Fun Club Do you actually use Switch’s tabletop mode?

[Raccoon]

is this famiboards's first thread backfire

 

[Deleted member 540]

is this famiboards's first thread backfire

What do you mean by a thread backfire?

 

[Raccoon]

What do you mean by a thread backfire?

I get the sense OP expected everybody to go yeah, it's a waste of money when it's one of the handful of design decisions that makes it more than a tablet with tv out

 

[Dash Kappei]

I've noticed a trend of trying to add more flourish to poll answers by attaching statements that complicate the answer. This was quite common back at resetera and did often get called out in the threads. It attaches an opinion that the person answering may not want to endorse. In this case, appending "and it's useless" adds a value judgement of this sort.



If never using the feature automatically makes it useless to that person then the inclusion of the statement is redundant anyway. But the wording phrases the answer far more negatively than is necessary. Someone might never use the kickstand, but they don't want throw shade at it because they recognise it is a good feature in general.

This also ignores that just because someone has never used it so far, it doesn't mean they dismiss the possibility they might have use for it in the future.

I've got to say, it kinds of comes across like you're trying to lead Zellia to outright kickstand opposition. I don't think your hostility to this feature is justified. I'm pretty sure we didn't miss out on dolby licences because of it or anything else for that matter.

You’re reaching so hard that I honestly don’t have much to add, your post and mental gymnastic says it all really. Especially since my vote was never the first option, but the 2nd one (and after I’ve even changed it to the 3rd option since yesterday night I’ve played it in tt on my new Oled) and I’ve put likes on most if not all “it’s great” posts. And also, why didn’t I add “useless” to the 2nd option then or simply flat-out give more negative options? I guess when someone’s trying so hard they will see something even when it’s clearly not there.

 

[Dash Kappei]

The fact the N64 Switch Online app supported it was pretty surprising to me.
It probably doesn't work fully with every game using split joycons, but i was able to easily able to pull out a quick multiplayer session in Mario Kart 64 with that setup.

Why wouldn’t it? Tabletop is not exclusive to hori-grip single joycon use.
Is there even a game that does not support tabletop mode, ie flat out not working without joycons attached? There were games (touch-only and the majority have been updated later to include support for controllers) that only supported handheld mode and RFA iirc at first only supported docked play, but that’s it afaik.

Anyway, it’s great that this feature it enjoyed by so many, hopefully they improve on it but I have to say that Oled’s is much better even compared to the Hori stand I had bought for my og and the slightly bigger screen is nice.

is this famiboards's first thread backfire?

Sure, if you have no idea what’s actually a thread backfire that is.

 

[MP!]

I have to admit ... OLED has gotten me to undock more often and play in bed. sometimes I table top it on top of my chest lol

 

[MarcelRguez]

I like the feature a lot. What I do not like is the kickstand and how low the console sits on a regular table. I solved the issue by getting a cardboard cabinet for the thing:

Spoiler

Still, I have barely used tabletop mode for multiplayer. The screen of the regular model is a tad bit too small for people with bad eyesight, which is most people I play couch co-op with nowadays.

 

[Ibrahim]

Only when i do Nintendo commercials

 

[Rogue Agent]

It’s the only way I play, but I use the Hori Playstand.

 

[Jersh]

Even if it isn't used universally, tabletop mode and especially the Joy-Con provide versatility to the form of the Nintendo Switch. Functionally it's just a NVIDIA Shield tablet. The unique features of the hardware elevate it from being a simple handheld with TV output. The fact that the same controllers can be used on the handheld, as a traditional or Wii-like controller, or even split between two people very easily is massive.

As for tabletop mode, it's what makes the Nintendo Switch "a home console that can be taken on the go," rather than just a handheld that connects to TVs. You can sit down at a counter in an airport, a table at a café, or a desk at a library and use a detached controller comfortably with a portable display of decent size. On the OLED model this feature is, of course, even better. I'm not trapped holding a relatively large and heavy handheld when I can play it like a console anywhere. This is augmented by multiplayer, but I feel that to lean on it weakens my argument: it simply isn't comfortable to many people. Single-player tabletop is, I feel, universal to anyone who uses Nintendo Switch portably in any situation with a surface. I've yet to use it on public transport with folding tables but I imagine it's a dream.

Interesting. Multiplayer probably makes up over 80% of my tabletop use, as I'm often not bothered by holding the thing. This has changed a little with the OLED model, but not much. Anecdotally, I feel most times I see someone playing on a Switch in public, they're holding the unit.

But I have been in several on-the-go situations where the convenience of a portable multiplayer setup on a single Switch came in very handy.

 

[Jersh]

Why wouldn’t it? Tabletop is not exclusive to hori-grip single joycon use.
Is there even a game that does not support tabletop mode, ie flat out not working without joycons attached? There were games (touch-only and the majority have been updated later to include support for controllers) that only supported handheld mode and RFA iirc at first only supported docked play, but that’s it afaik.

From the context, I'm pretty sure he was referring specifically to single Joy-Con support. I think it's pretty common to associate the two, thinking of handheld mode as the primary portable experience for a single player and tabletop only being necessary for multiplayer. As Raccoon pointed out, tabletop can be great even for singleplayer experiences, but I don't think defaulting to it is as common as he seems to believe.

 

[RingoGaSuki]

Used it exactly once, on a trip in Thailand where we got gastro and had to stay in our room all day. The TV was an ancient CRT that didn't have HDMI so we spent all day playing Overcooked in tabletop mode. I was very grateful to have the option, even if I've never used it before or since, more options are always better than less!