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Nintendo Switch

Posted: 26 Oct 2016, 06:09
by FITorion
I'm underwhelmed.

I think any device with as much flexibility as that... which will definitely not work as easily and seamlessly as shown... will have traded off capabilities.

Already I've seen reports that it's only got 3 hours of battery life off its base.

But all that said... This might just be a device that I could move out of the living room and into my office with my PC... Having its own display means I could continue using my PC and just pick up the switch all on it's own... Don't need to plug it into any tv/monitor.

I wonder if there will be a way to plug it in to power... with a cord... so I can continuously use it... just in "close" proximity to the base.


So anyway... Nintendo Switch discussion thread.

I'm neutral on it... maybe slightly interested...

Are you excited? Disappointed? Hopeful?

Re: Nintendo Switch

Posted: 26 Oct 2016, 06:29
by Robo4900
I think it looks interesting, but I don't think we've seen enough of it to make a proper judgement on it yet.

Re: Nintendo Switch

Posted: 26 Oct 2016, 07:17
by My pseudonym is Ix
Speaking as someone who is a perpetual PC gamer and cannot see himself buying a console... this looks super cool.

I mean, from a pure design perspective it's really neat- Nintendo have gone back to a very straightforward control scheme and appear to be showing support for more conventional controllers when in 'desktop mode', giving it the flexibility for widespread use. Slight concerns regarding the apparent ergonomics of the single-hand grips, but that might just be me. Crucially, it seems like the right product for the right time- in terms of size and nature it's very similar to an iPad Mini and related products, which gives confidence the market is ready for a design of this nature. Not only that, but the apparently heavy third-party support lends credence to the idea that this can actually compete in the mobile gaming market by offering gaming experiences that mobile stores can't really match at present... whilst still having the potential to cash in on the same low-fi, communal fun thing that modern mobile gaming is big on. The fact that they are marketing it as suitable for home console use is perhaps the most powerful indicator that the power of the Switch is well in excess of the gaming platforms it is going to be competing with in the mobile space.

As previously stated, it is impossible to form a true judgement until we've seen how it plays and performs in all modes IRL, but at least in principle this looks like Nintendo could be onto a winner... depending on how they handle the release and maintenance of the console.

Re: Nintendo Switch

Posted: 26 Oct 2016, 07:27
by FITorion
I've just seen an article that says all the processing is done in the part with the screen. The Base is only for charging and provides the TV connection. Though details are sparse so the Base might have other functions... like maybe handling up scaling to TV sizes...

Re: Nintendo Switch

Posted: 26 Oct 2016, 10:13
by Robo4900
FITorion wrote:like maybe handling up scaling to TV sizes...

My guess is it renders at 720 on the go(As a power and cost saving measure), then when you plug it in, it renders at full 1080. No scaling required.

This is just speculation of course, but I'm pretty sure Nintendo would want it to render at full resolution, rather than resorting to upscaling.

Re: Nintendo Switch

Posted: 26 Oct 2016, 10:14
by Darkflame
Looks pretty good to me.
I dont care for processing power at this point, everythings been "good enough" for me for awhile. (I mean, I like games to run smooth with stable framerate - I'm just not one to carefor new levels of seeing accurate stubble on burly man protagonist #26).

It is hard to picture this as a real portable though. Short battery, and really its too big to be practical.
However, it could reinvent "lan gaming".

My questions right now are;
- Is that screen touchscreen? No signs as yet, but it would be a shame if it isnt given its relative cheap to add.
- Cameras? If its a portable I hope the doors open to AR gaming.
- Ditto for accelerators and gyros.

As for the base unit;

Despite it seeming too big for the purpose, Nintendo just said its to charge and push stuff to the screen.
Which is a shame, as I thought at first it was a cooling unit, which allowed the rest to run at a higher clockspeed.

Re: Nintendo Switch

Posted: 26 Oct 2016, 10:16
by Darkflame
oh, btw, heres a picture I did before the *WiiU* was shown;
Image
(but made after there was rumours of a controller with a screen)
:P

Re: Nintendo Switch

Posted: 26 Oct 2016, 11:48
by JayBlanc
The hardware is an Nvidia Tegra, but it's not yet known the exact specifications of it. What's important is that the Tegra is mostly bound by power constraints, so the throttle can be opened up when it's not running of a battery. So when docked in it's power cradle, it can run at full speed for 1080p, then scale back to the native display resolution of it's small-screen for mobile use.

The SoC could be an Tegra-X lineage, which would place it around the PS4/XB1 scale when docked. However, this is a off-the-shelf Cortex chip based design, not a custom designed CPU.

If when they say "custom Tegra" they mean custom designed CPU cores as well, then that means it's Tegra-P1 or the recently announced Xavier, as these are the only Nvidia SOC that use custom designed CPU cores. This is significant, as these are (respectably) Pascal and Volta based GPUs with 6(2,4) and 8 cores. And we can then expect them to be capable of running quite a bit faster than the current gen when docked.

Either way, this is a big step for Mobile gaming, and Nintendo may be securing their hold on it. (Depending on what the battery life is.)

Re: Nintendo Switch

Posted: 26 Oct 2016, 12:52
by Master Gunner
My thoughts when watching the trailer was just that it'd be perfect for PAX and other conventions (possibly because I was making PAX East plans at the same time).

I really have no other opinion on it. Looks kind of cool, I suppose.

Re: Nintendo Switch

Posted: 26 Oct 2016, 14:34
by JayBlanc
One important thing is that the some of the big names in Turn-Key Games Engine development enviroments are signed up.

Re: Nintendo Switch

Posted: 26 Oct 2016, 18:44
by Kapol
Personally, I think it looks like a sweet idea. It's an interesting mix of portable and home console.

I really dislike how little solid information we're getting. They announced that the Switch direct won't be until January. If that's the soonest we're getting information like I think it is... that's not something I'm happy about. Keep in mind this is meant to launch in March. Giving users two to three months to be able to digest and plan for a major system launch just doesn't feel like enough time to me.

The things I really want to know are:

-The specs: How it compares to other current-gen consoles mostly, but I'd also include stuff like battery life and screen size here. I personally hope the screen is a decent size.
-The price: This is going to be a major factor, I feel. I'll likely pick it up regardless. But if it's too expensive, I worry it won't hold the attention it has right now.
-The launch: This is what I have the least problem waiting to hear. But I really hope the Wii U drought helps lead to a solid Switch launch.

All that said, I'm excited for it. If it manages to match other current-gen consoles, it will be an interesting device at least. I don't mind if it runs at 30fps on 720i on the go, as long as it looks good. But we'll see.

Re: Nintendo Switch

Posted: 26 Oct 2016, 18:44
by Kapol
Personally, I think it looks like a sweet idea. It's an interesting mix of portable and home console.

I really dislike how little solid information we're getting. They announced that the Switch direct won't be until January. If that's the soonest we're getting information like I think it is... that's not something I'm happy about. Keep in mind this is meant to launch in March. Giving users two to three months to be able to digest and plan for a major system launch just doesn't feel like enough time to me.

The things I really want to know are:

-The specs: How it compares to other current-gen consoles mostly, but I'd also include stuff like battery life and screen size here. I personally hope the screen is a decent size.
-The price: This is going to be a major factor, I feel. I'll likely pick it up regardless. But if it's too expensive, I worry it won't hold the attention it has right now.
-The launch: This is what I have the least problem waiting to hear. But I really hope the Wii U drought helps lead to a solid Switch launch.

All that said, I'm excited for it. If it manages to match other current-gen consoles, it will be an interesting device at least. I don't mind if it runs at 30fps on 720i on the go, as long as it looks good. But we'll see.

Re: Nintendo Switch

Posted: 26 Oct 2016, 22:11
by FITorion
Darkflame wrote:
My questions right now are;
- Is that screen touchscreen? No signs as yet, but it would be a shame if it isnt given its relative cheap to add.
- Cameras? If its a portable I hope the doors open to AR gaming.
- Ditto for accelerators and gyros.



I don't want a touch screen... I hate touch screens and touch pads...

I love the idea of AR... but the AR I want is glasses based and not anything handheld. So if AR is a part of the switch it won't be the AR I actually want... so I'd rather it didn't have it to improve battery life, storage space, cooling...

But if they manage to do both then that'd be great.

Re: Nintendo Switch

Posted: 27 Oct 2016, 02:43
by Darkflame
The presence of a touchscreen doesnt necessitate its use.
But even then; Surely you find it easy to use a onscreen keyboard to enter names,logins and other interface stuff then using a dpad or stick to navigate around letters?
Likewise simple uses, like in XenobladeX tapping a square on the map to bring up details or teleport there seems a lot quicker then a stick would.
Touchscreens just have to be used the right way imho. They shouldn't be used to try to emulate or replace traditional control's.

--

And I am all for glasses based AR - youd be hard pushed to find someone more AR passionate then me. (hell, my tech blog is 90% AR;
https://darkflame.co.uk/EverythingEverywhere/articles/ )

But its still at least 5 years from being realistic for mainstream. The costs are just too high at the moment. In the meantime though, I dont mind looking though windows. Although I do want better tracking.

Re: Nintendo Switch

Posted: 27 Oct 2016, 04:53
by JayBlanc
Kapol wrote:I really dislike how little solid information we're getting. They announced that the Switch direct won't be until January. If that's the soonest we're getting information like I think it is... that's not something I'm happy about. Keep in mind this is meant to launch in March. Giving users two to three months to be able to digest and plan for a major system launch just doesn't feel like enough time to me.


You and I might not like it, but it's better marketing. Remember we live in an age where anything announced six months ago is old news. Nintendo basically have to slowly tease out the information. One of the many mistakes of the XBone launch was that they dumped their load six months before release, because they timed it to E3 instead of when they were going to sell. This left a huge amount of time for the product to get roundly criticised by everyone on the internet.

Nintendo are marketing in the same way you would a movie. Teaser trailer, drip feed information, big trailer three months before, ramp up hype to release day... Nintendo are trying to walk a fine balance between telling you what the product is, and keeping you hyped about it all the way to release day.

Re: Nintendo Switch

Posted: 27 Oct 2016, 05:47
by Elomin Sha
And don't forget, Nintendo have Pokémon coming out soon so they want to focus on that first, then show more Switch info later.

Re: Nintendo Switch

Posted: 27 Oct 2016, 06:38
by Kapol
JayBlanc wrote:You and I might not like it, but it's better marketing. Remember we live in an age where anything announced six months ago is old news. Nintendo basically have to slowly tease out the information. One of the many mistakes of the XBone launch was that they dumped their load six months before release, because they timed it to E3 instead of when they were going to sell. This left a huge amount of time for the product to get roundly criticised by everyone on the internet.

Nintendo are marketing in the same way you would a movie. Teaser trailer, drip feed information, big trailer three months before, ramp up hype to release day... Nintendo are trying to walk a fine balance between telling you what the product is, and keeping you hyped about it all the way to release day.


Oh, I agree. It's better marketing to use information sparingly. They've already got a good amount of attention with the trailer itself. Giving out big information would take away their ammo for later.

But I actually feel like a big part of the information delay is due to the upcoming holiday season. It doesn't seem like a coincidence we'll be getting an info dump just after the holidays end. This will be the last hurrah for the Wii U. And I get the feeling the same is true for the 3DS. Going into a lot of detail about the new system would likely derail the season for both systems. Putting too much focus on the system that's coming would draw attention away from the items that they can actually sell. That's also why it sounds like they've established the system won't be backwards compatible as well.

I can understand the decision to withhold information. I'm just not thrilled about it. But the truth is that it doesn't actually make a difference to me in the end anyways.

Re: Nintendo Switch

Posted: 27 Oct 2016, 06:46
by FITorion
Darkflame wrote:The presence of a touchscreen doesnt necessitate its use.
But even then; Surely you find it easy to use a onscreen keyboard to enter names,logins and other interface stuff then using a dpad or stick to navigate around letters?
Likewise simple uses, like in XenobladeX tapping a square on the map to bring up details or teleport there seems a lot quicker then a stick would.
Touchscreens just have to be used the right way imho. They shouldn't be used to try to emulate or replace traditional control's.



I prefer a keyboard... keyboard. But yes there are instances where they're tolerable. I just hate the over use and saturation of them in places they don't belong. It's sorta my "old man yells at cloud" thing.

Kapol wrote:But I actually feel like a big part of the information delay is due to the upcoming holiday season. It doesn't seem like a coincidence we'll be getting an info dump just after the holidays end. This will be the last hurrah for the Wii U. And I get the feeling the same is true for the 3DS. Going into a lot of detail about the new system would likely derail the season for both systems. Putting too much focus on the system that's coming would draw attention away from the items that they can actually sell. That's also why it sounds like they've established the system won't be backwards compatible as well.

I can understand the decision to withhold information. I'm just not thrilled about it. But the truth is that it doesn't actually make a difference to me in the end anyways.


The announcement has already affected Wii-U sales. Nintendo adjusted their sales projections down in the last few days because of it.

Re: Nintendo Switch

Posted: 27 Oct 2016, 09:00
by Kapol
FITorion wrote:The announcement has already affected Wii-U sales. Nintendo adjusted their sales projections down in the last few days because of it.


I've no doubt. But I feel like it'd be even lower if they continued to bring the system up in the coming months. And if they did a full information dumb now, it could lead to them losing momentum in the long run. That said I am not an advertisement expect or anything of the sort. So I could easily be entirely off base with all of this.

Re: Nintendo Switch

Posted: 03 Nov 2016, 16:38
by Bebop Man
Off the get-go it's being better marketed than the Wii U, which is a plus. I just don't care about portable gaming. I like playing videogames in the comfort of my bedroom, at the end of the day, in front of a big ass TV and without having to worry about battery life. All of which apparently can be done just as well with the NS but obviously the driving point of the commercial is that you can take it with you anywhere... and I just don't care about that.

Re: Nintendo Switch

Posted: 04 Nov 2016, 05:25
by JayBlanc
Got the chance to pre-order with a fully refundable deposit, so decided to take a punt. If it's great, then good I've got mine on release day, otherwise I get the deposit refunded.

Re: Nintendo Switch

Posted: 06 Nov 2016, 09:01
by FITorion
Bebop Man wrote:Off the get-go it's being better marketed than the Wii U, which is a plus. I just don't care about portable gaming. I like playing videogames in the comfort of my bedroom, at the end of the day, in front of a big ass TV and without having to worry about battery life. All of which apparently can be done just as well with the NS but obviously the driving point of the commercial is that you can take it with you anywhere... and I just don't care about that.



I'm pretty much the same... But if... and it's definitely an if...

If I can plug it in then I can use its built in screen to game in bed with it in my lap... or at my computer desk while watching streams and or youtube on my computer instead of needing to connect the switch to one of my screens. And then I don't have to worry about battery life.

But the ability to plug it in and use it while in hand held mode is not a feature that's been confirmed yet... and might not be a feature... it might need a third party device to be made for that purpose after release. But if I can do that... then... I just might get it.

Re: Nintendo Switch

Posted: 07 Nov 2016, 03:21
by Darkflame
It would be quite surprising if you cant plug it in while using it like the WiiU can.
They just dont like showing wires in promotional videos - you cant see wires on the docking unit either, but obviously that needs both power and HDMI.