickly, this is what I see

Interestingly most people that use Switch significantly in Handheld try out a variety of games, and are using their Switch consistently

Those you who are almostly only using Docked, tend to only have played Zelda and are not trying other games, with little incentive to use their Switch more regularly

Even though I don't play TV mode exclusively, I will mention what games I play.

Other than Zelda, I have Snake Pass, Master Blaster Zero and Voez.

Voez can only be played on handheld mode.

WonderBoy: The Dragon's Trap will be the next game I am going to buy.

 

[Trojan]

1. I always prefer TV mode if possible. I'm a sucker for a big screen. But the Switch screen also works fine and I like the size of it - good balance between portability and playability.

2. I vastly prefer the Pro Controller. I take that with me even if I'm playing somewhere it's not convenient to bust out a controller. The stick placement is strange with the joycons.

3. Nope. I'll be playing Zelda for the next 2 months at this rate so it will probably be a while.

4. No.

QUESTION: is there a way to use hotel wifi with this thing? I'm staying at hotels half of the time with my current work travel. I can't believe they didn't factor that into the initial design if it's not possible.

 

[Nitty_Grimes]

Yep, mines still in it's box, too.