NewNowNext writer Bobby Box penned the question, “Why is the Nintendo Switch So Freaking Queer?” Mr. Box’s boyfriend purchased one for him as he recovered from surgery. He answers is own question at length with several notable points of discussion.
For starters, it pops more than the solid-white/black blocks that are the Xbox and Playstation consoles. It is more versatile and transportable than both as well. Acting almost as a iPad beefed up tech-wise for gaming. The Culture and Operations Manager at Gaymer X, a nonprofit organization that supports LGBTQ people in gaming even said,
The fantastic color schemes and customization options are definitely more attractive than the drab Xbox and Playstation options, but more important than that, the console is affordable and Nintendo has a reputation for solid hardware. Queer folks are more likely to have limited means for a variety of reasons, so we want our gaming hardware to be a good investment.
It was not only the look Box brought attention to but the games available on the Switch that speak to queer experiences more so than large AAA titles do. This I can personally attest to.
I have been playing video games since I learned how to grab a controller and can remember my Saturday nights with a buddy over screaming into our headsets at the enemy team on Modern Warfare 2. The latest incarnation of Call of Duty is plagued with homophobia, hate speech, sexism, racism and all the filth the online world can really muster. The things I have heard in some of these cannot legally be published. Nintendo offers a relative safe-haven for gamers with very few toxic environments to run into. Animal Crossing: New Horizons (ACNH), Undertalke, Gone Home, and Dream Daddy are just a few examples.
However, Nintendo is also to blame when it refused to include same-sex relationships choices in its life simulation game Tomodachi Life. Nintendo is moving in the right direction though with ACNH and giving players genderless options when bringing a new character to life.
The gaming world will without a doubt always have toxic a-holes ruining games or just being trolls. That being said, the world is changing at a rapid pace. Tech is always advancing and gaming is becoming more and more affordable for people to get into. My hope is with this uptick in players we see the changes we all want to see in gaming and everyone on the same level working together to get to the next one.
