I haven't owned a Nintendo console since the GameCube and therefore haven't played SSB since SSB:M so I'm not familiar with how this works.

I'm planning my holiday game budget and wanted to know more about SSB:U (I don't want to get this game if it's P2W). I see a lot of people online excited about SSB Amiibos, but I haven't been able to figure out how they're used in the SSB games.

The Nintendo website makes it seem like they're some kind of P2W mechanic (from how I understand it, you get some kind of OP sidekick when you scan an Amiibo, giving you an advantage over other players).

From Nintendo's description of Amiibo functionality in SSB:Wii U

Customize your amiibo™ figure as the ultimate sidekick, and level it up to CRUSH your opponents.

https://www.nintendo.com/amiibo/games/detail/HPp-wrUaZHOKvK_GzCJ9eDkIom6x_TEA

Now, can you use these in normal online play, or just some kind of mini-game mode? I know Nintendo pushes Amiibos hard in some games, tying key DLC to them (like in BOTW), so I'm trying to figure out if SSB is like that.

TLDR: Will I be at a disadvantage in SSB:U if I don't buy Amiibos?

I live in Canada. We're like 100 years behind the rest of the world (except maybe USA) in internet infrastructure, and I still have 1 Gbit internet (they just came out with 1.5 Gbit packages). Within 10 years, I expect everyone (or at least everyone who has enough disposable income to play video games) in the developed world to be online at 1 Gbit+ speeds.

There still might be a niche need for PC gaming in e-sports as you need 0 input lag there, but with 1 Gbit+ speeds, input lag will be imperceptible for most gaming needs. Consoles right now have copious amounts of input lag, and these games are running directly on hardware. Low FPS + post processing adds a metric shit ton of delay, and console plebs are okay with that. Streaming on a decent connection would be smoother than that.

None of those games you listed run well on consoles, and RDR2 is no exception. Current gen consoles are glorified toasters. Devs can only do so much to optimize their games for them.

Which one gives the smoother 30 fps experience?

Next gen will likely be the last console generation. After that, we're moving into game streaming, at which point crappy hardware won't be holding PC gaming back anymore (but then I'm not sure there will even be a need for PC gaming anymore either).

How many e-sports are played on consoles?

30 fps + 8 layers of post processing input lag results in the most casual gaming experience possible. Consoles are a joke.

@dzimm: The problem is that Nintendo is storing online rank data locally. A problem that was solved in the 90s. I played OG StarCraft online. My rank information was saved to a server even back then.

Nintendo makes it so hard to defend some of their BS (and I'm a sheep).

Some of the games that won't support save backups so far:

Pokemon Let's Go

Splatoon 2

Dark Souls

FIFA 19

NBA 2K19

So you'll need to pay $20 a year to play these games online, but you won't be allowed to backup your save files.

Nintendo thinks that cloud saves will allow people to cheat, so they won't allow it in most multiplayer games. This literally makes no sense as all of the multiplats on this list allow save backupa on Xbox, Playstation, and PC, and have for over a decade.

https://www.gameinformer.com/2018/09/07/multiple-switch-games-including-pokemon-splatoon-and-dark-souls-do-not-support-cloud

@stuff238: Competing implies a close fight. The Switch is dominating the console race on an unprecedented level. It's really not fair to call it a competition.

@mojito1988: The proper term is "moviestation".