University can be quite an isolating environment. Although you are surrounded by hundreds of new people, you are expected to make friends right away. However, making those first connections is usually harder than the university staff makes it seem. Talks can seem forced and social gatherings which are intended to help people get over the ice do not always work.
The Switch takes a different route. Since one console can be used by a number of people, gaming changes from something that is done alone to one that is enjoyed by a group. Whether it's the intense race in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the chaotic fight in Super Smash Bros Ultimate or the cooperative task in Overcooked, the focus is not on individual achievement but on interaction. We can’t forget iconic games from the Nintendo DS like Animal Crossing & The Legend of Zelda.
Unlike online games, which require hours of practice and special equipment, many Switch games can be understood in just a few minutes.
That is why the Switch is particularly well suited to university life; it asks for very little from the people taking part. Unlike online games, which require hours of practice and special equipment, many Switch games can be understood in just a few minutes. Even someone who has never held a controller before can take part, laugh at their own mistakes and thus become involved in the activity. In that way, the console acts not so much as a gaming device as a catalyst for social interaction.
The Switch's portability is one reason for its appeal. It can be found almost anywhere: in a student's kitchen after dinner, in a sitting room on a rainy afternoon, or even between lectures. Unlike a conventional gaming system, which is usually restricted to the bedroom or living room, the Switch follows the person who uses it. Because of this, it tends to promote spontaneous get-togethers, conversations and shared experiences.
The significance of this situation is especially obvious in the first few weeks at university. New students usually arrive with no one to know and are looking for common interests which can alleviate the awkwardness of being in a new environment. What hours of small talk sometimes fail to do can be achieved in a short time by having a Nintendo Switch on a table. The competition, the cooperation and the shared laughter produce a feeling of familiarity that formal introductions seldom succeed in doing.
Certainly, the console is not strictly essential since students can manage their time at university entirely without it. However, its value lies in what it enables rather than what it offers. When it comes to a Mario Kart tournament, the thing that is most remembered is not usually who won, but the arguments about blue shells, the celebrations following an unexpected victory and the stories which go on for a long time after the game has finished.
Although the Nintendo Switch was designed as a gaming console, on university campuses it has taken on a completely different role. Because university life is a time marked by new beginnings and unfamiliar people, it provides a surprisingly effective way to turn strangers into friends. It is precisely for this reason that it has become a secret essential among university students.