Ultimate Switch Buying Guide - Part 1: Hardware bundles

The holidays are right around the corner, which means that it is time to start looking at gifts. One gift worth considering for a loved one (or for yourself) this holiday is the Nintendo Switch, a true hybrid between console and handheld. You may have heard of the many stellar games for the console, but the hardware itself is much less talked about. That is the purpose of today's article: communicating what hardware bundles will be available this holiday season.

The first version available is the most basic. This model comes without any games, but is also the cheapest on the list. It merely comes with the Switch itself, two Joy-Con controllers, a dock, an HDMI cord, a charging cord, a Joy-Con Grip, and two wrist straps for the Joy-Con. There are also two variants of this model: one with grey Joy-Con and one with blue and red Joy-Con (both shown above). The gray Joy-Con look sleeker, but the multi-colored Joy-Con are more distinct from each other; pick whichever would suit your needs the best. Overall, I would recommend this if none of the included games in the other bundles interest you, or if you simply want a cheap entry option into the console's library.

The basic bundle is not the only one to have variants. There is also the Pokémon bundle, which comes with one of the two versions of the upcoming games. Where the standard bundle has somewhat standard Joy-Con, a standard dock, and a simple Switch, the Pokémon bundle has all three customized to fit with the pair of games, with brown and yellow Joy-Con, Pikachu and Eevee on the dock, and silhouettes of the duo plastered across the back of the system. In addition to the customized hardware, it also comes with either Pokémon Let's Go, Pikachu! or Pokémon Let's Go, Eevee! and the Pokéball Plus accessory, which can act as a controller for the game in addition to extra functionality. While it is the most expensive bundle, at four-hundred dollars, if you want to get the most out of the upcoming Pokémon games, this beautiful bundle is definitely for you.

Nintendo has another big game coming out this holiday: Super Smash Brothers Ultimate. While the game will not be out until December seventh, the console bundle is available now. Like the Pokémon bundle, it effectively comes with the same stuff as the basic set, though it is customized. In the case of the Smash bundle, the dock is emblazoned with the artwork of the eight starting fighters in the game, and the pair of Joy-Con, when put together, form the crossed lines of the Smash logo. While I alluded to it before, it warrants reiterating that the game that comes with this bundle, being Smash Ultimate, does not come out until December 7th, and as such, this bundle does not come with a game until then. Another thing to note is that this fact does mean that the game comes in the form of a download code, so there will be download time for it. With all of that being said, this bundle looks great visually and Smash Ultimate looks to be the best in the franchise, so get this bundle if you can find it and you do not mind having to go through the download process to get the game that comes with it.

While these are the only bundles to come with first-party Switch games, there are two that come with third party releases. The more noteworthy bundle is the Fortnite Double Helix bundle. Why would a bundle come with Fortnite, a free-to-play game? It comes with a set of cosmetic items, along with some in-game currency to buy more cosmetics. While these have no effect on the gameplay, the bundle comes at the relatively cheap price of three-hundred dollars, so I would recommend this bundle if the person you are getting it for has shown interest in the popular Battle Royale game.

The final bundle available this holiday is the Diablo III bundle. This Gamestop-exclusive (so don't check anywhere else) bundle comes with all of the standard stuff that comes with the Switch, along with Diablo III: Eternal Edition and a specialized carrying case. The dock and Switch are both also themed around the game, so it is visually interesting. At a price of three-hundred-sixty dollars, this is a great value, with the only drawback being that the pack-in game being rather niche in comparison to the other bundles.

That wraps up the selection of hardware bundles. While all versions of the console are functionally identical, there is variety in the games it comes with, so choose wisely. Speaking of games, you would find it very challenging to use a Switch without any, so I'll have a guide for the more noteworthy ones next week. See you then!

Quick update: Nintendo has recently revealed a bundle with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe along with the standard assortment that comes with Switch goods for only three-hundred dollars. If you don't care about the style of a fancy dock or system, I would advise you pick this bundle up; it is a great deal!