Nintendo Switch Sports Local Multiplayer Limited to Docked Mode

gamerant.com:

Long-time fans of Nintendo likely remember Wii Sports with fondness. The title made great use of the Wii's novel motion controls, and gave players a way to engage in single or multiplayer fun before spending a single additional cent on games for the console.

As such, many fans were delighted when they learned of the reveal of Nintendo Switch Sports, a spiritual successor to the Wii classic. Reception of Nintendo Switch Sports has been relatively good, but there's at least one unexpected drawback that's leaving some players disappointed.

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While most of the Wii's appeal came from the motion controls and the unique way they could be utilized to control game avatars, the Nintendo Switch is loved for its portability and ability to be played anywhere, regardless of whether the player has access to a TV or monitor. That's why it may come as a surprise and disappointment when players discovered that Nintendo Switch Sports' local multiplayer mode can't be played in tabletop mode.

While players can enjoy single-player mode with the Switch set in tabletop mode, the same isn't true of local multiplayer. Players must first plug the Switch into the dock in order to play. Trying to access the mode and then undocking the Switch also doesn't work, as it produces a notification that it must be docked. To make matters worse, this means that local multiplayer is completely incompatible with the Switch Lite, as it doesn't have docking functionality and isn't intended to be connected directly to a TV or monitor.

To be fair, trying to participate in a multiplayer game of Nintendo Switch Sports while staring at the small screen on the Nintendo Switch would likely be quite difficult for all involved.