Nicktendo

It will be good for games which have a dynamic resolution. That was some nice forward thinking from Nintendo. It does not mean, however, that we'll see BOTW at more than 900p 30fps without a patch. I don't see Nintendo going back and patching old games outside of a select few (BOTW hopefully!). The same goes for every game - they'll run at or closer to max resolution most of the time, but anything above that ceiling will require work. Personally, I'd be jumping straight in to Hyrule Warriors. That game runs very badly on the OG Switch. I'd hope a new console will lock it at it's highest framerate and max resolution.

Have to agree that achievements can add to a game quite a lot, especially when it's a unified system like on Steam, PS and Xbox. Nothing wrong with individual games having them, but I get more value out of them when they add to a system-wide total. There are plenty of weak achievements in titles or ones which are poorly implemented and uninteresting. There are also plenty which unlock and you work your way through a game and don't require anything else outside of beating the main single-player campaign. However, when done right, they can push you to try new things or experiment. You can really get a kick out of overcoming some mini challenge in a game and finally getting the satisfaction of an achievement popping. I think the fact that the other systems have a unified system is great because you can jump into the menu and look back at your work thinking "yeah, that was pretty good". I can definitely say I've gotten more out of a handful of games since getting an Xbox because I went for 200 / 1000G. Nintendo are exactly the kind of company that would do achievements right if they implemented such a system - their games are always fun to play and I think they'd build interesting challenges around them which would add to the overall package.

€400 would be absurd. Nintendo would be having a laugh at that price unless it is a very, very substantial upgrade.

I think this is the biggest plus for most people and probably the most attractive part of a new system. A slightly bigger, but much better and brighter OLED screen is going to be leagues ahead of what they currently use. It's also beneficial for Nintendo that these screens are considerably cheaper than 2017 now, so, in theory, they could only change this while not budging on RRP and still be making a tidy profit. However, we also know that Nvidia are ending production of the Tegra X1. If I remember correctly, Nintendo made a huge bulk back-order on this chip and got them all pretty cheap. My guess, and it is a guess, is that this chip is going to go into the Lite systems for the most part, as well as a couple million OG Switches to tie them over to the release of the new model. The Lite will likely get the new screen & chip in 12-18 months, when it becomes more economically viable at (or just above) the system's current RRP. What form the "Pro" Switch will take in terms of processing power and power draw / battery life is a mystery, to be honest. There's nothing to say they won't clock the upgraded model to the same numbers the OG one does in order to greatly extend battery life, similar to what we saw with V2. Though I think odds are they'll release a boosted system on a brand new, more modern, powerful, and efficient chip which supports DLSS and 4K output and the other bells and whistles as a by-product, such as smoother framerates and higher, more consistent resolutions. System-level voice chat is definitely not coming, sorry Kav I think they're wise enough to know that if they leave it too long, the gap to MS and Sony is going to be too big, even if they can pretend the Switch is "just a handheld" to combat those comparisons. But the eternal asterisk that always appears with any kind of speculation is, no matter how grounded and sensible - This is Nintendo we're talking about.

I think we'll see Ninty take the same approach they did with the New 3DS - visual enhancements, better framerates, maybe 4K support using DLSS if the rumours are to be believed. I don't think we'll see any exclusive content outside 3rd parties and e-Shop titles in the first 18-24 months. After that period, we'll see Nintendo transition into only supporting the pro model for their 1st party stuff (yay!) or they'll release a new, more powerful system which is not the Switch (boo!). Guess it depends how well it sells, but if we see them hit 30-40 million in the first couple of years, it makes sense to start dropping exclusive content so the rest of the install base makes the... cough... switch.

I was getting between 80-150mbps even on a gigabit connection. Going down so low is not something I experienced, however. Games will continue downloading when the system is off (on standby) and when you're in-game.

Tottenham aren't even the biggest team in North London. How many trophies have they won in the last 30 years? The most despicable thing about the European Super League is that fact Spurs were invited to join it.

The problem is he did want to make it, he just didn't know that at the time.

Tick tock @Hero-of-Time. Tick Tock @Kaepora_Gaebora Sea of Thieves isn't going to play itself.

I hope he won't mind me doing this, but here we are... In reference to my post above:

You people disgust me. Just wait til Greg gets his sorry arse on this site.

You are worse than @nekunando! Get the damn thing in your cart already and come and join the party!

Yep, I ordered one off Amazon just after I got the system and the difference was unbelievable. Nintendo loves to squeeze every penny out of a system, hence why they don't even bother paying for licenses for Bluetooth, Dolby surround sound, and the like. The Wi-Fi chip being absolute garbage should be a shock to no one. If the ethernet port rumours are true, I'd say this is definitely hinting at a more "premium" console. Good news, and maybe we'll get some of the features they've cheaped out on in the past.

Don't mind me, just preparing for a certain upcoming announcement.

In another one of those classic "Game Pass to the rescue" stories. I beat Wolfenstein: The Old Blood over the past couple of days. A game series I've always been interested in but never played despite owning WSII on Switch, and then selling it at cost 2 years after I bought it... So it was nice to start this series from the "beginning" with this prequel to the 2014 (if I remember correctly) game, The New Blood. My first experience with a Machine Games title, and one which I enjoyed overall, at least enough to want to try the proper games in the series. I finished the main story in about 5-6 hours. The first half of the game is set in Castle Wolfenstein and it's certainly a fun location to explore. Some very nice vista shots when you're outside and the general feel of the world they have created is top notch. The levels, however, are very much a linear affair, and there's not really much you can say about this game other than "corridor shooter" with some more open spaces. The story is the real hero here. I enjoyed it more than I had expected I would, and even though the game is essentially about moving from room to room and set piece to set piece, it's tied together really nicely by the story. The FPS view remains constant from start to finish, even in cutscenes, which gives it a very Doom 2016 feel and really helps with immersion and the feeling that you are experiencing everything as Blazkowicz. I'm grateful, ultimately, that the game respects your time. It really is a short affair and could probably be done in about 2-3 hours if you were a lot better at not dying than I am. Having said that, I seemed to power through the back half of the game, dying only a couple of times in the final 3 levels, each time on the supremely tough final boss (no spoilers). From chapter 5 onwards, you're outside the castle and exploring the town of Wolfsburg, which is a nice change of pace and keeps things a little bit interesting, even though the levels seems to be much, much shorter. The shooting mechanics are standard fare, I can't really say they're exceptional or ground breaking, but you have a pretty decent arsenal at your disposal and everything works as you'd expect it too without ever stepping into unique territory. The main issue I had with the game was the copy-and-paste nature of the set pieces I mentioned earlier. A lot of the time it felt like you were placed in a room with 10 or so guards (either with or without powerful heavies) and two colonels who can call for back-up should you be spotted by anyone. You basically have to stealth your way through and try to take out these two guards or your gonna be facing a mob of enemies. I honestly got pretty tired of this gimmick by the end as getting caught by anyone basically meant it was better to try again. The stealth element was tense and fun at the beginning but wore on towards the end, especially as you couldn't take out standard enemies with one shot from the silenced pistol. Most of them were armoured up, which meant you needed three or four quick shots before they went down. When they moved after being hit, this became extra tough, and eventually frustrating. The sniper rifle was much better for this, but everyone and their mum could hear it so it was basically unusable. In each level you can find a bed which allows you to "dream" and play classic Wolfenstein levels, similar to Doom 2016. Supremely fun at first when I discovered it, but endlessly dull when you're doing it for the third, fourth and fifth time. The levels are long, boring and uninteresting. If you've seen one, you've seen them all. Annoying that a lot of achievements are hidden behind this stuff. Would have preferred to see it feature much more sparingly. All in all, I did enjoy my time with this game despite a couple of niggles. An absolutely perfect expansion or budget release, and something I'd definitely like to see more of in unison with major titles. Not too sure about the history of this game but it does very much feel like an expansion to The New Blood, and if that is the case, it's extremely well done. A nice, short, compact game which can be beaten in a couple of sittings and presumably adds a lot to the main story of the first release. Set in a very detailed and lovingly-crafted small nugget of fictional Germany, it has definitely whetted my appetite for more.

PAGING @markderoos

Absolutely wonderful art style. Very, very interested in this. It really captures the 16-bit vibe well.

Still finding plenty to play with GamePass and having a great time! It's a fantastic service and unbelievable that I paid the equivalent of £8.77 a month for a 12-month ultimate sub. Horizon is so good. A perfect blend of arcade and sim as I said before. I also loved the first on OG Xbox but that was the last time I played the series. I've heard Motorsport 7 is not that great though. Some average reviews and a lot of poor user reviews. Haven't bothered wasting the 100gb on it, but maybe it's worth a pop sometime once I'm done with Horizon.

Three more games finished for me since the start of the month. Mirror's Edge I beat this waaaay back on the Xbox 360 when it came out and remember it being a stunning game. I've run through the story mode again and had a good time. I still feel this is one of the most interesting and unique games I've ever played. Visuals really hold up thanks to the fantastic art direction. Even though the animations look a little clunky now. Managed to beat the game in 3 hours or so. Doubt I'll do much more. The first 3 or 4 levels hold up really well but the game starts showing it's age when it asks you to do more. Some of the later levels are a bit of chore to get through and going for a "no shooting" achievement run made it even harder. It's a shame EA have strayed away from this type of game in recent years because they were really on a roll with this, SSX and Burnout in the early 360 days. Good memories. Perfect Dark Finished the XBLA version or Rare Replay version of this. I actually started it on the day I got the console but it took me a little time to beat it. Played though on Secret Agent bar the last level as I kept getting one-shotted by the boss. I have to say, this game is still mostly fantastic. I'm not so keen on the back half of the game, but the first 8-10 levels are everything you'd want from a Goldeneye sequel. It's classic N64 gameplay but in HD and running in 60FPS. Magic. I've also put a fair bit of time into the challenges in MP mode, which really ramp up in difficulty towards the end. Once the aliens begin to appear the story really takes a nose-dive, and with it the level design and mission structure, unfortunately. It doesn't quite have the consistency Goldeneye had, but I can still appreciate it for what it is. I will have to go back and do the Skedar Ruins on Secret Agent, I have no chance on Perfect... I really find the Skedar designs and the alien craft levels pretty uninspiring. But the DataDyne levels at the beginning, the Villa, Chicago and right up to the President's plane crash are still immensely fun to run through. The music is also top drawer and classic Rare. One of my favourite video game OSTs. The Carrington Institute is also a blast, especially the firing range. Habroxia 2 The first game I bought for the Series S. Cost me £4 in a sale and it's just as much fun as the first. The thing I like most about this game, as with the first, is the mechanics. Managed to roll the credits in about 2 hours and will go back and do New Game+. I'm sat on 850G and the remaining 6 achievements shouldn't be too hard to get, which would make this my 4th 100% game on the system. Not really much to say apart from that, fun for what it was. Kinda torn on which I prefer, I think the first game offered a little more challenge and I prefer the linear structure over the branching paths in this one, even if it was kinda cool hunting down the alternate exits. Very much pleased with the boss rush mode. I've had fun with that despite not quite being able to finish it. I've also been pumping a ton of time into Forza Horizon 4, which I think may well be the best racing game I've played in a number of years. The world design is simply jaw-dropping. It really feels like the UK and I love the mix of town and country as well as the sheer variety the seasons offer. It doesn't hurt that it's one of the best looking racers around. It's very arcadey, but not too much as when you really crank up the difficulty, the game is supremely rewarding if you can drive well. There's nothing quite like the feeling of pipping someone on the line in my souped-up 1997 Subaru Impreza. Handles like an absolute dream, just the right amount of drifting. I really, really wish I'd had the chance to play the three previous games, but it looks like they're all unsupported now. I've been powering my way through the career mode (level 110) as well as spending a good amount of time online. The open-world, always online nature had me very sceptical at the start, but it is impeccably done. You never really feel like you're "always online" but you're never more than a few seconds away from an online race of event. The best open-world racing game I've ever played and firmly puts Burnout Paradise to shame. Call of Duty: Warzone is the first COD game I've played since MW on the 360. Been having a lot of fun with this with friends, and far less so in solo. I like the gameplay but hate the progression and skill-deficit to regulars. Not a shock for a F2P online battle royale, but the new Soviet-era map is excellent and a lot of fun to explore. Finally, I've jumped into the story mode of GTAV. Many of you may know that I'm a massive fan of GTAIV and felt it was far, far better than anything from the PS2 era. I thought the story was fantastic. I didn't think GTAV would be able to top it, but it's right up there so far. The voice acting is truly something else. It is engrossing and superbly acted and scripted. The missions are nicely varied, Los Santos (Like Liberty City in IV) is leagues ahead of the PS2 counterpart. It's more compact (but still massive) and there's a ton of interesting stuff to do. Really enjoying playing through Michael and Franklin's storylines, but I'm really not a big fan of Trevor at the moment. Put in about 15 hours so far and done 30% or so of the missions. It's a huge step up from IV in almost every aspect. However, I much preferred the realistic handling in IV and the "atmosphere" of the world. San Andreas is too bright and happy. I much preferred the grey, corrupted, ugly city environment they'd built in the previous game. I played through it in 2018 and it still looked amazing thanks to the very subtle art style. This game is much more poppy and bright and it kind of detracts from the overall criminal underworld vibe a little. That's a personal preference though, so far, I still think this game deserves all the praise it gets. Not gonna be trying GTA online.

Despite the lack of overtaking, this was a nice race. Solid 6 or 7 for me. Not spectacular but there was some intrigue at least. Pleased with the result and the impact it has on the championship. Great to see Sainz and Norris on the podium. Good race from Perez after a poor Q. Excellent pit stop strategy and race management from Aston Martin, gained a lot of points today. Solid job by Gasly staying ahead of HAM. Good race from Ocon to get in the points. Nice to see GIO in the points despite the weak strategy, he's getting the measure of Kimi now. I've liked him since GP2 and hope he sticks around next year. Hamilton was shit today. Disappointed in his attitude to be honest. Both on the radio and after the race when he was slagging the team off on Dutch TV. "I have nothing to learn, but for sure the team do". What happened to win together - lose together? Bottas was seriously unlucky today, had the measure of HAM all weekend. Great win by Max, controlled from the front. Leclerc was also unlucky, but that's the price you pay for overdoing it. Baku is one of my favourite tracks, hope it throws up a good race in 2 weeks time. I managed to get there in 2019, but unfortunately it wasn't a classic. Hope we'll get a lot of action next month.

Get yourself back there!!

I've had the Series S for a month and a half now and it has more than surpassed my expectations. I just wanted a peek at Game Pass and a quick go on a few of Rare Replay's 64 games and I have already dumped almost 400 hours into the thing and beaten 9 games. Can see I really missed out skipping the PS4 and XBOne.

See, this is the perfectly acceptable way for all Epic's customers to avoid paying any fees to Apple or Google (Or MS, Sony + Nintendo for that matter). Just make it so they can't buy V-Bucks in the game / app. Make them log in to the website on a PC, or even on their phone browser, and buy them there. But they won't do that. Cause kids won't want to do that. And mum's credit card isn't saved to the PC browser. And 90% of their sales would disappear overnight. And they're blatantly exploiting this fact. And Tim Sweeney is a repugnant little man. This has been obvious from the very start, Timothy. You are going to lose this lawsuit badly and make a lot of enemies in the gaming industry. Hope it's worth it, because I have very, very little hope for your company if you're shunned by Nintendo and Sony.