Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
The Nintendo Switch Console Thread
- Thread starter gkarris
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I would say that I was underwhelmed by the reveal, but that would imply that I had legitimate expectations of Nintendo abandoning their absurd descent into hardware gimmick fetishism. Despite the charming little graphic showing the logos of devs pledging third-party support, I can guarantee you that that pledge is non-binding and entirely contingent upon broad adoption on a forward basis; devs will not go in for developing for a platform that has special hardware consideration if the return on investment isn't going to be there; despite the near masturbatory response of most YouTube and Twitch personalities, I do not believe that this console will be successful in translating the fundamentally dissimilar install bases of the Wii U and 3DS, and the overall cost of platform as projected will not support internal storage substantial enough for digital backward compatibility.
I knew that if the Eurogamer leak was accurate (and it more less was 100% accurate), that would be the final evidence that Nintendo is not interested in my business. If they ever release a higher-end clone console with SOCs for 1:1 emulation of their past libraries, I'll be there on day one. Till then, I wish them well.
I knew that if the Eurogamer leak was accurate (and it more less was 100% accurate), that would be the final evidence that Nintendo is not interested in my business. If they ever release a higher-end clone console with SOCs for 1:1 emulation of their past libraries, I'll be there on day one. Till then, I wish them well.
Looks like we won't get any solid info on specs, games, and region locking until 2017.
http://www.vg247.com/2016/10/21/nin...rdware-specs-region-lock-or-games-until-2017/
Bad decision IMO. Excitement for the launch video will fade over time if no further details get revealed.
http://www.vg247.com/2016/10/21/nin...rdware-specs-region-lock-or-games-until-2017/
Bad decision IMO. Excitement for the launch video will fade over time if no further details get revealed.
Well, i think not. Nintendo saw how excellent the reveal teaser was received, so they can probably hold out a bit. The excitement will re-explode when they go all out on reveals, and then it will be a *very* short while until actual release, and it will sell like hotcakes.
I just bought some Nvidia stock based on the Nintendo Switch, as I do expect it to sell a lot of units (And Nvidia is on a roll anyway at the moment.. Win/win I hope. 8) )
Well based on *every* other Nintendo console, I would guess that it will have region locking.
As for specs, they really don't mean much anymore (go ahead, zing me in a reply) it really is about the games.
As far as games...well, no point announcing something now, and then delaying it two weeks before the launch...I'd rather they just come clean with what will be available. I'm guessing the fact they are using cartridges means they will need a longer to manufacture the game carts? It won't be like CD or DVD pressing, which doesn't take much time at all (lol, witness the time between NMS going "gold" and its release).
The more I know about it, the more I like it. The key for me is really third-party support as I am not the biggest fan for Nintendo franchises. At least not anymore. I don't understand the appeal of Smash Bros. I prefer more adult-oriented games. Too old to play Mario and Link forever. They do have better replay value than other platforms, but I am at the stage where I want the interactive movie experience once or twice. I don't have time replaying games to search for hidden levels or play it at the most difficult setting. No time for trophies.
Unlike Sony which can support their PS1, PS2, and PS3 for a decade, the life expectancy from Nintendo consoles is half that. Only the Nintendo Game Boy from 1989 up until it's successor in 2001 lasted beyond a decade. I still will have my reservations because Nintendo base their recent platforms on controller gimmicks. Motion controls was fun after a few months with the Wii. Then it became a chore which is why nobody wanted the Wii U after and wanted more traditional style. The 3S on 3DS was hardly practical.
In the beginning, it seems cool and all. It is being able to sustain its greatness beyond its first two years. But do I like the Switch and am I interested in it? Of course! My favorite Nintendo announcement of 2016 is still the $60 NES Classic Edition. They might be 30 year old games, but this when Nintendo was still in their console heyday.. 2D gaming. That's when graphics didn't matter and we played for fun figuring out the patterns.
I know Nintendo's pattern with big releases. Spread out and plenty of delays. One or two Mario games, a Zelda game, a Mario Kart game, Pokémon games, maybe Metroid, etc. It is like clockwork. But by releasing one major title once a year, it gives them a minimum 5 year timeline by spreading it across between major releases. 3DS (2011) and Wii U (2012) will soon stopped being supported shortly after. This is why I prefer Sony. With exception to their handhelds, their consoles get supported for at least 10 years. PS3 will turn 10 in November and still gets games for it.
Unlike Sony which can support their PS1, PS2, and PS3 for a decade, the life expectancy from Nintendo consoles is half that. Only the Nintendo Game Boy from 1989 up until it's successor in 2001 lasted beyond a decade. I still will have my reservations because Nintendo base their recent platforms on controller gimmicks. Motion controls was fun after a few months with the Wii. Then it became a chore which is why nobody wanted the Wii U after and wanted more traditional style. The 3S on 3DS was hardly practical.
In the beginning, it seems cool and all. It is being able to sustain its greatness beyond its first two years. But do I like the Switch and am I interested in it? Of course! My favorite Nintendo announcement of 2016 is still the $60 NES Classic Edition. They might be 30 year old games, but this when Nintendo was still in their console heyday.. 2D gaming. That's when graphics didn't matter and we played for fun figuring out the patterns.
I know Nintendo's pattern with big releases. Spread out and plenty of delays. One or two Mario games, a Zelda game, a Mario Kart game, Pokémon games, maybe Metroid, etc. It is like clockwork. But by releasing one major title once a year, it gives them a minimum 5 year timeline by spreading it across between major releases. 3DS (2011) and Wii U (2012) will soon stopped being supported shortly after. This is why I prefer Sony. With exception to their handhelds, their consoles get supported for at least 10 years. PS3 will turn 10 in November and still gets games for it.
Unreal Engine 4 is on board. If Nintendo prices it well, and include the dock in the box, it can do very well. Digital Foundry (youtube) is speculating that the dock contains a GPU of sorts for additional power when connected to a TV.
Unfortunately, you can leave Metroid out of that clockwork like schedule. I'd buy a whole new console just for a new 2D Metroid game.
The one thing I don't like about this design is, as with all gadgets with sealed batteries (to be determined on the Switch), is what happens when the batteries inevitably die if it's not easily replaceable? There looks to be 3 of them - one for the console/tablet itself, and one each for the Joy Con. My Wii U game pad battery only last 3-4 hours now, but it's easy to replace, just can't swallow the OEM $40 price yet.
Who changed the thread title?
What is a Switch?
Oh.......
Sorry, have a new job and been busy with that...
Kind of what I envisioned when I heard about an Android/Tegra based system.
The doc and the re-use of the controls are very innovative, and looks like a Switch version of the Wii U pro controller if you want a regular controller instead of removing the controllers from the tablet.
$300(?) for the core and $400(?) for one with a docking unit? Wow....
DISCLAIMER: My statement here is my own opinion.
(have to say this now)...
What is a Switch?
Oh.......
Sorry, have a new job and been busy with that...
Kind of what I envisioned when I heard about an Android/Tegra based system.
The doc and the re-use of the controls are very innovative, and looks like a Switch version of the Wii U pro controller if you want a regular controller instead of removing the controllers from the tablet.
$300(?) for the core and $400(?) for one with a docking unit? Wow....
DISCLAIMER: My statement here is my own opinion.
(have to say this now)...
If it came in this design, shut up and take my money!
![nintendo-switch-nes.jpg]()
Would look so good next to this...
![nes-classic-photo-06_1920.0.jpg]()
![nes-classic-photo-16_1920.0.jpg]()
One is a blast from the past. About 30 years back to the past and I'm feeling like Marty McFly. BTW, Happy Back To The Future Day! The other is a look to the future where console specs and portability is finally merging as one.
Please, Nintendo? Give us the NES color of the Switch! The matching colors bridges the gap of the NES (1st Nintendo console, 3rd gen of gaming) with the Switch (7th gen Nintendo console, 9th gen of gaming).
My first love will always be that NES but my favorite Nintendo console might always be the SNES. Nintendo has never reached that level for me since. But maybe this Switch might take them even higher with its Game Boy/DS-like portability.
Nintendo is winning my heart back with a couple of nice announcements this year. A mini NES and Switch look like winners either way you look at it. In the words of Mario Mario of Mario Bros fame, yahoo! The Mushroom Kingdom and Hyrule is back and better than ever! Nomore time to soak about that Note7 death anymore!
Would look so good next to this...
One is a blast from the past. About 30 years back to the past and I'm feeling like Marty McFly. BTW, Happy Back To The Future Day! The other is a look to the future where console specs and portability is finally merging as one.
Please, Nintendo? Give us the NES color of the Switch! The matching colors bridges the gap of the NES (1st Nintendo console, 3rd gen of gaming) with the Switch (7th gen Nintendo console, 9th gen of gaming).
My first love will always be that NES but my favorite Nintendo console might always be the SNES. Nintendo has never reached that level for me since. But maybe this Switch might take them even higher with its Game Boy/DS-like portability.
Nintendo is winning my heart back with a couple of nice announcements this year. A mini NES and Switch look like winners either way you look at it. In the words of Mario Mario of Mario Bros fame, yahoo! The Mushroom Kingdom and Hyrule is back and better than ever! Nomore time to soak about that Note7 death anymore!
That does look sweet! Especially the red colors, which make it pop a bit.
You mean such as these, which have been for the market for a loooong time already?Third party Side mounted small tablet controllers for iOS and Andriod in 4... 3... 2...
Nintendo seems to be cool once every 10 years or so...
1986 - NES became available nationwide and took the industry by storm having over 90% of the market by 1990.
1996 - While Sega's Sonic made Mario look slow and uncool during the 16-bit war, Mario became cool again in a 3D world. Nintendo 64 would also introduce to us four controller slots and Rumble Pak that others copied.
2006 - Wii was a refreshing take on gaming and brought Nintendo back to prominence after the severely underrated GameCube finished in third place behind the PS2 and Xbox in sales during the 6th gen of gaming.
2016 - I believe the NES: Classic Edition and Switch announcement will make the house that Mario built cool again.
Nintendo Switch looks to be awesome but I still have my doubts. People forget you could play PS4 via PS Vita with Remote Play. I mention this because console gaming and handheld gaming have completely different taste. Portable gaming is better in short bursts and games should be inexpensive. This is why Uncharted: Golden Abyss on Vita wasn't exactly loved by everybody.
The next question is third-party support? Don't tell me the best games will come solely from Nintendo again with another sequel from another Nintendo franchise? Rehashed to us over and over with fresh new paint. That is generally the pattern with Nintendo products. You get 5 years of entertainment playing Nintendo kiddie games with better graphics and slightly tweaked gameplay. Don't get me started with the controllers..
1986 - NES became available nationwide and took the industry by storm having over 90% of the market by 1990.
1996 - While Sega's Sonic made Mario look slow and uncool during the 16-bit war, Mario became cool again in a 3D world. Nintendo 64 would also introduce to us four controller slots and Rumble Pak that others copied.
2006 - Wii was a refreshing take on gaming and brought Nintendo back to prominence after the severely underrated GameCube finished in third place behind the PS2 and Xbox in sales during the 6th gen of gaming.
2016 - I believe the NES: Classic Edition and Switch announcement will make the house that Mario built cool again.
Nintendo Switch looks to be awesome but I still have my doubts. People forget you could play PS4 via PS Vita with Remote Play. I mention this because console gaming and handheld gaming have completely different taste. Portable gaming is better in short bursts and games should be inexpensive. This is why Uncharted: Golden Abyss on Vita wasn't exactly loved by everybody.
The next question is third-party support? Don't tell me the best games will come solely from Nintendo again with another sequel from another Nintendo franchise? Rehashed to us over and over with fresh new paint. That is generally the pattern with Nintendo products. You get 5 years of entertainment playing Nintendo kiddie games with better graphics and slightly tweaked gameplay. Don't get me started with the controllers..
That does look sweet! Especially the red colors, which make it pop a bit.
You mean such as these, which have been for the market for a loooong time already?
![KOTOR+MOGAcontroller1.jpg]()
![logitech.jpg]()
Nope....
Those are phones, not tablets...
Good thing your post didn't mention tablets, but operating systems, which also runs on phones. Anyway, a quick google would show you that they also exist for tablets.
So now the dust has settled a bit. I'm super excited for this. It's pretty much the perfect console for me right now, just being able to play multiplayer games anywhere, the configurable controller.
But I'm gutted that it means a whole new starting point for them. It uses one screen at a time so Wii U and 3DS games will not be compatible, it doesn't appear to have a touchscreen either (I doubt this is the case though. How else will it be navigable when a controller isn't present?). All we can hope for is hope for discounted ports, like how VC games on the Wii U were handled.
So, Nintendo are publishing a new Pokemon game and there's a new Yokai Watch around the corner. Why would they release such grand titles so close to the end of a systems life? I don't think the 3DS is being killed off any time soon. I imagine Nintendo are going to see what happens; either keeping both systems alive or killing the 3DS.
But I'm gutted that it means a whole new starting point for them. It uses one screen at a time so Wii U and 3DS games will not be compatible, it doesn't appear to have a touchscreen either (I doubt this is the case though. How else will it be navigable when a controller isn't present?). All we can hope for is hope for discounted ports, like how VC games on the Wii U were handled.
So, Nintendo are publishing a new Pokemon game and there's a new Yokai Watch around the corner. Why would they release such grand titles so close to the end of a systems life? I don't think the 3DS is being killed off any time soon. I imagine Nintendo are going to see what happens; either keeping both systems alive or killing the 3DS.
From Last September.
https://afterpad.com/gamevice-the-afterpad-review/
There is still a 9.7 & 12.9 version that has not been released yet.
The 3DS is not going away anytime soon, as the most current model is just 2 years old. In addition, there's a gigantic number of games available, so it will likely still sell quite well. Also, I expect the Switch to be quite a bit more expensive than the 3DS, so they also cater to two different niches.
I completely agree, I'm just curious to what happens next with both platforms. I *really* hope they continue the DS line and simply market that as a cheaper line, that we'll get new devices in the future. But who can say, the Switch seems to cover everything... and I like the DS line
Gotta love the PS Vita obituary articles by these bored writers that have nothing better to do but beat a desd horse. Like duh! We didn't see that coming. Sony announced it last year that they would stop supporting Vita and got relegated to PS4 Remote Play accessory status...
http://www.pushsquare.com/news/2016...itch_knocks_the_final_nail_in_ps_vitas_coffin
http://www.gamesradar.com/in-loving-memory-of-the-playstation-vita/
The thing is, Nintendo Switch will also deal with an identity crisis like the Vita did. It still is dealing going against smartphones which goes with us everywhere. It still needs to balance console-style gaming that is better played at home vs short burst ones better on the go.
People also complain about large phones. Imagine carrying this brick around? I still like it but PS Vita starts to become the more comfortable handheld to carry around. Doesn't need detaching controllers either which runs the price up with more accessories for this Joy-Con. And Sony has better and more mature IP (intellectual properties).
Nintendo is the Disney of gaming but they also try to act like Apple by being very restrictive. This wouldn't look like a sure winner if it is region-locked because Vita is region-free and its IP is a little more mature. Library is already mature enough after 4+ years and it is more portable since the Switch feels like carrying the Nvidia Shield.
Vita is a portable PS1 and PS2 if you want it to be. Just wished Sony lowered the prices on their proprietary memory cards. Vita owners shouldn't sweat. It is when a system is dead is when you can truly appreciate it. Would love to see how Sony reacts to this. I wouldn't call myself a Nintendo Switcher just yet after being mostly a PlayStation fan for the last 20 years.
http://www.pushsquare.com/news/2016...itch_knocks_the_final_nail_in_ps_vitas_coffin
http://www.gamesradar.com/in-loving-memory-of-the-playstation-vita/
The thing is, Nintendo Switch will also deal with an identity crisis like the Vita did. It still is dealing going against smartphones which goes with us everywhere. It still needs to balance console-style gaming that is better played at home vs short burst ones better on the go.
People also complain about large phones. Imagine carrying this brick around? I still like it but PS Vita starts to become the more comfortable handheld to carry around. Doesn't need detaching controllers either which runs the price up with more accessories for this Joy-Con. And Sony has better and more mature IP (intellectual properties).
Nintendo is the Disney of gaming but they also try to act like Apple by being very restrictive. This wouldn't look like a sure winner if it is region-locked because Vita is region-free and its IP is a little more mature. Library is already mature enough after 4+ years and it is more portable since the Switch feels like carrying the Nvidia Shield.
Vita is a portable PS1 and PS2 if you want it to be. Just wished Sony lowered the prices on their proprietary memory cards. Vita owners shouldn't sweat. It is when a system is dead is when you can truly appreciate it. Would love to see how Sony reacts to this. I wouldn't call myself a Nintendo Switcher just yet after being mostly a PlayStation fan for the last 20 years.
And this is why the system is going to experience the same issues as the Wii U. I'm almost certain that the custom Tegra is based off of the X1, not the X2, which places the power, at best, slightly above the XBONE, which means you can expectt 1 - 2 year ports that were from the earliest part of the eighth gen when they just transitioned titles to take marginal advantage of the simplified architecture and increased specs, just like they did with the Wii U after which third-party support evaporated.
But even disregarding the power, the entire core of this concept was a unification of handheld and console install bases into a single group, to have the broadest release audience for their titles and decrease the problem of title drought caused by the limitations of developing first party titles for two platforms and having those constitute half to three-quarters of the release schedule. All I've heard during the run-up to the announcement was how the transitioning of any meaningful portion of 60 million 3DS users was going to blow the Wii U install base out of the water. Except it won't; for at least the first year, the year that constitutes the bulk of adoption during any given hardware generation, the 3DS will continue to sap development resources and sideline potential handheld-focused adopters of the Switch who don't want to give up a solid handheld device with a strong library of games for a device that is decidedly less portable (it's approximately 10% larger than a cased phablet and will be larger if you're going to have some sort of protective case, which you will unless you're an idiot), is sure to have laughable battery life (4 hours at best and probably sub-three playing console-tier titles), and will deliver a gimped version of gameplay, for more money besides, even if Nintendo deigns to give it 3DS backward compatibility through whatever disaster passes for the eShop this time around.
Add into that two factors that I've yet to hear addressed by most cheerleaders of the device:
1.) we're essentially dealing with a semi-mechanical platform (loads of detachable peripherals with friction contact points and slotted spring releases), and that's a terrible idea from a consumer standpoint, as that means lost or stolen peripherals, friction wear and mechanical failures many times more common than for a integral slab. Anyone that's ever had a slider mobile phone like the recent ill-fated Blackberry Priv, knows precisely what I'm talking about. The manufacturing tolerances required to make these work for extend periods of time are found in German-made laboratory equipment, not consumer electronics made in Chinese and Taiwan sweatshops.
2.) As this console represents a tablet, it has the same primary functional limitation to a tablets lifespan: a rechargeable lithium ion battery has limited recharge cycles and decreasing capacitance over the course of its life and the reasonable period of use as an untethered device is perhaps two years if used daily, which is far below that of a typical console which can expect to be used, barring unforseen mechanical failure, for 8 - 10.
All of these things, to me, renders the Switch yet another non-starter for Nintendo, especially for a maker that is based in Japan and knows that the casual portable market is dominated (by as much as 200% over dedicated portable handhelds in Japan) by smartphone gaming. In fact, I would go so far to say that the creation of a tablet form-factor console with telegraphed planned obsolescence, along with its upcoming foray into mobile gaming with Super Mario Run, is being done entirely for the purpose of acquainting Nintendo's western user base with associating it with mobile-based experiences and hardware, with the ultimate goal of transitioning to third-party development for smart devices, as its home audience (and the one whose importance Nintendo has made clear ranks above its foreign supporters and the one that Nintendo wants most) has no interested in an integrated hardware/software experience in their gaming, but rather the convenience of having their gaming titles on a single device that they're already going to be carrying.
March 19, 2015 is the first post here. So that 1.5 year minimum to make any product rings true. So now we can understand why the S8 might be aborted since Samsung probably had its blueprints a year ago when Note5 was released.
Gamers really need to question the Switch's portability as a handheld. Sony knows it all too well with a handheld identity crisis as recently with the Vita. Console games are more immersive so more people need to be stationed to focus on it for hours. And the Switch probably won't be saving the tablet and all handhelds still need to compete against smartphones which is a device that goes with us everywhere.
I'm curious what's Sony's answer to it like if Sony follows it with a Vita successor? And how do Sony and Microsoft respond as they are hitting with mid-cycle upgrades while Nintendo could already jumpstart the 9th generation although with weaker specs but advantage with portability. Most generations can last 7-8 years like what happened with the Xbox 360 and PS3. Nintendo wants the 5-year cycles while Sony and Microsoft are emulating the PC industry or even how Apple does mid-cycles with the iPhone "s" years.
Any cool trailer can make any bad movie look good. Remember the first teaser trailer for Batman v Superman? The illusion starts to fade the more we question it like if the Switch would make a great handheld or is it just a weaker PS4 and Xbox One that you can carry around like tablet? And at the end, it is always about the games. Most of the best games from nearly every Nintendo console since the N64 has been first-party. Can people live with just that again for another five years and poorer third-party support?
The fact this might cost between $350-$400 (as much as a PS4 Pro and Xbox One S) and no compatibility with previous Nintendo consoles and possible limited storage unlike the PS4 and XBone are somethings to think about. Switch doesn't seem to offer any value as a multimedia player.
Gamers really need to question the Switch's portability as a handheld. Sony knows it all too well with a handheld identity crisis as recently with the Vita. Console games are more immersive so more people need to be stationed to focus on it for hours. And the Switch probably won't be saving the tablet and all handhelds still need to compete against smartphones which is a device that goes with us everywhere.
I'm curious what's Sony's answer to it like if Sony follows it with a Vita successor? And how do Sony and Microsoft respond as they are hitting with mid-cycle upgrades while Nintendo could already jumpstart the 9th generation although with weaker specs but advantage with portability. Most generations can last 7-8 years like what happened with the Xbox 360 and PS3. Nintendo wants the 5-year cycles while Sony and Microsoft are emulating the PC industry or even how Apple does mid-cycles with the iPhone "s" years.
Any cool trailer can make any bad movie look good. Remember the first teaser trailer for Batman v Superman? The illusion starts to fade the more we question it like if the Switch would make a great handheld or is it just a weaker PS4 and Xbox One that you can carry around like tablet? And at the end, it is always about the games. Most of the best games from nearly every Nintendo console since the N64 has been first-party. Can people live with just that again for another five years and poorer third-party support?
The fact this might cost between $350-$400 (as much as a PS4 Pro and Xbox One S) and no compatibility with previous Nintendo consoles and possible limited storage unlike the PS4 and XBone are somethings to think about. Switch doesn't seem to offer any value as a multimedia player.