[lazerwalker]

Nintendo first-party IP is a HUGE draw, and they're currently on a roll in terms of making games that are both innovative and good. It's hard to overstate how important that is.

The Switch is also huge for being the most successful example of letting people play "real" not-mobile games in a portable device. With pretty much any modern indie release, my choices are to buy it on my computer, where I can play on my TV or my monitor, or buy it on Switch, where I can play it at home but also on the subway, when traveling, etc. That's huge.

It also means local multiplayer with my friends is way easier than it's been before. My Switch case (which comfortably fits in my bag) has 4 controllers, and because the Switch itself is so portable, it's also easy to play games where my friends each bring their own Switches. The combination of the Switch's mass-market success, and (again) the fact that these are "full" console-sized releases instead of smaller "portable" releases, make it feel meaningfully better at this than e.g. the various Game Boys/DSes or PSP / PS Vita.