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I have to come clean. Barring a quick foray into The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, my Nintendo Switch has been largely ignored for most of the year. It's still one of my favorite systems, but now that rigs like the Asus ROG Ally and PlayStation Portal have taken over my handheld play it doesn't see the light of day too much. That's why I don't think I'll be buying a Nintendo Switch 2, at least not on day one. And yet, I'm torn.
I've been swept up in the gaming handheld euphoria of the last 12 months, and it's come at the cost of a number of Ninty titles that I still want to enjoy. Super Mario Bros. Wonder is getting dusty on the shelves for crying out loud - and that's a crime. While my Switch may have been usurped for handheld moments, though, it can still shine on the big screen - and that's why the mClassic upscaler might be my alternative to the Nintendo Switch 2.
The dongle connects via the dock's HDMI port and freshens that 1080p output. GamesRadar+ Hardware Editor Phil Hayton reports a crisper, cleaner image with less jagged edges across everything from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom to Kirby and the Forgotten Land. Available at Amazon for $99.99 / £89.99 (and often on sale for far less), it's considerably cheaper than the rumored $400 - $500 cost of a whole new system and that value is compounded if you're a retro collector as well.
Should you buy the Marseille mClassic upscaler?
I'll get this straight out the gate - if you want a more substantial performance upgrade, you're better off waiting for the fully fledged console upgrade. The mClassic works well to soften the edges of scenes the handheld struggles with, but isn't going to improve choppy framerates or pop-in. It's a fresh coat of paint, not a whole new house.
However, if you're like me and don't want to invest in a whole new system in a few months time, it could be well worth a look. I want to give my library a boost, to get me back into the Ninty's world but also invest more time in my aging retro PlayStation collection. The mClassic does all that without sacrificing speed or color vibrancy. Those using the Switch on a particularly large screen will see more of the benefits, but I'm still expecting a boost on my 55-inch 4K panel.
No, it's not going to be the same upgrade as a full new processor and graphics system - but Nintendo games have never needed the latest and greatest specs to hold their appeal. These are simple titles that do fantastic things with limited tech, and I don't need a new console to play the current roster of releases. Do I still want to give them a spruce? I'm certainly not saying no.
We're rounding up all the best Nintendo Switch accessories on the market, as well as the best Nintendo Switch controllers and best Nintendo Switch headsets as well.
