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[RootCause]

In other words, the games will look great and I will no longer miss all of the titles that used to go exclusively to a handheld and I will also be able to play them on my TV. Sounds pretty good.

It really does sound great. :3
I know a lot of people are against ports, but I would love to see the top wiiu games get ported. Really love portable gaming.

Now that we know the specs. Can the switch emulate the 3ds? Would be nice to get bc for the digital copies. Even if it means paying an upgrade fee, and waiting a year for Nintendo to develop an emulation solution.

 

[Astral Dog]

Nintendo is not trying to expand their fan base with platforms like this. I want to play Nintendo consoles again but their hardware is just too basic. I want something like PS4 powerful with a great online multiplayer. Appeal to your older audience.

Come on, Switch is good enough for beautiful games @60 fps, you should be more worried about the price than pure specs.

Regardless of everything, sed it more as a companion piece or a handheld, Nintendo will deliver on that.

 

[shadow2810]

Remember the supplemental computing device patent? Switch still has power of the cloud!

Spoiler

lol

 

[facetheslayer92]

Nintendo IP might not be as valuable as we may think after all. If that were the case, N64, Gamecube and Wii U would have sold through the roof. The masses who want Nintendo products want it for casual experiences such as Nintendogs, Pokemon, Wii Sports, Wii Fit, Mario Kart, etc.

Nintendo was smart to capitalize on this audience of casual gamers before mobile games were huge with the Wii and the DS and they were really killing it sales wise. I hate it to say it, but Nintendo fans have been shedding since the Playstation came out. They're stuck in between a rock and a hard place, again with the Switch, but I can't even blame them. They tried with the N64 and Gamecube and failed.

 

[Sami+]

Yeah, this is disappointing.

However -

- Switch will be over 50% more powerful than the Wii U when docked.
- Will be 30x more powerful than a 3DS, and 5x more powerful than a Vita when undocked.
- Price should be quite low, around $250, possibly even $199.
- Most importantly - this most likely will be the first system in a family of Switch devices. In a 1-2 years, I can easily see Nintendo releasing a "Switch Pro" with a 1080p screen, double the GPU power (using Pascal/Volta), ARM A72 cores with higher clocks, etc.

This sounds good, especially the last part. I really hope so.

 

[Alienous]

Called it.

Wrong logic i think.
Some kids play on tablet, sure, but what do they play, how do they play it and where do they play it ?
Are the kids playing on tablets the ones having a 3ds in their school bag to play pokemon or Monster Hunter?
And how does the Switch form factor will be received by this demographic.

I don't really see it having a huge impact on the reception. People are used to carrying and using larger devices. It isn't a pocket fit like the 3DS, but I don't think it'll take up enough room in a bag to be a problem.

 

[TheGreyHulk]

But NVIDIA Gflops aren't the same as AMD Gflops right?

Flops are flops and all calculations are theoretical maximums which you never achieve regardless of nvidia or amd being the manufacturer of the chip/design.

What you're talking about is nvidia architecture > comparable amd architecture, not "flops". Nvidia flops dont get a magical +15% boost over amd. They simply had more efficient architecture recently so they usually seen better performance vs amd with higher clocks and less power draw.

 

[EventHorizon]

I hope you like using controls without games.

It was the motion controls of the Wii that got all the hype. That's the thing that got grandparents and moms to buy the Wii for exercise. It's what allowed the Wii to compete against the more powerful 360 and PS3. This isn't idle speculation. It's Nintendo's stated blue ocean strategy.

The 3DS.

Switch isn't just a new home console. It needs to be $199 though.

The 3DS is a handheld. I asked "Where is the evidence that the world is currently full enough of Nintendo fans to support a console." The Switch is being marketed as a console first that can be taken with you. My criticism of the Switch all along has been that it's a mobile device and should be marketed that way.

 

[eaise]

Don't forget to mention a few posts after I also said then finally play games and be happy with it.

Oops missed that post...I'll be super happy buying and playing the Switch. BotW! And whatever else I end up getting for it

 

[Maxim726X]

It was the motion controls of the Wii that got all the hype. That's the thing that got grandparents and moms to buy the Wii for exercise. It's what allowed the Wii to compete against the more powerful 360 and PS3. This isn't idle speculation. It's Nintendo's stated blue ocean strategy.


The 3DS is a handheld. I asked "Where is the evidence that the world is currently full enough of Nintendo fans to support a console." The Switch is being marketed as a console first that can be taken with you. My criticism of the Switch all along has been that it's a mobile device and should be marketed that way.

Perhaps it will be.

It still really hasn't been 'marketed' yet- Just a YouTube reveal.

 

[KingSnake]

I guess Nintendo didn't learn from MS and Sony about Nvidia. Oversell, under-deliver.

I'm pretty sure this has nothing to do with Nvidia and everything to do with Nintendo considering the fact that the off-shelf chip that Switch is based on is much more powerful for both CPU and GPU than this.

Nvidia obviously worked with the requirements of Nintendo regarding power draw and heat limitations.

 

[DarkConfidant]

Went through the 5 stages of grief in the span of 1 minute over this.

1. WHAT DO YOU MEAN 40% POWER?!

2. Nah, it's just a rumor. Eurogamer is just getting clicks.

3. Maybe there's a premium dock that has an extra GPU coming later? Maybe Nintendo has gotten so good at optimizing hardware, they don't need no fucking specs.

4. Well, this thing is going to disappoint. Those frame rates will be low, resolutions lower than we expected, and it'll barely run 3rd party ports... I guess it's time to just get over my Switch hype.

5. Oh yeah, Nintendo is fantastic at making fantastic games on weak hardware. Their games are about mechanics and overall quality rather than grabbing attention with screenshots and trailers. The NES and Wii were both the top console, and they were underpowered by far compared to other computers of their time. The 3DS is still fantastic, and it's a weakling even by 2012 standards.

Spoiler

I really wish it didn't have vents, though.

 

[Maintenance]

So basically it's a Wii U.5 (1.5)

Uno, dos, tres, ciento cincuenta y siete.

 

[LegendofLex]

Nintendo IP might not be as valuable as we may think after all. If that were the case, N64, Gamecube and Wii U would have sold through the roof.

Nintendo IP grows when Nintendo doesn't squander its potential.

Super Mario World sold better than Super Mario Bros. 3. Both New Super Mario Bros. games sold better than Super Mario World.

Ocarina of Time sold better than LoZ NES, and Twilight Princess sold better than Ocarina of Time.

Metroid Prime sold better than the original Metroid.

The problem is that Nintendo is often apt to chase after gameplay gimmicks or to take the games in a new creative direction that doesn't always gel with the demand that had already been established for the games as they were.

 

[jroc74]

Nintendo hasn't made any serious effort to target the Sony/MS demographic since the N64 era, but hey, let's just keep pretending that hardware performance is the only thing keeping Switch from getting every AAA third-party game. *drinks heavily*

I will never understand why it's so damn hard for so many Nintendo fans to accept that they should just buy another platform for third-party support. It's not like this is a new development.

Some ppl just want that one box for everything. I get it. But ever since I could remember we have never been able to do that.

Ever. You had to get Sega console for some stuff, Nintendo console for other stuff. Cant remember for the Atari 2600 vs Colecovision console wars.

And with Sega and Nintendo, some sports games played better on Sega. Some arcade games too.

And even if the Switch did get current gen multi plat games they still wont get one box for everything. PC, Sony and MS exclusives.

I think most with a PS4, XBO wouldnt mind getting a Nintendo Switch if priced right. I had a theory that many that got a Wii also had either a PS3, 360 and in some cases all 3. Same for those with a Wii U. But for some reason some Nintendo fans dont wanna get a PS4 or XBO for multi plats. Even with/when their prices drop.

Nintendo fan getting a PS4, XBO gives them access to a huuuuuge library. Those with a PS4, XBO getting a Switch gives them access to a small Nintendo 1st party library.

I dont get it either.

 

[Galang]

This is completely fine with me. Had switch just been a console I'd have been extremely disappointed, but for what it is I'm alright with this. I just hope that it is priced accordingly. 199 would be force me to buy at launch regardless. 250 would depend on the lineup...

It's probably fine. I imagine you're gonna get a lot of the 3ds and Vita devs from Japan on this and with Nintendo's full effort behind it

Yeah. Nintendo has almost always had great third party support for their portables in japan. Not worried one bit

 

[VDenter]

Not really surprised just disappointed one thing is though Nintendo cannot overcharge for this like they did for the Wii U i guess if they dont than that is at the very least a silver lining.
For comparison I can find a base PS4 with 500GB of storage for 250 dollars.

If the Switch is going to be weaker and offer only 32GB to boot according to the rumors. Then i dont think its unreasonable to expect this thing to cost around 200.

Speaking of witch the Wii U was not the only thing Nintendo overcharged the 3DS is such a weak system in 2016 that it kind of annoys me that it still costs 200 dollars. Despite it costing 150 in 2013 there is no excuse for this especially since back then the 3DS came with a charger on top of it. I get that the New 3DS has a couple of extra bells and whistles and a slightly better specs but its honestly too much.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

Vita has slightly better battery life than the 3Ds and better than the rumoured Switch battery life(which is to be expected due to the lack of fan).

Vita has astronomically better battery life, FYI. Especially in sleep mode. I can predictably play 8 hours on my Vita and leave it in rest mode for weeks at a time. I can unpredictably play my N3DS for 3-4 hours and can't leave it in rest mode for more than 24 hours.

If the Switch is close to Vita's battery life, I will be extremely happy. The 3DS is embarrassing, it's barely even portable with how quickly it dies.

And I say this as somebody who routinely clocks 100+ hours in their 3DS games.

 

[asagami_]

It was the motion controls of the Wii that got all the hype. That's the thing that got grandparents and moms to buy the Wii for exercise. It's what allowed the Wii to compete against the more powerful 360 and PS3. This isn't idle speculation. It's Nintendo's stated blue ocean strategy.


The 3DS is a handheld. I asked "Where is the evidence that the world is currently full enough of Nintendo fans to support a console." The Switch is being marketed as a console first that can be taken with you. My criticism of the Switch all along has been that it's a mobile device and should be marketed that way.

Wait to Janurary for this.

 

[jmga]

If SmachZ specs are not a lie, it has 5 times more power than Switch in portable mode.

 

[Kssio_Aug]

It really does sound great. :3
I know a lot of people are against ports, but I would love to see the top wiiu games get ported. Really love portable gaming.

Now that we know the specs. Can the switch emulate the 3ds? Would be nice to get bc for the digital copies. Even if it means paying an upgrade fee, and waiting a year for Nintendo to develop an emulation solution.

I don't know how technically impossible that would be, but the saddest part is Switch not being retrocompatible with Wii U / 3DS. If they managed such a thing that would be an absolute blast!

Still, as long as Nintendo sees Switch as both home and portable console, soon it may be receiving all the good stuff, such as Pokemon and Monster Hunter as well as the 3D Mario and Zelda games.

 

[OrbitalBeard]

The 3DS is a handheld. I asked "Where is the evidence that the world is currently full enough of Nintendo fans to support a console." The Switch is being marketed as a console first that can be taken with you. My criticism of the Switch all along has been that it's a mobile device and should be marketed that way.

NoA can market it however they'd like (they really should market both of its play styles equally)....but if Switch is successful, it will be due to its home console and portable form factors.

 

[DragonSworne]

Went through the 5 stages of grief in the span of 1 minute over this.

1. WHAT DO YOU MEAN 40% POWER?!

2. Nah, it's just a rumor. Eurogamer is just getting clicks.

3. Maybe there's a premium dock that has an extra GPU coming later? Maybe Nintendo has gotten so good at optimizing hardware, they don't need no fucking specs.

4. Well, this thing is going to disappoint. Those frame rates will be low, resolutions lower than we expected, and it'll barely run 3rd party ports... I guess it's time to just get over my Switch hype.

5. Oh yeah, Nintendo is fantastic at making fantastic games on weak hardware. Their games are about mechanics and overall quality rather than grabbing attention with screenshots and trailers. The NES and Wii were both the top console, and they were underpowered by far compared to other computers of their time. The 3DS is still fantastic, and it's a weakling even by 2012 standards.

That last part is not acceptance. That's called cognitive dissonance.

 

[BriGuy]

I'd like to see an alternate world where the Gamecube moved 100+ million units just to see how that would alter Nintendo's trajectory in the console space.

 

[Serenitynow]

In case anyone is wonder natedrake said this in another thread

Laughing at "looking in to things." He said the same thing when VentureBeat discredited his Pascal claim and to my knowledge his look into things didn't amount to anything

 

[KojiKnight]

Sounds like a super crazy good successor to my 3ds, and that's all I needed it to be.

 

[MacTag]

I don't agree on solid 1st party output on Wii U. Few games, far apart, many poor ones included. Most of the good games were sequels to Wii titles rather than new or fresh ideas. The best games are 2nd party titles of which there were far too few. It has some good games for sure but spread over the lifetime of the system the gaps in software are massive. This is subjective of course, others would disagree and that's totally fine.

For me though Nintendo need to put out drastically more quality software this time. Honestly I felt like they left the Wii U to die extremely quickly. Zelda didn't even make it before they released their next system! No one could've predicted that in the pre-launch hype of the Wii U.

There were few poor 1st party games on Wii U, the system was unusually lauded for the quality of it's 1st party games versus other systems. Nintendo is retiring it about a year early but that's still better than what DC and Vita were given.

In any case leakers are pointing to a pretty heavy 1st party lineup for Switch it's first year. Reminds me if the GC to Wii transition, which was also incredibly loaded it's first 18 months.

 

[Exile20]

The rational reason being it is not a standard Tegra X1.

Which is great if it was a better X1 but it is a worst x1. This is kinda bad.

 

[7DollarHagane]

Sounds great for what should be primarily considered a handheld console.

If this was just being released as a handheld it would be awesome. The boost when docked and TV use is a nice bonus.

Unfortunately people need to shift their expectations and realize this is a 3ds follow up with TV play added.

There is no home console follow up for Nintendo now.

 

[Hilarion]

Nintendo IP might not be as valuable as we may think after all. If that were the case, N64, Gamecube and Wii U would have sold through the roof. The masses who want Nintendo products want it for casual experiences such as Nintendogs, Pokemon, Wii Sports, Wii Fit, Mario Kart, etc.

Nintendo was smart to capitalize on this audience of casual gamers before mobile games were huge with the Wii and the DS and they were really killing it sales wise. I hate it to say it, but Nintendo fans have been shedding since the Playstation came out. They're stuck in between a rock and a hard place, again with the Switch, but I can't even blame them. They tried with the N64 and Gamecube and failed.

Those things you mentioned are Nintendo franchises too. Brain Age and Nintendogs are some of Nintendo's best IPs and I've enjoyed games from both series more than many Mario or Zelda or whatever offerings. I am so hoping for another Nintendogs on the Switch...you'll be able to take your Nintendog on a walk.

 

[azertydu91]

Oops missed that post...I'll be super happy buying and playing the Switch. BotW! And whatever else I end up getting for it

Yeah my post wasn't that cynical, but it stioll quite funny how some tries to stretch every piece of rumor or intel to fiot their beliefs.It reminds me a lot of the Xbox not being that inferior to the ps4 here.

And wait no one mentionned any secret sauce here (although soime can argue that Nvidia is the secret sauce here).

But all in all it will be less powerful than an OG xbox one even if some here thinks it will be a portable Ps4

 

[demigod]

You think this is Nintendo's first time dealing with Nvidia?

What other nintendo hardware had nvidia chip in it?

 

[Omega Kirby]

I'd like to see an alternate world where the Gamecube moved 100+ million units just to see how that would alter Nintendo's trajectory in the console space.

Seeing how the PS2 was the shittiest spec wise and now Sony are always leading cutting edge, who knows

 

[Mihael Mello Keehl]

So it was running dark souls 3? Somebody lying here.

Especially if its skyrim remaster.. no way its running that version. Somebody lying 😐

 

[wonderful103]

What other nintendo hardware had nvidia chip in it?

The 3DS. At first.

So it was running dark souls 3? Somebody lying here.

Especially if its skyrim remaster.. no way its running that version. Somebody lying ��

Nah. Lower resolutions and effects are a thing. Engines are scalable. People play on "low" on lots of PCs. Visit the Windows 10 GPD thread and you'll see what lower power devices are capable of (Fallout 4, Overwatch, lots of stuff).

 

[Leatherface]

Can someone please explain how this will be a developers dream for ports? Sounds more like a huge pain in the ass to me.

 

[facetheslayer92]

Nintendo IP grows when Nintendo doesn't squander its potential.

Super Mario World sold better than Super Mario Bros. 3. Both New Super Mario Bros. games sold better than Super Mario World.

Ocarina of Time sold better than LoZ NES, and Twilight Princess sold better than Ocarina of Time.

Metroid Prime sold better than the original Metroid.

The problem is that Nintendo is often apt to chase after gameplay gimmicks or to take the games in a new creative direction that doesn't always gel with the demand that had already been established for the games as they were.

Would you consider the DS and Wii as gimmicks? How would you explain the clear anomaly in sales for these consoles compared to the Wii U and 3DS? They were on a downward trend after Gameboy/NES with the exception of these two pieces of hardware. I'm just trying to understand the winning formula, because clearly gimmicks are not always a bad thing for casual gamers.

 

[Skux]

Phones are not consoles or handhelds. Phones are not consoles or handhelds. Phones are not consoles or handhelds. Phones are not consoles or handhelds. Phones are not consoles or handhelds. Phones are not consoles or handhelds. Phones are not consoles or handhelds. Phones are not consoles or handhelds. Phones are not consoles or handhelds. Phones are not consoles or handhelds. Phones are not consoles or handhelds. Phones are not consoles or handhelds. Phones are not consoles or handhelds. Phones are not consoles or handhelds.

You would think that a dedicated gaming handheld would have better specs than a multipurpose smartphone though.

Even so, phones are still platforms that people develop for.

Third parties are not going to port to the Switch with these specs. Just like the Wii U.

Mobile developers are not going to change to the Switch when they already have iOS and Android which are ubiquitous.

 

[Vena]

What other nintendo hardware had nvidia chip in it?

3DS was originally a Tegra.

Also one of the main guys at Nintendo's R&D is from nVidia, lol.

 

[RowdyReverb]

It doesn't seem so bad if you think of it as a portable that gets a boost when docked.
If you look at it primarily as a home console with a portable component, then it looks pretty paltry

 

[ZOONAMI]

Theoretically I guess this could be a very custom tegra chip with 4 SM or something but that seems unlikely.

It's probably pretty much just an off the shelf X1 that's downclocked, which is par for the course for Nintendo at this point, using old graphics arch and keeping clocks low for power consumption

 

[KingSnake]

Maybe because I kept my expectations in check, but how is this surprising?

Tegra X1 off the shelf chip that is the base for the custom chip that powers Switch has a CPU that runs at twice the clock and a GPU that run between 1.33 and 3.33 times the clock of Switch (undocked - docked). Of course it's surprising to see such a downgrade in performance.

were people expecting ps4 graphics with a portable device?

No, except some insane people most of the people speculating expected something between Tegra X1 and Tegra Parker performance (512 - 700 GLOFPS).

Clear?

 

[oti]

Maybe their plan is to make it as cheap as possible while still being slick to sell it to kids and also make it a must-have for every gamer for Nintendo's own games with some rare 3rd party games sprinkled in.

 

[AntMurda]

It doesn't seem so bad if you think of it as a portable that gets a boost when docked.
If you look at it primarily as a home console with a portable component, then it looks pretty paltry

As a home console it's basically Wii U 1080P or Wii U +

 

[demigod]

The 3DS. At first.



Nah. Lower resolutions and effects are a thing. Engines are scalable. People play on "low" on lots of PCs. Visit the Windows 10 GPD thread and you'll see what lower power devices are capable of (Fallout 4, Overwatch, lots of stuff).

3DS was originally a Tegra.

Also one of the main guys at Nintendo's R&D is from nVidia, lol.

Oh didn't know that, I thought it was something else.

 

[LordKano]

So it was running dark souls 3? Somebody lying here.

Especially if its skyrim remaster.. no way its running that version. Somebody lying 😐

Or we're just missing something. That's honestly how I feel. We have reports on both hands that go against each other, but I doubt anyone is wrong. Eurogamer is very reliable, and so are LKD/Emily Rogers/Matt. So...we're all missing something that would explain everything.

 

[LordRaptor]

Ironic seeing how the PS2 was the shittiest spec wise and now Sony are always leading cutting edge

Sony are always "leading cutting edge" in the sense that Sony are always trying to cross-subsidise other areas of their business via vertical integration.

It just so happens they would like to sell 4K TVs over the next few years, so they're doubling down on graphics to do so.
If they were trying to sell a BluRay replacement they'd be doubling down on storage capacity, or if they were trying to sell an alternative TV technology like 3DTV or 120Hz screens they'd be doubling down on framerates.

 

[Hindl]

I just don't want the rumors about the battery life to be true... 2-3 hours is unacceptable, particularly with something this underpowered.

The good news from this is this should make the 5-8 hour rumor more plausible.

Still, is this a repeat of the Wii U where Nintendo did a last minute downclocking?

 

[Soroc]

Well if this information is true then this system in technically less powerful then both teh Shield TV and the Shield Tablet? Have to look at both since Switch is basically a hybrid idea of the 2 technologies. And if that is the case and these Nvidia devices are $200 bucks then I'm not falling for the Nintendo branded markup price again. They burned me bad with the 3DS at launch. I might be waiting a long time to pick one up or not pick one up at all. I had expectations tempered but Nintendo seems to have perfected the art of disappointment.

This is why you don't release a tease/hype video 2.5 months before release when people get to go crazy with expectations and then are crushed on a rumor and your news cycle is stuck in fixing negative perception before you even reveal the thing.

 

[Retromelon]

You better have a real console coming next year Nintendo!! smfh