• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Digital Foundry: Nintendo Switch CPU and GPU clock speeds revealed

Status
Not open for further replies.

platina

Member
I don't think (console)3rd party games are on the table anymore with those specs. It would be bad for multiplats actually, think dark souls 3 vs bloodborne level of visual downgrade x2 thanks to games having to run on switch hardware. I don't see 3rd party titles like mass effect or the next battlefield on this thing.
I don't even want 3rd party titles on this damn thing if all it's going to do is compromise the damn scale just because Nintendo fucked up again with the specs. Good luck Nintendo...these specs are pure trash compared to 2013 consoles....2013. Nintendo strikes again.
 
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.

Battery limitations, heat limitations, and size limitations, along with cost are the same. This is a reality check for where mobile technology is at.
 

Hiltz

Member
For the first time, I may seriously consider getting a PS4 this year due to the holiday deals, but perhaps I just won't open it until after the January 12th Switch media event. If I like what I see from it, then maybe I'll return the PS4 or just keep it, but I would prefer not owning both a Switch and a PS4 because gaming becomes an expensive hobby.
 

guybrushfreeman

Unconfirmed Member
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.

I certainly hope so
 
The Gamecube was last Nintendo competitive hardware. Since then, it's all about the gimmick.

Don't get me wrong: I think NINTENDO art-style doesn't need great numbers so I'm sure Switch will be more than enough to run NINTENDO updated magic

Not sure about third party stuff tho

Except the switch doesn't have a major gimmick.
 

ironcreed

Banned
All I know is I have no problem with games that look like this, which will look and run even better on Switch:

2PDjiB5.gif


rs_560x309-160617092459-Jun_17_2016_0912.gif


yayomg-breath-of-the-wild-running.gif


tumblr_o8rt8k99sd1qzp9weo5_1280.gif


So I'll be on board at some point, regardless of the spec numbers.
 

Dragner

Member
If true this just mean the Switch is a fantastic portable, succesor to the 3DS that can be pluged to a TV. And that Nintendo just abandones the home system competition.
 
Rather than a home console with a portable gimmick, the Switch is more a handheld which has the gimmick of it being dockable. In that sense the specs are alright. Nintendo has to be competitive and hopefully the pricepoint will be low enough for this performance to make sense. The prospect of handheld games with at least Wii U power is actually great.
 

Chindogg

Member
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.

That's not how it works. Phones hold different thread priorities and have significantly different loads.

People develop on phones using development tools, like Swift. Switch supports UE4, Unity, etc, just like PS4 and X1. Specs don't really matter as long as the hardware supports the development tools. That's what everyone keeps neglecting to understand, mostly because they see numbers (that they also don't understand) and just make dumb assumptions.

By your comparison, it's disappointing at how terrible the PS4 Pro is compared to a medium specced PC.
 
Hahaha they just don't want to learn.

It will be too late when they decide to remind themselves specs are important and that the Wii crowd isn't coming back.
 
That last part is not acceptance. That's called cognitive dissonance.

You don't fully know what I believe, so I doubt you could truthfully determine that. XD

I don't think that strong hardware is what makes good games, and so if the possibility for good games is still open, I'm cool with that.
There still haven't been enough games confirmed for me to want a Switch yet, but I wouldn't rule out it being a good console simply based on specs.
 

Skux

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

Yeah you can hear the wheels turning in his head to try and justify this based on unknowns like price and software availability.

Just wait till it comes out at $300 and everyone loses their minds lol
 

asagami_

Banned
For the first time, I may seriously consider getting a PS4 this year due to the holiday deals, but perhaps I just won't open it until after the January 12th Switch media event. If I like what I see from it, then maybe I'll return the PS4 or just keep it, but I would prefer not owning both a Switch and a PS4 because gaming becomes an expensive hobby.

I'm waiting
to buy a PS3
if Persona 5 launchs in Switch and if Nihon Falcom develops/licences the Trails/Ys games in Switch.
 
Seeing how the PS2 was the shittiest spec wise and now Sony are always leading cutting edge, who knows

PS2 was state of the art when it came out and rode that wave for almost its entire life cycle. The power of the console was a huge part of the wave of hype. It feels like people try and revise history to paint the PS2 as having to deal with this perception of being "underpowered" which never existed.
 
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

But there is no boost, if I understand this correctly.

The games are designed for 1080p TVs (docked), and then will display in 720p for the Switch screen when not docked. No other differences.
 
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).
Yeah but for a console? come on now. On switch dark souls 3 would be unrecognizable.. who gon play dark souls 3 that look like dark souls 2?
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.
Maybe, im scared to say scd
 

Dipper145

Member
Makes me doubt the amount of third party support this system will get. Although there will likely be more third party support from android / ios developers porting to the switch, assuming some sort of nintendo app store.

Still interested in the pricing and marketing this device is going to have. If the price is right, I'd get one just to play nintendo games.
 

ironcreed

Banned
Rather than a home console with a portable gimmick, the Switch is more a handheld which has the gimmick of it being dockable. In that sense the specs are alright. Nintendo has to be competitive and hopefully the pricepoint will be low enough for this performance to make sense. The prospect of handheld games with at least Wii U power is actually great.

I would not call being able to play it on my TV with more power a gimmick. I would call it the main feature. It's the only reason I plan to buy one.
 
Yeah, this is disappointing.

However -


- 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.

That sounds terrible, basically screwing anyone over who bought the system at launch and forcing them to spend more money. Bleh.
 
Perhaps it will be.

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

Wait to Janurary for this.

The marketing of the Switch isn't just some one-off that Nintendo trotted out for a prerelease video. It's right in its name that the Switch is intended to be a console/mobile hybrid. That's not something that gets easily changed. It's core to Nintendo's entire marketing strategy.
 

btrboyev

Member
You can't 100% compare to the X1 because it is custom designed. That could mean a ton of optimization.

It's also not running android, which is a system sucking hardware hog.
 
?

People dragging a highly powerful portable that slays all previous attempts? What is wrong with everyone? This blows the competition out of the water. Next gen is here!!!! Poor delusional stans who won't believe iT

tuWFEvx.gif
 
You shouldn't, because dedicated gaming handhelds are typically in the $100-$250 price range whereas in contrast, the iPhone 7 costs $650-$850.

This has become totally skewed by contracts and subsidies. People think a $700 phone costs $200 when actually with contracts they paid close to $900 for it over two years..

Expecting a $250 device to match that is foolish and unrealistic.
 
All I know is I have no problem with games that look like this, which will look and run even better on Switch:

2PDjiB5.gif


rs_560x309-160617092459-Jun_17_2016_0912.gif


yayomg-breath-of-the-wild-running.gif


tumblr_o8rt8k99sd1qzp9weo5_1280.gif


So I'll be on board at some point, regardless of the spec numbers.
Oh yeah. The switch will be wel used in my home.
But i did hope the Switch would
provide a bit of extra for Zelda. Better AA specifically (or AA instead of no AA).

But i'm sure i'll enjoy the games.
I just think Zelda (and the artists that work on it) deserves a really powerful console.
 

Vena

Member
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

At least as far as USB-C, it can't be completely off the shelf since thats not a supported format.
 

AdanVC

Member
And I was thinking "Wow what if we get FFXV on NS!" hahah. That game can barely run on the X1... :( Oh well. At least this will be a very powerful handheld and as long as the Switch version of BotW runs at locked 30fps I'm good. At least is a bit more powerful than Wii U, right?

So now with this specs, there's no way Nintendo will price it higher than $300. This system has $200 to $250 price tag written all over it. There could be a $299 but that could be probably a bundle with the Switch Pro controller or a game.
 
I recently got a PS4, and it is terrific, but it really made me appreciate how optimized software (especially 1st party, of course) is on Nintendo systems. Slowdown, complete freezing, glitches, etc. just seem a lot more common on PS4.
 

Aostia

El Capitan Todd
once again, my initial complain/worries about the reveal have been confirmed.
their "home console" positioning (the preview trailer, the supposd western third party support, and so on) is absolutely contradictory with what the actual console is.
it would have been way WAY better to declare it the 3DS successor, with all the main first party teams working on it, with the potential classic Japanese third party Nintendo handheld IPs (possibly) coming.
this way, it could have been a GREAT portable, with tv output.
Instead it will be seen as a disappointing home console, especially if the software output will (uselessy) try to gain western third party support
 

KingSnake

The Birthday Skeleton
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.

This would be a scenario in which these specs are reasonable. Very cheap and great battery life would explain all this.
 

Papacheeks

Banned
That's not how it works. Phones hold different thread priorities and have significantly different loads.

People develop on phones using development tools, like Swift. Switch supports UE4, Unity, etc, just like PS4 and X1. Specs don't really matter as long as the hardware supports the development tools. That's what everyone keeps neglecting to understand, mostly because they see numbers (that they also don't understand) and just make dumb assumptions.

By your comparison, it's disappointing at how terrible the PS4 Pro is compared to a medium specced PC.

It's not since the PS4 Pro is 399$.

And specs do matter when it comes to specific builds of game engines. Imagine the IQ downgrade they will have to do for dragon quest 11, or any other third party game. Imagine how Neir would run on switch. Which currently can't make it's 60 fps target consistently and runs at 900p on OG PS4.
 

Ooccoo

Member
Stop complaining about hardware from Nintendo. It's all about games.

If you want a technical powerhouse, buy a PC. Even PS4 Pro does not match it, yet people buy buy buy without complaining.

But when it comes to Nintendo, it seems the hive mind is just crazy.

IF there are not good exclusives, then we will have a problem. Until then, I don't mind paying less for what will be a cool hybrid IMO.
 
Makes me doubt the amount of third party support this system will get. Although there will likely be more third party support from android / ios developers porting to the switch, assuming some sort of nintendo app store.

Still interested in the pricing and marketing this device is going to have. If the price is right, I'd get one just to play nintendo games.

It depends on how successful it is. Publishers are looking for avenues to make money. People kept asking why so many publishers were so positive publicly about the Switch, and it's because they have a vested interest in there being another successful gaming platform on the market. That doesn't mean they are going to put their AAA PC/console franchises on it. People who were hoping for stuff like RDR2 were delusional, but if the Switch is successful there is still money to be made there. People just need to drop this Nintendo "return of the king" fantasy already in terms of them going toe to toe in the console space.
 
Makes me doubt the amount of third party support this system will get.
Expect the usual amount of "We are committed to developing for the new Nintendo console" press releases, followed up with none of these publisher's biggest games.

Man, Nintendo hasn't had proper 3rd party support since the SNES.

Sort of shocking they've made it this long without but also reinforces that they'll continue to do okay for themselves regardless.

At the end of the day, it's still the only place you'll be able to play a proper Zelda, Mario, etc. The only place where you can continue to hope for a new Metroid.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom