The Pros and Cons of Being a One-System Gamer

If you’ve read any of my content here on SUPERJUMP, it becomes quite obvious that I am exclusively a Nintendo gamer. This doesn’t mean that I am unwilling to try other consoles, as I have owned an Xbox, an Xbox 360, and a PS4 throughout my gaming journey. The truth is that the majority of those systems were bought because I had someone else in the house that wanted them or purchased them with their own gaming intentions in mind.

Any time I enjoy a title on a non-Nintendo platform, I immediately gravitate back toward my favorite, old reliable hardware. I’ve often wondered why I do this, and why so many other super fans participate in the same behavior? There are a lot of positives and negatives to doing this type of gaming, and I thought I would dive into some of those pros and cons below. Enjoy!

Pro: You’ll feel a passion for the characters and titles that others don’t get to experience

When you dedicate most or all of your gaming time to one company’s characters, you start to immerse yourself in a cultural universe that ties your own personality to those fictional beings that you’re controlling. You feel like you’ve played a role in the story of the Triforce and Hyrule or Mario and the Mushroom Kingdom.

You start researching and exploring parts of the games that are much deeper than the surface-level experience. Becoming an expert in one category of anything in life is an experience that is quite worthwhile and we all should be lucky to lay claim to it one day.

And if the devotion to one company continues for a lifetime, it almost feels like you can connect each moment in your own lifespan to the times that you got to experience each of your most important games. The Wii came out when I was in 5th grade, the 3DS came out in 9th grade, and the Switch in my third year of college. This stuff is much harder to remember as a multi-system player.

Con: You might miss out on some amazing pieces of art that are out there in the gaming cosmos

I know that as a Nintendo-only gamer, I sometimes look at others on the internet who get excited about the release of consoles like the PS5 and the Xbox Series X and wonder whether I am missing out on something that I should be inclined to experience as an avid gamer.

It would be naive to think there isn’t something great beyond my own little bubble of favorites, and I found that out a little back during the Xbox 360 era. Still, the only reason my family bought that system was to play the Banjo-Tooie sequel that wasn’t on Nintendo hardware because of the Rare buyout.

I finally played the first two Uncharted games on the PS4 last year and that was a tremendous amount of fun. I will always be dedicated to Nintendo, but people like myself shouldn’t be too afraid to at least try something different once in a while!

Pro: You get engaged in a fan culture that becomes like a family or community atmosphere

Especially considering the advent of social media and other modern communication, fans of a single entertainment enterprise like Nintendo or Sony get to dig even deeper into the culture of the games that we love so much.

Often when we get too engaged in one character or title, the more casual gamers or multi-platform fans in our lives don’t want to always focus on that singular entity; these people want a variety of discussions.

Thankfully, there are so many super fans of one console or company that share in your obsession. It’s a family of gamers that have like-minded joy in the minutia of your hobby. It’s harder to have these in-depth discussions with people who split their time up among many different types of games. Single-console gamers have an intensity of passion that is unmatched.

Con: Obsessed individuals within the fandom make it difficult to interact with each other

An enormous drawback to the rabid passion of these single-company fans is that everyone’s opinion suddenly becomes that much stronger and more outspoken. Folks feel like they have invincibility behind a keyboard and they start expressing things that are better left unsaid.

Critiquing a game or decision by your favorite company can lead to personal attacks and inappropriate threats. People within the same fandom think that everyone should have groupthink or blind opinions, allowing for less growth within the gaming industry and the discussions behind these works.

We can all go a little too far when talking about the stuff we love, but make sure to remember that they are just video games, after all. There is no excuse to harass someone or threaten them because they want to improve the games that we all love.

What do you think are some pros and cons of one-system gaming that I may have missed? Let me know down below and thanks for reading.