Games Inbox: Is the Nintendo Switch 2 sold out in the UK?
The Friday letters page is not impressed by Xbox's portable plans, as one reader makes what could be the first ever pre-order for GTA 6.
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So, the Switch 2 was out of stock before I even got to see the annoucement about not needing an invitation to buy from Nintendo. No surprise there, of course, but it means that the Switch 2 is effectively sold out in the entire UK and I would assume most of the world – it certainly seems to be the same in Japan.
I imagine Nintendo will try to focus on the US to get the most amount of stock, but we're looking at a total sell out for launch. What I wonder is how much we'll see after that. The summer is meant to be the quiet time for games, so are they going to be able to manufacture a lot more before Christmas?
Everyone knowing your console is so popular it sold out immediately is pretty good publicity, so I'm not sure how worried Nintendo is going to be, but it is a shame that this isn't working out like the PlayStation 5 launch.
For that we got advance warning of when and where new stock would arrive. Bots and scalpers got most of them but at least you knew you had a chance. Now I just randomly refresh websites in the vague hope of catching something, but it never happens.
Franky
First amongst equals
I've just preordered GTA 6 at my local independent video game shop. I have put a £10 deposit down. They obviously don't know the RRP yet, so I imagine I'll be paying another £80–100, at least, on launch day.
I wonder if this makes me the first to pre-order the game? I just hope the game shop doesn't close down waiting for the game to release – I foresee further delays in my crystal ball.
Mark Matthews
Only on PlayStation
Since it's obvious now that there is no such thing as an Xbox exclusive anymore, I wonder how long until we start to see publishers not bothering to publish games on the Xbox Series X/S. It already happens occasionally with Japanese or indie games but that's always been the case.
At some point though big publishers are going to realise that they're just wasting money publishing something on the Xbox Series X/S, when PlayStation basically has the high-end market to themselves. (Nintendo, as always, is something else.)
I don't say this with any glee, I'm just curious. The slow decline of Xbox has been pretty sad to see and while I understand they're probably banking on streaming replacing consoles does that mean they'll start making all their games exclusives again when they do? That seems a really risky thing to try and reverse.
Alegy
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Very backwards compatibility
I was a bit disappointed when I first bought my Nintendo Switch, that no streaming services were added apart from YouTube. I wonder if Switch 2, with its increase to 4K will have Netflix, Paramount, and Disney+, etc.?
Also, nobody seems to have asked, will it play 4K discs? Plus, I have a large collection of Betamax tapes. I know video cassettes are too large to fit into a Switch 2, but maybe they will release an adaptor. I hope so, as I haven't watched my copy of Driller Killer in years!
Tim Keeling
Vision quest
I did indeed spend my money on the Meta Quest 3. Trepidation grips me. It is time to get heavy with VR. The table is now laid. I've come a long way from whatever it was that I've left behind. Each to our own. It's all about the experience, no? I cannot wait to hang onto this VR branch while it lasts.
I don't feel bad about shelving Switch 2 in favour of Quest 3 one bit. VR was always the natural progression for me. I'm super hyped right now. The fact that everything is up for grabs, to all comers is the richest tapestry presented of such a wonderful hobby.
D Dubya
In the frame
As they tend to push graphics and open world detail for the gen I'm pretty sure most, if not all, of the 3D GTA games have struggled to maintain 30fps when released.
Will 30fps be a deal breaker for me with GTA 6? Maybe. maybe not.
Some of my favourite games ever I blissfully played at sub-30 fps and myopic resolutions, especially on the N64. But standards improve and your tolerances adjust. Could GTA 6 be like Cyberpunk 2077 on PlayStation 4?
I got my money back from Sony with that game and decided to wait until PlayStation 5 to play it. I had the PS4 Pro as well, but it still wasn't up to par. At least Rockstar has shown base console footage, unlike CD Projekt Red prior to launch of Cyberpunk 2077.
I did buy a Switch for Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom and although it's one of just a few games I've played at 30fps in the last five years it was an amazing game.
So, I think if GTA 6 is Tears Of The Kingdom good and it's a rock solid, properly frame paced 30fps I'll probably in truth end up buying it day one.
Simundo
Nothing lasts forever
Just seen that Call Of Duty is losing players but maybe you can answer me a question, please? From the first Call Of Duty it's been smashing records and yet here we are, 20+ years later, and Xbox owning it is still smashing records.
How can it be doing that what, with it being reported this week that player counts have dropped? So how can it be still breaking records? It's on Game Pass so that's costing it sales, so what would you say is the truth?
David
GC: We're not really sure what you're asking. Black Ops 6 did break records at launch, but interest in Warzone has been dropping off rapidly and it's likely that is primarily responsible for the dip in numbers. The recent return of Verdansk may reverse that trend though.
Elden prequel
It does definitely seem like something out of a fevered dream, that an Elden Ring film is in the works. I agree with it being an unusual choice but literally the only way to satisfy the fanbase is to literally be like the game and with no jokes or humour. It also has to have no cheese and be dark fantasy at its purist.
I take it the writers and producers know what they're doing but are they expecting considerable profits from the film? The feeling is that if it's done exactly like the game, the film may be good but a niche cult classic. Or it totally betrays the game and possibly does better because of the more mainstream feel to it.
As to when in the timeline to set the film, the main part of the story needs to happen well before the Tarnished starts questing. Which means Marika's ordeal and then what she did to the world after. Marika is the only one who we don't hear from, apart from Radagon obviously, and following this storyline would be interesting, what ultimately led into the War of the Shattering after the demigod assassination.
Otherwise, it would have to be an original story of a Tarnished's journey through The Lands Between and somehow fudging a bunch of fights and character interactions and hoping it's clever enough to hold the audience.
There have been a bunch of good films and TV programmes that have been influenced and licensed from games, that get to the soul of what the game is about. Which is an awesome achievement after many years of false starts.
So I am optimistic about the Elden Ring film and hopefully it delivers and satisfies our expectations just like the original game did in 2022. But just to reiterate, that it still blows my mind that the film is a possibility at some point.
Alucard
GC: Elden Ring has plenty of humour. Iron Fist Alexander is one of the best characters.
Inbox also-ransI know it's meaningless, but I really hope the Switch becomes the official best-selling console ever. The way Sony suddenly changed the total for the PlayStation 2 was so shameless, I'd love it if the Switch ends up beating the new number too.
Onibee
Just seen Konami's latest results and apparently the whole Silent Hill franchise has only sold 11.5 million copies in 25-odd years. I know horror doesn't usually sell that much with games but why do they keep making so many of these and we still don't have a new Castlevania? I really don't get it.
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