The problem is that Nintendo is trying to cater to the mobile crowd and the console crowd at the same time and may fail to get both.
-
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
- Thread starter Vashetti
- Start date
- Status
The problem is that Nintendo is trying to cater to the mobile crowd and the console crowd at the same time and may fail to get both.
outunderthestars
Banned
For me it is a secondary system to get dusted off when a new first party comes out, or when I need to travel.
I'd take Wii U plus 3DS level of first party output and be totally happy.
You can solve the battery life problem with smaller nodes, new versions and bigger batteries.
You cannot solve the problem of a bad bad baseline spec until next generation of console.
It better not cost one penny more.
Link_enfant
Member
Nintendo sure knows how to be disappointing, even for people who already have low expectations.
Well, we'll see, but as they clearly present it as the new home console, that doesn't sound good.
Well, we'll see, but as they clearly present it as the new home console, that doesn't sound good.
If true, this does appear to be the now classic Nintendo gotcha at last. Those speeds are pretty somber reading.
Again, assuming this is true, third party support will be non existent after the first year. Ninty needed to play in the same ball park as PS4\Xbone to get the third parties on board. With this, it'll be another Wii U situation with no western support.
Again, assuming this is true, third party support will be non existent after the first year. Ninty needed to play in the same ball park as PS4\Xbone to get the third parties on board. With this, it'll be another Wii U situation with no western support.
Diprosalic
Banned
it will.
This is shitty, but probably the shittier thing is it's even below my already low expectations. I figured we'd be lucky if the GPU clock speed was 800 Mhz, and looks like I was right. I knew from the moment that this stupid thing was supposed to work additionally as a handheld it was going to be gimped to hell. That is, unless y'all were thinking Nintenddo was planning on selling it for $900.
There were a lot of people that shredded me for thinking Nintendo would go with a mere marginal increase once again, insisting that the Wii situation was a once in a lifetime rarity. Why on Earth would one think that Nintendo would never attempt such a thing a second time when it was so successful the first round is beyond me.
Also, you wanna be really depressed? The jump between the WIi-U and Switch GPUs is actually even smaller than the jump from the GC to Wii GPUs (40% to 50%).
There were a lot of people that shredded me for thinking Nintendo would go with a mere marginal increase once again, insisting that the Wii situation was a once in a lifetime rarity. Why on Earth would one think that Nintendo would never attempt such a thing a second time when it was so successful the first round is beyond me.
Also, you wanna be really depressed? The jump between the WIi-U and Switch GPUs is actually even smaller than the jump from the GC to Wii GPUs (40% to 50%).
You know it will.
Really? Sweet. Makes me wonder what they might do for the Switch port. It would be cool if they actually dropped the resolution to match the screen and bumped effects (with it going back to 1080p in docked mode, of course).
DOT DASH DOT
Member
They can't really, but damn it's just crazy the low bar that Nintendo seem to go for every time, very very disappointing, but in the same breath it's very much expected.
lul
HIGH DEF JEFF
Banned
Next Gen starts with the Switch!
Or so I was told.
Or so I was told.
kraspkibble
Permabanned.
i don't plan on moving to 4K for another couple years. if nintendo were to try make a true 4K console it would be expensive. microsoft aren't releasing their 4K console until next year. the only "4K" console we have is the PS4 Pro and that can't even manage 4K in all games.
nintendo i think are right to aim for 720p/1080p.
I recall people saying that about HDTV's when Wii came out, and 1080p ones when Wii U came out. All the games ended up looking like shit on my TV. Great.
Nydius
Member
Simple solution: Nintendo should stop with the gimmicks. If NX had been a proper, dedicated home console they wouldn't be going through this. But instead, Nintendo feels compelled to try to merge home console and mobile gaming into the same device. End result is a handheld that will run Wii U level games on the go but the home console side will be hamstrung by the need for games to be designed around "hybrid" use.
Assuming these specs end up being accurate, I'm still interested but I'm a lot less interested than I was. But I was never intending on having it undocked in the first place. The fact that it won't even use the full power of the GPU when docked though... that's some stupidity.
outunderthestars
Banned
You mean the torrent of fanboy dreams combined with clickbait garbage tier website bullshit? Yep. I remember it.
CassidyIzABeast
Member
So will people finally realize this is the life Nintendo chose or will we do this same song and dance again in 2021?
*sigh* I'll allow it...
This is dissapointing, but I retain my promise to buy this with the Zelda game (whenever they are both on the market, launch day or otherwise) if the first party lineup is solid. Geuss we will find out soon. As bad as it sounds though, is it not true that Nintendo wouldn't exactly make use of super realistic Uncharted 4 like graphics anyways? They have more or less reached a peak, at least on a technical level for their art style. The only problem that could potentially arise is performance, I will not tolerate sub-30 FPS games.
Nintendo has abandoned console gaming.
SinCityAssassin
Member
We still need a "why?" for that situation cause I'm drawing a blank.
JetSetRadio
Banned
Now you're playing with power.
Oooooh
$350 it is, then.
Not my point, it was overpriced for what it was inside: an overclocked Gamecube.
You can bet in 6 years there will be people that will say "this time Nintendo will not screw this up"
Baleoce
Member
Pretty much. Although I will admit that underclock for portable seems a bit excessive. Get the pricing right and it can still be a success for sure.
You have to be. The expectations that some people had were absurd. At the end of the day it's still a mobile chip and we'll be lucky to even see it match the Wii u in performance.
Rushersauce
Banned
For Nintendo to change, it is required need blood.
SensibleSucker
Member
I've just got a feeling this will totally fall between stools as a machine.
Too expensive and not enough battery life for a handheld.
Not powerful enough to run as a viable console that can run 3rd party games.
If this did get a price of $199, then those thinking of it as a portable would likely buy it to complement their other console purchase. Anything more and it's going to struggle to gain a foothold for what will only ever be a secondary console since it won't have the grunt to run 3rd party games properly.
It'll find a niche. Those who love Nintie first party who cannot get their fix elsewhere. But as Wii U proved, that's not enough.
An interesting piece of kit that could accelerate Nintendo moving out of hardware and into software for others.
Too expensive and not enough battery life for a handheld.
Not powerful enough to run as a viable console that can run 3rd party games.
If this did get a price of $199, then those thinking of it as a portable would likely buy it to complement their other console purchase. Anything more and it's going to struggle to gain a foothold for what will only ever be a secondary console since it won't have the grunt to run 3rd party games properly.
It'll find a niche. Those who love Nintie first party who cannot get their fix elsewhere. But as Wii U proved, that's not enough.
An interesting piece of kit that could accelerate Nintendo moving out of hardware and into software for others.
That's your fault for having modern TVs /s
Diprosalic
Banned
the price just got $10 higher.
To be fair, this is mostly a problem on Wii U if you buy anything other than Nintendo games on it. Most of those look quite nice, and some (like Kirby Rainbow Curse) are actually beautiful.
OrbitalBeard
Member
The market does not price things this way. The Wii was actually underpriced at $250 until around 2009.
Caipirinha
Member
Let's face it, marketing aside this is for all intents and purposes a handheld with a video out mode.
Not a lot of Nintendo fans were ready for Nintendo to leave the home console business, can't really blame them for being upset as that reality kicks in.
LordOfChaos
Member
Nvidia: The Switch is on the same architecture as our highest end GPUs
Logical human: Oh, that's Pascal
Aaand it's Maxwell 2. Still a fine and competent architecture, but the perf/watt of Pascal could push things higher, or longer, or a bit of both. Ah well.
Logical human: Oh, that's Pascal
Aaand it's Maxwell 2. Still a fine and competent architecture, but the perf/watt of Pascal could push things higher, or longer, or a bit of both. Ah well.
We're unlikely to get current-gen ports, but I really do hope we get the best of the last-gen slate. As disappointing as the specs sound, they would stop mattering quick in the face of portable Dark Souls.
For me it is a secondary system to get dusted off when a new first party comes out, or when I need to travel.
I'd take Wii U plus 3DS level of first party output and be totally happy.
I hope you're a part of a minority, because I wanted Switch to be main system. I hate PS4 to guts and I can't wait to replace with something better. And if that's not happening I'm planning to get a religion and pray my ass of for Nintendo to bring a brand new handheld in 2018 as a 3DS successor. With this specs, Switch is DOA.
It's more a question of 'how can they run on this if the specs are that?'
- Status