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[Prithee Be Careful]

I have to agree with the guys - as a portable this thing makes plenty of sense, even if a little over-sized and a bit power hungry. The real market challenge here, seems to be letting go of the 3DS and taking that gamble.

As a home console, it's basically the WiiU with sleeker design and a slight upgrade, only now the game pad can go anywhere with you, and so can all the games. Unless they're willing to make more a song and dance about what an impressive handheld this is, I really cannot see it taking off.

 

[mrklaw]

I don't think there's actual demand for a hybrid.
Once the novelty wears off, people wil slowlyl realize just how many compromises have been made to make the hybrid form-factor a reality. From both handheld and console perspective.

The demand is more Nintendo games, and to support that Nintendo needs to move to this setup

 

[7threst]

I don't think there's actual demand for a hybrid.
Once the novelty wears off, people wil slowlyl realize just how many compromises have been made to make the hybrid form-factor a reality. From both handheld and console perspective.

I think this is true for a lot of people yes, however, the hybrid approach seem to exactly give me what I wanted for years.

But you're right, I'm probably in an enourmous minority. When PS4 and Xbox One bring out the guns, people probably going to compare with Switch offerings. And of course, Nintendo can never cater to the crowds craving the next gen high fidelity the Xbox One and PS4 offer.

See most of the reports praise the handheld experience, but I'm buying this primarily for the home console experience. I've always held the opinion that this is a home console compromised by it's portability, that appears to be the case.

This is an interesting stance. So I'm curious: are you, having the stance ackowledging a compromise before the reports that are coming out know, disappointed or is the system exactly what you expected?

 

[Nerazar]

900p on BOTW was already disappointing but Mario and Splatoon running at 720p in docked mode is not acceptable. I'm not going to pay 320€ for that old hardware.

The hardware is less "old" than the PS4 or XBO on their release dates. Or at least matching the "age" of the components.

It's just that we all have to realize that you cannot squeeze 4TF or whatever into a tablet without it blowing up and / or draining the battery after 10 minutes. As a product, Switch is well-balanced and it includes high-end hardware, not low-or-mid-end like with Wii, WiiU or 3DS.

It's probably the most modern Nintendo console in ages.

 

[Peterc]

900p on BOTW was already disappointing but Mario and Splatoon running at 720p in docked mode is not acceptable. I'm not going to pay 320€ for that old hardware.

Could you show me a mobile device that isn't expensive and run next gen games in 1080p.
So we can confirm switch is using old hardware.

Because i tried hard to find something, but i can't find any device. Just to show your statement isn't fake.

 

[Schnozberry]

The dock is expensive sold on it's own but I bet there is a large profit margin on that thing.

Cables and plastic accessories are where all the margin are. When I used to work at a computer store, they used to charge $20 or $30 for USB peripheral cables for printers and whatever. The cost for those items in our system was generally less than $3. The margins on consoles are significantly less, because recouping R&D is included in the initial price. After they pay themselves back, you get price breaks. Or, in the case of the 3DS, they just end up taking a loss after sales tank initially.

 

[Maintenance]

Why are Nintendo pretending this is a home console? It's a luxury handheld that can display on your TV. What a marketing blunder.

Older gamers / casuals / hardcore console players have an innate aversion to handhelds, just look at any GAF thread about them. Nintendo is trying to market as a home console to avoid that.

(They do sell well though).

 

[Schnozberry]

900p on BOTW was already disappointing but Mario and Splatoon running at 720p in docked mode is not acceptable. I'm not going to pay 320€ for that old hardware.

Breath of the Wild is gorgeous, and Splatoon and Mario are months away. I think the panic over this stuff is overwrought.

 

[Doc Holliday]

I don't get why they would double down on the concept that gave them one of their biggest failures. Wii coming from the GameCube made sense even though I hated that thing.

They are risking everything with this one, the portable and the home console business.

 

[PuppetMaster]

I am no Switch defender but it is funny to me how anything less than 1080p "lookes awful" now.

It feels like just a few years ago journalists were using words like gorgeous to describe 480p

 

[protomouse]

Also, I do think it's a bit premature to write

I think it's for the best if Switch gets a better 3DS version instead of the Ps4 version.

It wouldn't make a lick of sense to do this, as the Switch has full support for UE4 and modern rendering APIs. The 3DS version is based on an entirely different engine.

i would agree with you if the switchs line up would not be 95% console games and 3ds would be supported at least 1 full year. And i dont mean reggies dumb talk but stuff like a new SMT comming to 3ds with no switch version this year while we got a Early concept of a SMT game for wiiu where we even dont know if its exclusive, i would bet its not

this looks more of a wiiu replacement then a handheld by far

They are absolutely positioning it as a Wii U replacement right now, because the Wii U is dead. The 3DS is not long for this world either, but still has software to sell.

It's just semantics anyway. They aren't going to continue the DS line after 2017 is through. My guess is that they're already working with Nvidia on shrinking down the Switch, and will release a "Switch Mini" for sometime 2018 (probably holiday). At that point, the 3DS will be well and truly dead. Purely guesswork of course, but such a strategy makes sense to me.

 

[trixx]

It's crazy cause I'm sure there would be quite a number of people that are exact opposite of me and have no interest in using it as a console but entirely as a handheld. I wonder if it would be possible to sell it without the dock and the controller grip for $70 cheaper. Maybe that would be an option to get people on board. Maybe include a game with that one. Perhaps people may consider getting a second one provided that they have modern online services, like game and online sharing.

For me I want it as a console, but this thing is going to piss me off because my brothers are going to move it around a lot, like the gamepad. But I could still play wii u without the gamepad...

$230 US for a standalone doesn't sound bad to me, ideally would be 199 but that likely won't happen. The price of games are also pretty off-putting imo. Sell cheaper than ps4/xbone but i guess that's why it's defined as a "console"

 

[Ryuuga]

This is an interesting stance. So I'm curious: are you, having the stance ackowledging a compromise before the reports that are coming out know, disappointed or is the system exactly what you expected?

Great question actually. No, I'm not disappointed because it feels like the system itself feels like a marriage of the concepts brought on by it's predecessors. I didn't buy into Wii U but this feels like it's getting a second chance. I guess my expectations were slightly inflated because I wanted to see an evolution of both the home console and handheld aspects.

 

[Mideon]

When did our world become so shallow. 720p this 1080p that. What happened to a good game is a good game no matter what the hardware. What happened to playing those magical games that just make you smile even if it is in 720p. What has happened to us guys!?

 

[Schnozberry]

I am no Switch defender but it is funny to me how anything less than 1080p "lookes awful" now.

It feels like just a few years ago journalists were using words like gorgeous to describe 480p

The majority of the gaming market isn't pixel counting for sub-1080p games and letting issues with minor frame rate slowdown bother them. If they did, the games with those problems would grow cobwebs on shelves, and they don't. Consoles would sell poorly because of their reputation for not hitting 1080p/60, and they don't.

Digital Foundry exists to cater to the audience that does focus on the minutiae of those things, and so they harp on the technical obsessions their viewers care about.

 

[Tobor]

When did our world become so shallow. 720p this 1080p that. What happened to a good game is a good game no matter what the hardware. What happened to playing those magical games that just make you smile even if it is in 720p. What has happened to us guys!?

As a 40 year old gamer, nothing has changed. Gamers have been arguing about hardware and tech since the dawn of video games. Take off the nostalgia goggles and join us.

 

[Rncewind]

They are absolutely positioning it as a Wii U replacement right now, because the Wii U is dead. The 3DS is not long for this world either, but still has software to sell.

It's just semantics anyway. They aren't going to continue the DS line after 2017 is through. My guess is that they're already working with Nvidia on shrinking down the Switch, and will release a "Switch Mini" for sometime 2018 (probably holiday). At that point, the 3DS will be well and truly dead. Purely guesswork of course, but such a strategy makes sense to me.

yeah but thats currently the problem isnt it? People, or at least i, see it as a wiiu replacment, with a pretty much wiiu line up. I was excited for switch because i thought i would be get the best of "two worlds", i love my 3ds much more then wii u. but atm., or at least this year, it only seems like a wiiu contiuation.



Ofc i know nintendo cant kill the 3ds off because of the reasons you said, but it still leaves nintendo in a pretty shitty spot if you ask me


I hope it works out next year at least, with annoucments at e3 for it

 

[nampad]

I hope we see the same people crying about subnative games in undocked mode than we used to if what they speculate/worry about turns out true.

 

[PdotMichael]

When did our world become so shallow. 720p this 1080p that. What happened to a good game is a good game no matter what the hardware. What happened to playing those magical games that just make you smile even if it is in 720p. What has happened to us guys!?

>300 pricetag happened

 

[btrboyev]

I pre-ordered and in still unsure why. It maybe is the fact I just buy all systems, or it's just my blind love for Nintendo games.

But I cannot for the life of me understand why Nintendo doubled down on their biggest console failure of all time. The machine is literally a slightly enhanced Wii U. 3rd parties are never going to support it.

 

[Wishmaster92]

What is the point in releasing a console in 2017 when it can't even hit 1080p for most games? The fact that 1080p is becoming obsolete and the newer consoles go for 1800-4K with hdr is extremely concerning for Nintendo.

 

[MisterXDTV]

I still don't know why this thing doesn't run Android by default. That would have been nice for software...

Maybe Nvidia wouldn't like this because of Shield TV

 

[btrboyev]

I still don't know why this thing doesn't run Android by default. That would have been nice for software...

Maybe Nvidia wouldn't like this because of Shield TV

Because it would be pirated to hell and back if it were?

 

[Nerazar]

What is the point in releasing a console in 2017 when it can't even hit 1080p for most games? The fact that 1080p is becoming obsolete and the newer consoles go for 1800-4K with hdr is extremely concerning for Nintendo.

Super Mario Galaxy was one of the best games in the Wii/360/PS3 era and it didn't even hit HD. Resolution doesn't sell hardware. And I suppose that people with $6000 flatscreen TVs who want the most expensive and powerful hardware are not directly the target audience of the Switch. Not that those people would buy underpowered consoles like the PS4 or XBO anyway...

 

[MisterXDTV]

Because it would be pirated to hell and back if it were?

Well I'm sure it will get hacked anyway, don't you think?

I don't mean for the games, but for apps.

Just make a custom stripped down Android build has just access to the Google Play Store

 

[Rncewind]

Super Mario Galaxy was one of the best games in the Wii/360/PS3 era and it didn't even hit HD. Resolution doesn't sell hardware. And I suppose that people with $6000 flatscreen TVs who want the most expensive and powerful hardware are not directly the target audience of the Switch. Not that those people would buy underpowered consoles like the PS4 or XBO anyway...

we went from 1080p for 360 looking game in 2017 to 6000 $ Flatscreens and underpwored ps4s and xbox


hyperbole seems not even fit here lol

 

[King_Moc]

When did our world become so shallow. 720p this 1080p that. What happened to a good game is a good game no matter what the hardware. What happened to playing those magical games that just make you smile even if it is in 720p. What has happened to us guys!?

You're right, we should go back to 360x240.

 

[_illmatic_]

What is the point in releasing a console in 2017 when it can't even hit 1080p for most games? The fact that 1080p is becoming obsolete and the newer consoles go for 1800-4K with hdr is extremely concerning for Nintendo.

I'm guessing perspective. Again for what Nintendo is trying to do with the Switch as a mobile platform the tech doesn't seem to be there for that price point. Maybe if they crapped out on the screen and didn't implement HD rumble they might have been able to obtain it?

Also Mario and Splatoon 2 were early, maybe closer to launch we'll see if its native 1080?

 

[PdotMichael]

The joke is that Nintendo could have make an extremly powerful homeconsole with a $300 pricetag, instead making neither console nor handheld gamer really happy.

 

[Sakura]

Eh... I'd be interested in a 1080p Splatoon, but 720p with no AA...? This is a new console yet it doesn't look any better than the original? No Miiverse either? Don't see the point.

 

[omgwtfbentime]

Why are we judging the absolute technical limits of this hardware based on launch software? Don't get me wrong, it's clear Switch isn't a technical juggernaut compared to the home consoles, but it's also brand new and obvious a lot of its Nintendo software started as Wii U titles and were then transitioned to switch.

Bomberman running a 720p/30 is not the fault of the Switch, it's konami being incompetent lol. This is a very powerful ARM based architecture for a system, bomberman ran at 60 FPS on Wii.

 

[//DEVIL//]

When did our world become so shallow. 720p this 1080p that. What happened to a good game is a good game no matter what the hardware. What happened to playing those magical games that just make you smile even if it is in 720p. What has happened to us guys!?

There is a limit where I can play games on. the worst case scenario for me is PS Vita any lower than that and I cant play. like I honestly cant play no matter how good the game is. because my eyes starts to see big pixels and the image is no longer clear for me to enjoy the game.
720p is fine for me. I do not buy Nintendo games because of their graphics. and I am not expecting a huge 3rd party games for Switch either. I am buying it for Nintendo games only. just like how I do with Sony.

also, wasn't confirmed Mario kart is 1080p 60 fps on switch ? when did it get downgrade to 720p ? or am I reading it wrong ?

 

[Jaagen]

There is a limit where I can play games on. the worst case scenario for me is PS Vita any lower than that and I cant play. like I honestly cant play no matter how good the game is. because my eyes starts to see big pixels and the image is no longer clear for me to enjoy the game.
720p is fine for me. I do not buy Nintendo games because of their graphics. and I am not expecting a huge 3rd party games for Switch either. I am buying it for Nintendo games only. just like how I do with Sony.

also, wasn't confirmed Mario kart is 1080p 60 fps on switch ? when did it get downgrade to 720p ? or am I reading it wrong ?

Mario Kart is 1080p/60. Splatoon on the other hand, seems to run at 720p/60 in either mode. I hope it's just a symptom of an early build.

 

[jon bones]

Well I'm sure it will get hacked anyway, don't you think?

I don't mean for the games, but for apps.

Just make a custom stripped down Android build has just access to the Google Play Store

ew gross

The joke is that Nintendo could have make an extremly powerful homeconsole with a $300 pricetag, instead making neither console nor handheld gamer really happy.

why wouldnt a handheld gamer be happy? this is shaping up to be ultimate handheld imo

 

[MisterXDTV]

ew gross

Gross compared to what? the laughable Nintendo OS???

 

[The Abominable Snowman]

Well I'm sure it will get hacked anyway, don't you think?

I don't mean for the games, but for apps.

Just make a custom stripped down Android build has just access to the Google Play Store

The newer Android design language isn't meant for lower resolutions like 720p or 800x600. Many of those apps would look only slightly better than they do on my old Android tablet: Crowded and gross, sometimes unusable. That problem will only get worse as QHD and UHD screens begin to take more of the market.

 

[Drackhorn]

The joke is that Nintendo could have make an extremly powerful homeconsole with a $300 pricetag, instead making neither console nor handheld gamer really happy.

Wouldn't surprise me if that would be the ultimate conclusion. Too big for a handheld and too weak as a home console. In the end it's Nintendo task to prove doubters wrong.

 

[plagiarize]

It's nice to see some impressions of this that aren't blindly positive or blindly negative. There are obvious pros and cons here, which sure, we were hoping they were going to knock it out of the park and that didn't happen, but most of the coverage I've seen has gone one way or the other.

 

[plagiarize]

Mario Kart is 1080p/60. Splatoon on the other hand, seems to run at 720p/60 in either mode. I hope it's just a symptom of an early build.

I'm wondering if they're targeting handheld mode *first* then seeing how much further they can push things in docked mode. I mean, in many regards that would make a lot of sense. It seems like it would be easier to add things while maintaining performance, than scale things down while maintaining performance.

 

[Lovely Salsa]

I feel like they couldve waited til holiday to release this thing, with X2 in it. That way it would've been more future proof and launch with plenty of games.

 

[jon bones]

Gross compared to what? the laughable Nintendo OS???

who wants a google play store full of f2p gatcha nonsense?

i play a bunch of games on my phone, but diluting Nintendos eshop would be a terrible idea

 

[Astral Dog]

Jesus Christ 😢

 

[metalslimer]

Mario still has like 9 months before it goes gold. Splatoon is the more worrying situation. Also for people talking about how some PS4/Xbone games are not 1080p, the games also look far better technically than anything made on Swit h

 

[Tyaren]

The joke is that Nintendo could have make an extremly powerful homeconsole with a $300 pricetag, instead making neither console nor handheld gamer really happy.

Then Nintendo would have to directly compete with Sony and Microsoft who are already outdoing eachother with more and more powerful consoles.
Like this Nintendo is servicing a niche without any direct rival. And a niche that they hope brings them as much success as the Wii once did.
Even though I too don't like their approach (the Wii was the last Nintendo console I bought and that I will buy in the foreseeable future), it makes perfect sense for them.

 

[Jaagen]

I'm wondering if they're targeting handheld mode *first* then seeing how much further they can push things in docked mode. I mean, in many regards that would make a lot of sense. It seems like it would be easier to add things while maintaining performance, than scale things down while maintaining performance.

I guess that would be the logical thing to do. Get it up and running at 720p/60 in portable mode, and then push the GPU as far as it can go in docked mode. The DF clockspeed-leak pointed to the portable speed(307.2 MHz, was it?) beeing an option in docked mode, so if I had to guess, I'm guessing that's what's going on here.

I mean, Mario Kart seems to run pretty well at 1080p.

 

[gamerMan]

Great video! I think that Digital Foundry hit the head on the nail. This should have been marketed as a portable console with the ability to output to the television not the other way around.

The system won't be able to output in 1080P on most games. When you have a flagship Mario game running at 720p in dock mode and built from the ground up on the hardware. It's still has a few months, but right now that's a problem.

Nintendo saying they are still going to support the 3DS is worrying because it seems that they haven't committed to the Switch. Wasn't the whole point of the hybrid to make their developers support one platform?

It's not going to happen but perhaps there should be two SKUs for those of us who want to run our Nintendo games at 1080p and don't want the portability.

 

[ghibli99]

Not really worried about Mario. It has almost all of this year to tidy itself up, and Nintendo wouldn't release it less than tip-top shape. It *has* to hit before Christmas.

How in the af is Bomberman only 30fps, though?

 

[plagiarize]

Great video! I think that Digital Foundry hit the head on the nail. This should have been marketed as a portable console with the ability to output to the television not the other way around.

The system won't be able to output in 1080P on most games. When you have a flagship Mario game running at 720p in dock mode and built from the ground up on the hardware. It's still has a few months, but right now that's a problem.

Nintendo saying they are still going to support the 3DS is worrying because it seems that they haven't committed to the Switch. Wasn't the whole point of the hybrid to make their developers support one platform?

It's not going to happen but perhaps there should be two SKUs for those of us who want to run our Nintendo games at 1080p and don't want the portability.

I get why they're marketing the way they are though, they want people to understand it's playing full fat console games on the go, and that might have been lost marketing it as a portable first.

 

[Pokemaniac]

It's incredibly worrying that games seem to be having so much trouble running in docked mode. I'm really hoping that a lot of this is just games not being finished yet.

I'm buying a Switch anyway because I need Splatoon and Xenoblade, but I can't say I'm not disappointed that Nintendo decided to go with the hybrid over the separate handheld and console with a shared library approach.

 

[ronaldthump]

The joke is that Nintendo could have make an extremly powerful homeconsole with a $300 pricetag, instead making neither console nor handheld gamer really happy.

yeah this. Back to basics, plenty of grunt and get a new sick as fuck looking Fzero and Metroid Prime would have had me creaming my pants. They completely missed the mark with the switch.