Audiences got a better look at the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 thanks to a recent Nintendo Direct, which highlighted the console’s many improvements over its predecessor. Among the most interesting and alluring bits of news was the confirmation of theSwitch 2’s mouse controlsand long-overdue features like console-integrated voice chat, not to mention the slew of new third-and first-party games coming to the device.
Nintendo also seems to be taking a page from PlayStation’s playbook withNintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, an interactive demo that highlights the console’s new features. This mirrors Sony’s method of teaching customers about the PS5 viaAstro’s Playroom, a charm-filled game that comes pre-installed on every PS5.Astro’s Playroomtakes place “inside” the PS5 itself, prompting players to explore the console’s hardware in an engaging and cute way. This was a clever method of conveying information about the PS5, butAstro’s Playroomturned out to be a pretty great game in its own right, and its success ultimately led to the much more profitableAstro Bot. In short,Astro’s Playroomwas a smart move by Sony, so it makes sense that Nintendo would want to do something similar withNintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour. It’s just strange that the company is charging for it.
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour Is a Premium Game, Which Is Baffling
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour Really Ought To Be Free
Astro’s Playroomwas received warmlybecause of its central intent: it was a friendly and accessible way to familiarize players with the new features of the PS5; it wasn’t a way for Sony to make more money. It was designed, first and foremost, as a fun and creative means of education and entertainment, and Sony would ultimately profit from it down the road thanks toAstro Bot, which almost certainly would not have seen the light of day were it not forPlayroom.
Valve would mimic this strategy withAperture Desk Job, a playable short designed to teach players about the Steam Deck. Naturally, it was released for free.
It’s hard to believe thatAstro’s Playroomwould have been so beloved were it released as a premium product. Of course, it probably wouldn’t have sparked outrage, but it just wouldn’t have made sense: as fun as it is,Astro’s Playroomis a playable instruction manual first, an interactive promotional demo second, and a game third. WithNintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tourlooking, at least upon first glance, even less mechanically engaging thanAstro’s Playroom, the decision to charge for it is definitely a head-scratcher.
It’s Hard to Imagine the Audience for Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour
Make no mistake,Sony’s motivations for releasingAstro’s Playroomwere not altruistic: the baked-in, playable PS5 tour helped the new console’s optics immensely, as players quickly took to the internet to discuss the surprisingly fun tech demo. The fact that it highlighted the PS5’s most heavily-touted features, like the DualSense’s haptics, made it even more effective as a marketing tool, prompting vast word-of-mouth promotion.
One would imagine that Nintendo is hoping for the same sort of excitement to surroundWelcome Tour, but that won’t happen unless a lot of people play it, which seems unlikely. While some hardcore Nintendo fans may cough up the money for the tech demo, its target audience is likely to be conservative, to say the least. And without a physical release,Welcome Tourwon’t even be appealing to collectorslooking to fill out their shelves. At the end of the day, the premium cost ofNintendo Switch 2 Welcome Touris hardly a deal-breaker, but it does prompt one to wonder what exactly the company hopes to accomplish with it.
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour
Explore a virtual exhibit that offers an inside look at the Nintendo Switch 2 system.
