Nintendo Switch - New Owners Guide

So you have a Nintendo Switch - congratulations! You have one of the best, most versatile consoles on the market today. Some tips for new owners:

1. Set Up in Advance: If Santa is bringing it for your kids, it's worth unboxing it, setting it up and updating the firmware to v4.1.0. The initial release was v1.0.0 in March, so a lot has changed/improved since then. Don't worry about putting everything back in the box afterwards - it's a well designed box and everything will fit back in without any fuss.

2. Charge it! As above, plug in the console while you're setting it up to give it some charge.

3. Essential Accessories: If you have smallies, a screen protector is a good idea (but arguably not essential - I don't have one and my 10 year old nephew and 8 year old niece play on it regularly). I do recommend a case though. There is a good variety out there (including Argos, Smyths and Gamestop if you want to pick one up before Monday)

4. Multiple Users: One of the Switch's best features is that it's a multi-user system. This means that you can set up separate accounts for all your family who want to play it. When you run a game, you're asked what account you want to use. Every account has it's own save games, so as long as they stick to their own account, there is no danger that they can mess up your own save games on your account.

5. Non-Essential Add-Ons: The Switch can be a bit of a bottomless pit for add-ons (pro-controller, spare docks, extra joy-cons, SD cards, charging grip etc.) - despite that, it will be FINE with what comes in the box. You can add more to it later. Remember that it is one of the few consoles that comes with two controllers!

6. eShop Tip 1: You want to buy digital games but you're worried about leaving your credit card details in the eShop? Don't be - there is a checkbox when making a purchase that says "Save Details" - if you don't want to save your credit card details, just don't click it.

7. eShop Tip 2: The Switch is region free. The advantage of that is that game prices can vary WILDLY from region to region. For example, Enter The Gungeon is €14.99 here, but it's €5.04 in the Russian eShop. It's worth bookmarking this site - it will save you an absolute FORTUNE if you like buying mainly digital games. How to change region? Try this... (Worth noting that if you have credit on your main eshop account and you change region on that, you will LOSE the credit that was there before you changed). As such, it's recommended that you have a separate account (or more than one) for other regions. Keep an eye on the South African eShop, the Russian eShop and the Norwegian eShop in particular. Note: Buying from South American countries (like Argentina) is currently impossible. Read here for more info: https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/moving-out-nintendo-switch-eshop-argentina-3472870

8. Extra Dock Warning: Third party docks seem to be troublesome (with reports of them breaking Switches in some situations). Do some research before buying one.