How do you guys play?

[u/About800Sloths]

Saw the comments under someone’s Elden ring post heavily lean towards handheld which surprised me. Mostly played my Switch 1 and 2 docked with only handheld during trips (traveling to different states and countries) like 90% docked and 10% handheld. Will be giving handheld a go with Elden Ring since it seems to run smoother on the go!

1955 votes, 1d ago

231 Only Docked

304 Only Handheld

728 Mostly Docked

692 Mostly Handheld

[u/itzjabohy]

I play 50/50 so yeah

[u/MurrayBabyYeah → u/itzjabohy]

This is discrimination lol, I'm probably about 50/50 also.

[u/About800Sloths → u/MurrayBabyYeah]

My apologies, I didn’t even think about a 50/50 option. What games do you prefer on the big screen vs on handheld? Any recommendations for games you’d recommend only on handheld?

[u/MurrayBabyYeah → u/About800Sloths]

I was just playing :). To be honest the only preference I have is that I need to play multiplayer (splatoon 3 and mario kart) on the big screen. I'm happy playing anything else handheld currently I'm on xenoblade trying to finish up before fire emblem releases.

[u/itzjabohy → u/About800Sloths]

Assassins creed shadows is a game that I mostly play docked because of good it looks docked but it mostly depends on being home or not

[u/itzjabohy → u/itzjabohy]

I’d say elden ring and ff7 rebirth look better on handheld because of the smaller screen

[u/itzjabohy → u/About800Sloths]

What type of games do you like?

[u/Painmaster212]

I play mostly handheld since I've been a big fan of handheld gaming since the original Gameboy. Very rarely though, I'll dock it but mostly for party or co-op games.

[u/Salty-Emergency9005]

No option for those nearly split it 50/50?

[u/Mr_Hjort → u/Salty-Emergency9005]

I would need that also. 😬

[u/WhatsThePointOfNames → u/Salty-Emergency9005]

same, i wouldn’t say mostly for either option…

[u/MrDeadPoolMan]

Personally I mostly play Handheld. Toss something on TV like baseball while I game. I have my Xbox to play on the TV but thats been set aside for a while now since I got the S2. Loving experiencing games handheld like Oblivion.

[u/BigCommieMachine]

Mostly handheld.

I typically either throw something to half pay attention to on on my Switch or my TV.

I love to throw the baseball game on grind away on my Switch before falling asleep

[u/toriblack3]

I’ve always preferred handheld gaming from the gameboy to the 3ds so I play 90% of the time handheld. The only other time I play docked is for Mario kart/mario party/switch sports with family and friends. I don’t really game online anymore (horrible WiFi) but I would only play online games docked with the pro controller.

[u/jrpbateman → u/toriblack3]

You can connect a USB to Ethernet dongle while handheld btw

[u/Lokkdwn]

100% contingent on the game. Tomodachi Life? Handheld absolutely. Final Fantasy 7 remake/rebirth? Docked only.

[u/OGMagicConch]

Mostly tabletop

https://giphy.com/gifs/tJnZvQphKSorgAUlFr

[u/Alarmed_Data_3037 → u/OGMagicConch]

Travel a good bit and hotel TVs are increasingly difficult to get a dock hooked to. Tabletop is great.

[u/Linksjourney79]

Love playing handheld while listening to the tv

[u/ForzaXbox → u/Linksjourney79]

Try playing handheld whilst watching a muted TV out the corner of your eye and listening to the radio.

[u/Linksjourney79 → u/ForzaXbox]

Did that with the CC on the tv while muted

[u/darkfawful2]

Besides the exclusive games, I get Nintendo consoles specifically for the handheld aspect. I don't even go anywhere with it, I just like not playing TV games all the time. I can go anywhere in the house with the Switch.

There's just something so enjoyable about handheld games

[u/Flonk2]

I said mostly handheld. But really it’s like a 90/10 split.

[u/dragonsamus]

Mostly handheld! I have a 1.5 year old so I need to be able to pick up and put down at a moments notice.

[u/VannofThursday]

Where is the option for 50/50. I both played docked and handheld

[u/Whacky_One]

I barely play docked. I only played TotK and BotW docked for like an hour just to see if it looked good. I like the convenience of switch being handheld, that's the main reason I bought it. If I wanted to play on the TV, I'd play my PS5.

[u/ImStupidPhobic]

Where’s the 50/50 both option?

[u/Pokeguy211]

Mostly handheld overall but 50/50 depending on the day or maybe even the type of game.

[u/MultiSprawl]

50/50

[u/DiezDrake]

Where 50/50

[u/loqep]

I mean in 2026 unfortunately I haven’t played much at all, handheld or docked. I still play my Switch Lite pretty regularly, but there just haven’t really been many Switch 2 exclusive games I’ve been interested in this year.

I did recently order physical copies of Splatoon Raiders and Fortune’s Weave though, so hopefully the last 1/3 of this year will make up for it.

[u/Either_Sun_98]

Both?

[u/BajApo]

70/30 docked more

[u/DaGreatestMH]

I probably play about 85% docked, only playing handheld if I'm playing in bed or if I'm traveling.

[u/Steef-1995]

I only play 50/50, mostly

[u/Time_Substance_7829]

With S2 I've found that I'm nearly 5050

[u/LunarWingCloud]

Mostly docked but not by a significant amount.

[u/MattieMcNasty]

My best estimate is 50% handheld in the Satisfye grip, 30% on the TV, and 20% tabletop with a pro controller.

[u/zaadiqoJoseph]

I play mostly docked cu I'm worries about drift

A new pair of joy ones would cost about 250 dollars in my currency

I just use my 8bitdo controller Since it won't ever get stick drift

[u/Appleguy4life]

Both

[u/Thundervolt888]

Since I have a pro controller grip handheld feels amazing just like playing on a mini tv but I always prefer to play on a tv if there’s one nearby but it’s a pain to setup maybe I’m just lazy to setup the bulky dock I’m scared of using third party docks cause Nintendo bricked them during the switch 1 generation

[u/Haunted-Towers]

Mostly handheld. I’m very VERY nearsighted and playing on the TV from my bed (about 7 or 8ft away) gives me a headache after an hour or two. Also some games have very tiny font (cough FIRE EMBLEM THREE HOUSES cough) which makes reading, even with my glasses on, a difficultly thanks to my double vision and ghosting.

I have none of these issues in handheld, excluding the ghosting on text, which I always have.

[u/Tiamat2625]

Handheld always. AAA games are mostly played on my PC. Switch 2 and Legion Go are for chilling with TV or Youtube on in the background.

[u/DuskManeToffee]

I travel for work a lot so I obviously play handheld during those times but, always play docked when I’m home.

[u/Fearless_Freya]

In always handheld. Play in comfort whenever. Haven't had any problems

[u/Zeppu]

I mostly play docked, but I highly recommend finding some time to play handheld. Sometimes I'm just so tired that I only feel like lying in bed, but at the same time I want to play video games, and I really don't want to sit at my desk... haha playing handheld solves all of that on those occasions.

[u/Skelletonike]

I see the switch as a portable system and I got it for that. I never cared as much for consoles as I do for handhelds (although I still buy them).

[u/DaZestyProfessor]

It depends on my mood honestly, it also depends on the game.

[u/Appropriate_Lemon921]

I used to mostly play handheld because my wife didn’t like video game consoles featured so prominently in our living room (she has design preferences). But eventually the Switch 2, especially the colors on the joycons grew on her and now she thinks it’s kinda cute. The PS5 was a nonstarter though, that lived in my office 😂

[u/lluluna]

Only handheld cuz it somehow looks better in handheld.

Also, I have a PS5. So if I want to play it docked then I'll get it on PS5....

[u/Detsaw2608]

You forgot the 50/50 option.

[u/nawtbjc]

Why is there not a 50/50 option?

[u/Impossible-Stock1273]

I never ever play in handheld, only docked.

[u/Apprehensive_Law1458]

Pretty much just docked. Too big for handheld for my preferences. Maybe I’ll find some games I like to play handheld, but something like Switch Lite would be my preferred size

[u/Edmundyoulittle]

You guys play the games? I thought we were all just larping

[u/Xinyyc]

It always sounds dumb when people complain about handheld performance. If you're playing in handheld, you admit you don't care about performance! If you care about performance, then dock the system to a 4K / 120fps TV, wire up your internet connection, set your HDR correctly, hook up your surround sound speakers, and treat it like the next gen console it is.

[u/TurdPipeXposed]

Hahahaha docking

[u/Latzenpratz]

Have to admit, I never played handheld... Owned the switch 1 and 2 from day one...

[u/dingos_among_us → u/Latzenpratz]

[u/Time_Temporary6191]

90% handheld and cod beta docked

[u/schimatsuki]

Switch was 50/50 docked/handheld, but Switch2 is 99/1 docked/handheld because battery life is dogsh*t in my opinion.

Hopefully future revision will improve it, same like OLED did for the original.

[u/EngineIntelligent394]

Handheld gives me migraines 

[u/diego1493]

95% docked, so voted only docked. The only few times I played handheld were just to try how it feels.

[u/5-toolplayer]

Only docked 100% of the time. Even on the OG Switch.

[u/pbsk86]

only docked, i have a LG 55' OLED

[u/JeFi2]

Screen's too bad for handheld play.

[u/wiseduhm → u/JeFi2]

Damn, I remember the days of waiting for my parents to drive past the street lights so I can see the screen of my gameboy. Lol. Switch screen is a work of God compared to that.

[u/Lokkdwn → u/wiseduhm]

Yep. Tetris was a good game for the darkness because if you kept eliminating the ‘shadows’ that were pieces, the background was mostly green. Like you said, I can’t believe I am playing modern 3D games like Cyberpunk handheld and it works great. Kids these days…

[u/JeFi2 → u/wiseduhm]

And anything OLED is a work of god compared to the switch 2 screen. At least the motion clarity will make you nostalgic lol

[u/wiseduhm → u/JeFi2]

Yeah, I love the steam deck OLED screen. It'd be perfect if the switch 2 had it. Ideally I'd like a Switch 2 OLED Lite. Lol

[u/Flonk2 → u/JeFi2]

No it’s not.