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[OryoN]

Ethernet: example scenario given where dock has wired Internet connection; in console mode the system uses this connection, and in portable mode, the system can communicate wirelessly with the dock to access the wired connection [T:0560]

....woah.

Wii U does this and it works brilliantly, especially given how reliable/lag-free the wireless connection from the Gamepad to the Wii U is(as long as you are within range). Not surprised that this feature is returning, but it's awesome to have a confirmation.

 

[KingSnake]

Ugh I hate VR.

It's such a shame that is mandatory with Switch then. You have first to play 100 hours in VR before you get access to the normal mode. Bad luck.

 

[jeenaudx]

Do we know if the headphone jack still works while in docked mode?

 

[evilromero]

Sure looks like it. They got the screen and wireless controllers for each hand. Only has to be a Google Cardboard thing. Might even come with the system. But Im not expecting much from it.

That's actually a good way to approach console vr. My main hesitation is the setup and wires. Just to get wireless even if not nearly as good an experience as the high end units, would be a cool bonus for me.

 

[atbigelow]

Wii U does this and it works brilliantly, especially given how reliable/lag-free the wireless connection from the Gamepad to the Wii U is(as long as you are within range). Not surprised that this feature is returning, but it's awesome to have a confirmation.

This Wii U does not do this. The Gamepad isn't the device and has no guts inside it; it isn't sharing an ethernet connection over Wi-Fi.

If you mean it might look and seem the same to the end user, sure. But peel back the skin and it's entirely differently.

 

[AdanVC]

Mighty Jesus that is a lot of info and I honestly don't understand most of it LMAO. But reading through the replies explaining some of that info makes me all hyped to know most of the stuff the NS will be able to achieve is exciting.

Is it really that impressive ? Tablets and phones are doing similar things with a smaller form factor.

Yeah but the real meat of this will be the kind of games the Switch will be able to run. Not your usual "swing your finger to win" type of games most of those devices have...

 

[Earendil]

Forgetting VR for a moment, would an HMD allow me to, say, play VC games in some sort of cinema mode, earphones plugged in, and allow me to tune out on a long car trip?

I got car sick just thinking about that.

 

[MCN]

So, Nintendo really designed the shit out this thing, huh?

 

[Skittzo0413]

So, Nintendo really designed the shit out this thing, huh?

I wonder how many engineering "man years" went in to the design of this device.

 

[AtomicShroom]

Continuous video recording on flash storage, have fun wearing out either the internal flash or having to replace your SD cards on a regular basis.

What makes you think it's not recording to RAM instead?

 

[asagami_]

So, Nintendo really designed the shit out this thing, huh?

Design is not the same as execute. But I think this Nintendo + Nvidia collaboration must be the most amazing tech team-up I have seen in my life and I am so happy it have happened.

 

[Dark Cloud]

I wonder how many engineering "man years" went in to the design of this device.

500 Mario years

 

[Hermii]

So ethernet is confirmed?

 

[dottme]

500 Mario years

Ohhh

And Mario doesn't age at all. So that's probably a lot.

 

[sixteen-bit]

500 Mario years

500 x 24?

 

[atbigelow]

So ethernet is confirmed?

Confirmed not there, based on the patent. It mentions a possible future where the dock could an ethernet connection via Wi-Fi, but that's it. The dock laid out in the patent does not have ethernet.

 

[Vena]

This is quite the engineering mini-marvel. They crammed so much shit into this.

 

[KingSnake]

So, Nintendo really scienced the shit out this thing, huh?

FTFY.

 

[Roo]

This is quite the engineering mini-marvel. They crammed so much shit into this.

It will hurt even more when you drop it by accident

 

[KingSnake]

It will hurt even more when you drop it by accident

At this point I'm pretty sure it re-assembles itself, we just haven't seen the patent for this yet.

 

[JonnyDBrit]

Design is not the same as execute. But I think this Nintendo + Nvidia collaboration must be the most amazing tech team-up I have seen in my life and I am so happy it have happened.

I imagine its one of those things that would get a lot of enthusiasm out of the people working on it. For Nintendo's R&D team, its whole new kinds of hardware in comparison to what they've played around with before. For Nvidia, it's a chance to finally break into the mainstream console market, and do so with what is still popularly seen as the games company. Plus, even if this thing sold closer to Wii U numbers than 3DS ones, that's still more than the Shield likely has. Its opportunity for both sides, and it does seem they're taking it.

 

[LegendOfFalcon]

Wow there is so much to dig through here, information overload!

 

[Starchasing]

The IR camera is not for aiming. It is not necessary at all. Could something be hidden in a supplemental patent? or this is all?

Where is the emission of IR coming from?

 

[Muffin Awesome]

What makes you think it's not recording to RAM instead?

The 4gb ram rumor makes me think it would not be stored there, and that it would need to be external or internal hard disk.

 

[OG_Original Gamer]

I wonder if there's a slight chance of 4G support?

It was mentioned in that foxconn leak was shot down, so maybe multiple sku's.

 

[pinkurocket]

I'm so intrigued by how the joy-cons slot into the system. I'm really curious to actually do it and see how it feels, I wonder if the 'click' is really as satisfying as they are marketing.

 

[Graphics Horse]

For Nvidia, it's a chance to finally break into the mainstream console market, and do so with what is still popularly seen as the games company. Plus, even if this thing sold closer to Wii U numbers than 3DS ones, that's still more than the Shield likely has. Its opportunity for both sides, and it does seem they're taking it.

The PS3 didn't do that bad.
It could potentially be a closer and longer lasting partnership than they had with Sony and MS but we're a long way off knowing.

 

[Weltall Zero]

Awesome, so this confirms that the individual controller halves have their own L and R buttons (marked as 43, 44, 60 and 61).

[0180] The left controller 3 also includes a second L button 43 and a second R button 44. As are the other operation buttons 33 to 36, these buttons 43 and 44 are used to give instructions in accordance with various programs executed on the main unit 2. As shown in FIG. 5, the second L button 43 and the second R button 44 are provided on the engaging surface of the slider 40. The second L button 43 is provided on the engaging surface of the slider 40 above the center of the engaging surface with respect to the up-down direction (the y-axis direction shown in FIG. 1). The second R button 44 is provided on the engaging surface of the slider 40 below the center of the engaging surface with respect to the up-down direction. The second L button 43 and the second R button 44 are arranged at such positions that they cannot be pressed down with the left controller 3 attached to the main unit 2. That is, the second L button 43 and the second R button 44 are buttons that are used when the left controller 3 is detached from the main unit 2. For example, the second L button 43 and the second R button 44 are operated with the index finger or the middle finger of the left hand and the right hand of a user holding the left controller 3 detached from the main unit 2 (see FIG. 35).

[0198] The right controller 4 includes a first R button 60. The right controller 4 includes a ZR button 61. As shown in FIG. 6, the first R button 60 is provided over a corner portion between the right side surface and the upper side surface of the housing 51. The ZR button 61 is provided to extend over a corner portion between the right side surface and the upper side surface of the housing 51 (strictly speaking, between the right side surface and the upper side surface as seen from the front side of the housing 51) while extending into the reverse surface of the housing 51. That is, the ZR button 61 is provided on the rear side (the z-axis positive direction side shown in FIG. 1) of the first R button 60. In the present embodiment, since the upper right corner portion of the housing 51 has a rounded shape, the first R button 60 and the ZR button 61 each have a rounded shape in conformity with the rounded shape of the upper right portion of the housing 51.

Sorry if already posted, but this seems to me the biggest news to come from this and haven't seen it in the first page.

Edit: I see it's already reported, keeping this post for visibility.

This confirms:

• Shoulder buttons on the connection portion of the joycons
• IR camera at the bottom of the right joycon
• Fan inside the tablet and dock EDIT: Nevermind, nothing in the patent explicitly says anything about a fan in the dock
• Downclock when in portable mode
• Possible to connect to a wired internet connection when docked
• 4 joycons usable on one Switch
• Different types of joycons (with D-pad, etc.)
• Possibly usable in a VR HMD
  EDIT: Adding more
• Joycon grip can charge joycons
• Joycon grip LED displays can display both player number and battery remaining
• Joycon motion controls and vibration confirmed

Probably more, but that's what I can think of now.

Awesome, thanks! I think this should be added to the OP.

 

[Taker666]

Precisely. I think people are missing the point. It's all about options. VR won't be the key function of the console, but if you can offer it cheaply to a niche base that would use it... why the hell not? Same thing with local split-screen multi-player on the Switch's screen. Surely Nintendo knows that's not the most optimal play experience, but given how naturally the device conforms to the situation, why wouldn't they cover that base too? Having these options is awesome!

Edit: it's not like a 1080p screen is totally out of the question anyway. Unlikely? Yes! Impossible? No!

Indeed. If the machine can run Mario Kart split screen at 60fps on the Switch screen..they might as well do a 60fps VR version as well. it would take no more power.

 

[JonnyDBrit]

The PS3 didn't do that bad.
It could potentially be a closer and longer lasting partnership than they had with Sony and MS but we're a long way off knowing.

Huh, I confess my ignorance then. Didn't realise the PS3's graphics capabilities came from an Nvidia product.

 

[ggx2ac]

I'm catching up in thread.

- Seems to confirm right joycon has an IR sensor (ie pointer).
- Both Joycons have rumble motors
- NFC is in the right Joycon as well
- The grip controller is basically a battery pack

Haha, I guessed weeks ago that it NFC would have been on the left Joy-Con because of the IR Pointer but it seems they were able to fit both onto the right Joy-Con.

 

[Graphics Horse]

I'm catching up in thread.



Haha, I guessed weeks ago that it NFC would have been on the left Joy-Con because of the IR Pointer but it seems they were able to fit both onto the right Joy-Con.

Yeah I figured it would be on the left too, just to balance things out.

 

[sir_bumble_bee]

Wonder what the weight difference between the right and left joy-cons will be?

 

[Graphics Horse]

This pretty much confirm the usb-c.

It even says you can dock it backwards. that's surely not going to work but maybe it pops up a message telling you to turn it around.

 

[BigEmil]

Will this stop Chinese knock-offs?

It would be interesting to see those lmao

 

[atbigelow]

It even says you can dock it backwards. that's surely not going to work but maybe it pops up a message telling you to turn it around.

Why wouldn't it? Type-C doesn't care.

 

[User123456]

I know many of you are expecting the triggers to be analog, but they are specifically described in the patent to be "buttons that are pressed vertically".

I smell Gamecube joycons and/or support for the gamecube adapter... Lack of analog triggers would be really disappointing for me since I was hoping to play Project CARS, Formula 1 or DIRT on this.

 

[Portugeezer]

Swiss army knife of gaming.

 

[Graphics Horse]

Why wouldn't it? Type-C doesn't care.

Because the cooling setup is probably not bidirectional

 

[majik13]

I'll take one of these, thanks.

yeah I wish the grip they showed was like this, so we can get some offset buttons. I cant imagine the straight vertical orientation will be that comfortable over time.

 

[Nickle]

This thing is going to break so easily.

 

[atbigelow]

Because the cooling setup is probably not bidirectional

Good point. Would be kinda fun if it was, though!

 

[Triforce141]

Because the cooling setup is probably not bidirectional

That, and I'm pretty sure you won't be able to put the Switch into the dock backwards in the first place.

That small indent right above the USB C Port might be there because of the dock having a possible small protrusion, preventing you from plugging the Switch in the wrong direction.

 

[Nerrel]

If they could put gyro sensors in both of the joycons then they'd sure as fuck better have put one in the pro controller this time. Hopefully we get confirmation on that next month or before.

 

[Graphics Horse]

I'm pretty sure you won't be able to put the Switch into the dock backwards.

That small indent right above the USB C Port might be there because of the dock having a possible small protrusion, preventing you from plugging the Switch in..

Oh yeah I'd forgotten about that bit and I only saw it a few days ago.😥

 

[JonnyDBrit]

I'm pretty sure you won't be able to put the Switch into the dock backwards.

That small indent right above the USB C Port might be there because of the dock having a possible small protrusion, preventing you from plugging the Switch in.

Oh, and this

Thinking on it, I wonder if that's a development of the feature listed as 'stand member 29' in the patent - ie, something to guide and/or help the Switch unit to stand upright in the dock.

 

[phanphare]

If they could put gyro sensors in both of the joycons then they'd sure as fuck better have put one in the pro controller this time. Hopefully we get confirmation on that next month or before.

yeah that would be crucial. in the reveal trailer they did show people playing Splatoon with the pro controller so I'm hopeful. also when reggie was on fallon it kind of looked like there was IR on the pro controller as well which would be kind of awesome.

 

[Moltenix]

So when you go to dock the portable, do you have to line it up with the pin perfectly or something? The Wii U charger dock thing had those little wheels things but that was a different kind of connection.

 

[Starchasing]

yeah that would be crucial. in the reveal trailer they did show people playing Splatoon with the pro controller so I'm hopeful. also when reggie was on fallon it kind of looked like there was IR on the pro controller as well which would be kind of awesome.

But what is the ir camera for if there is no emitter?

 

[jroc74]

VR, yea some of guessed it could be possible ala smartphone type headsets. Like some have said keep expectations firmly in check if it can do VR. Expect mobile types of VR. Which isnt bad but dont expect home console or PC type.

Split screen for one Switch is nice and convenient. But damn 4 player split screen on 1 Switch?