Buying a Switch for Otome

[ichigofuji]

It feels quite worthwhile that I played a game I really like.

 

[Mikaella123]

have to echo those recommending a handheld PC like steam deck. i'm of the opinion that handhelds are best for playing VNs comfortably, even those meant for PC. emulators mean you can play switch games as well as PSP titles, etc.; variety of game shops and lack of region locks means you can take advantage of sales and buy games cheap. (i recommend isthereanydeal for keeping track of sales, hehe.)

given how expensive and limiting they are, it's hard to find a reason to go for any traditional console these days, let alone a handheld one, imo. especially so if you want to play Japanese games without censorship. the one downside is supply (and likely soon, price). AI slop factories are hitting consumers hard right now, fucking up storage and memory supply, so shortages are on the horizon.

good luck getting your hands on whatever you decide on. avoid scam listings if you can, remember if the price is too good to be true, the product is you.

Prices are really rising due to AI. Thank you for your concern. There are indeed a lot of scammers out there these days, and we shouldn't forget about that.

 

[Ted]

Even if the visual novels that interest me are sometimes a little more expensive, I find it very convenient not to have to sit in front of my computer or laptop all day to play what I want. When I travel, I can also play on my switch. So, it's worth it to me.

 

[ariselaine]

I myself have a Switch and try to get as many otome games as I can afford on that platform to support the developers, but I primarily read my otome on my Switch emulator on my PC. I enjoy the easier UI with some emulators and ability to scale resolution up to 4K so I can enjoy all the gorgeous illustrations blown up in high res on a bigger screen!

I do have to echo that unfortunately since this hobby is very niche, if you can afford to pay for a game it's always better to. I remember the days of there being almost no full console otome games in English out there, and comparing the amount of choice we had then to now is night and day! I have some games on my emulator that I don't have purchased on my actual Switch just yet, but I check on the deep discount sales VN's can get on the eShop pretty often and plan to eventually purchase every one. I love the community and hobby so much and I would hate for translating and porting outside of Japan to wither away because of lack of monetary investment.

 

[a4015]

I mainly use my Switch 1 to play otome games. Since new otome games are constantly being released, I think it's worth buying if you're interested.

 

[Anasfu]

Buying the device, which is used only for (text-only) games, doesn't sound great to me; I prefer doing all my things while operating my PC

 

[chorecel]

I have a switch and a steamdeck (technically a legion go s). I like them both but unfortunately they do have different libraries... I also like cozy games and Steam's offerings are more extensive, so I do play the Legion Go S more. Plus you can mod games on there... That being said I still feel like the switch has more localized japanese otome games that are exclusive to the console.

 

[YummyYum]

I think that the Switch is where a lot of otomes, at least a lot of localized ones, are being released on now, but as others have said you could just use an emulator. I like the handheld aspect, because I play on the go, and it's a bit more comfortable than just sitting behind my computer, but that would be the only difference. If you aren't interested in the handheld aspect, and have no interest on any of the other games on switch (or would just emulate them, too), it might not be worth it. I also like supporting the developers, but even though it's kind of silly you could always buy the games you really like without the console, and then emulate it anyway.

 

[blackflag]

I think that the Switch is where a lot of otomes, at least a lot of localized ones, are being released on now, but as others have said you could just use an emulator. I like the handheld aspect, because I play on the go, and it's a bit more comfortable than just sitting behind my computer, but that would be the only difference. If you aren't interested in the handheld aspect, and have no interest on any of the other games on switch (or would just emulate them, too), it might not be worth it. I also like supporting the developers, but even though it's kind of silly you could always buy the games you really like without the console, and then emulate it anyway.

If you use both and have a modded switch, you can play on both and move saves between pc and emulator to play on the go etc.

 

[Kaorin_]

I have switch and it's worth it, but not only cause of otome, but other games. You can play them anywhere being comfortable. BUT. As of now, you can emulate switch quite well if you have decent pc\android and ready to spend some time on it. Also, emulation will allow you to use LLM for translation, wich can be a biiig boon.