Hunter Schafer’s unusual Switch habits are sparking debate on social media
Hunter Schafer is an actor from Euphoria And The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakesand she is also a model. A recent shoot for Vogue Magazine features Schafer in a variety of gorgeous outfits, but one accessory in general has captured the collective attention of gamers everywhere: the Nintendo Switch. In one photo, Schafer is depicted lying on the floor, resting between her couch and a coffee table, held up by a cherub. She stares into the distance with a Switch in her hands.
This raised immediate questions among concerned citizens. The Switch is in portable mode; she has to watch it to enjoy gaming. Is it possible that Schafer was thinking of the Wii U? What could lead to such an apparent mistake?
Some gamers quickly came to Schafer’s defense, pointing out that they play the same way. Who among us hasn’t ended up on the couch, watching TV while playing the Switch, and ended up falling to the floor while in the middle of a gamer fugue?
People keep saying she’s using the entire console as a controller in an impossible way, like she’s a plebeian, but she’s clearly using it in handheld mode for the Masuda Method while watching something on TV. It’s a very realistic scenario! https://t.co/XzCJvt5waH
— Tama (@TamashiiHiroka) May 23, 2024
“What is she looking at?” She counts the cards in her draw pile to find the probability that she will draw five attacks on turn 3 boss slime and if she should try to force the split, then or later, God you guys are so damn stupid https://t.co/WD1hI69HQ6
— Ludwig’s Holy Child (@oldwitchsring) May 22, 2024
Other fans were simply excited to see Schafer participate in gaming at all. Some suggested she could play Princess Zelda in an upcoming project. It wouldn’t be completely unprecedented; Schafer has been confirmed to be present O.Dan upcoming horror game from Hideo Kojima.
Ms. Schafer, I would like to let you know that I have three gold stars on every Mario Kart 8 cup on every CC (including the additional 12 DLC cups) and that I have The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Tears of the have 100% completed Kingdom and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity and also https://t.co/ptDyobsEPl
— Putruck #FreePalestine (@SmallPutrk) May 22, 2024
Personally, I find Schafer’s playing attitude completely authentic. I’ve found myself in all kinds of awkward positions while playing the Switch, and I’ve certainly been in similar situations. Sometimes you are playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons and listening to a video essay, only looking up when the story indicates there is an important image.
Alternatively, Schafer may be using the pro-gamer move of looking away from the Switch during a long loading screen. I’ve definitely employed a similar tactic so I don’t have to see my own face, which is unflatteringly reflected in the Switch’s black screen. Whatever the case, I hope we see more gaming-themed props in Vogue shoots in the future. I feel like there are a lot of possibilities, and the reaction to Schafer’s shoot shows that gamers are invested in the role of a console in the high fashion industry.