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General Switch Discussion

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12 hours ago, Dcubed said:

Kids don't play Halo.  They play Call of Duty.

Who else read this to the tune of "guns don't kill people, rappers do"?

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12 minutes ago, Ashley said:

Who else read this to the tune of "guns don't kill people, rappers do"?

This is the only rapper who kills people:

 

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4 hours ago, Kounan said:

Can the Nintendo pro controller be used on pc on the EPIC store?

I think it can.  The Switch Pro Controller just gets recognised as a generic Directinput controller when you hook it up to a PC; so it should work in at least a basic way.

 

But don't expect to be able to expect native support of its more advanced features like what Steam offers.

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More rumors about new Switch models have surfaced.

Quote

Nintendo Co. plans to launch two new versions of its Switch gaming console as early as this summer, people familiar with the matter said, as the company seeks to sustain sales momentum for the product going into a crucial third year.

One version will have enhanced features targeted at avid videogamers, although it won't be as powerful as Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 4 Pro or Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox One X, according to parts suppliers and software developers for Nintendo who have early access to a prototype of the machine.

The other version is a cheaper option for casual gamers that Nintendo sees as a successor to its aging hand-held 3DS device, the suppliers and developers say.

 

Quote

My latest on new Nintendo Switch coming as early as this summer. There would be two models, and people who've seen them said designs of new devices are "different from the original and you'd be surprised."

I think most of us here have speculated that a new model ( either more powerful or smaller and cheaper ) would be on its way this year but launching 2 of them is certainly an interesting move. The smaller cheaper model is definitely a must and should be the one that is prioritised, especially with Pokemon and potentially Animal Crossing hitting this year

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One version will have enhanced features targeted at avid videogamers

Voice chat?

Quote

although it won't be as powerful as Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 4 Pro or Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox One X

Nevermind. 

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I reckon the smaller one will have non removable joycons and be handheld only.

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2 hours ago, Hero-of-Time said:

although it won't be as powerful as Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 4 Pro or Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox One X

Outrageous. Pre-order cancelled.

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Bluetooth support, higher res and bigger battery would be my guess for the higher spec. Only thing I'd want is a bigger screen, but that's probably the most unlikely to happen.

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Because I've been playing on my 3DS a lot recently (Etrian Odyssey Nexus), I've really noticed how much room for improvement there is with the Switch.  A d-pad is a must, as is a better battery.  I wouldn't mind a smaller screen and, as a handheld gamer, I have no need at all for Joy-cons or for them to be detachable.

 

A more high-end version of Switch is certainly a curveball though.  I can't image they'd make a more powerful one yet, but how about more RAM?  That seems to be a reliable tactic.

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The trouble with making the joy-con non detachable or doing a handheld only version is it completely invalidates the point of a Switch and really muddles the messaging.

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If you can't detach the JoyCons, some games will be limited in the way the are controlled - I can't see Nintendo making players unable to play Super Mario Odyssey without the JoyCons, just to mention a big game that a lot of people played with JoyCons only.

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6 minutes ago, MindFreak said:

If you can't detach the JoyCons, some games will be limited in the way the are controlled - I can't see Nintendo making players unable to play Super Mario Odyssey without the JoyCons, just to mention a big game that a lot of people played with JoyCons only.

It also means that Labo packs will be completely useless, which would be bizarre given that the target audience for both a smaller, cheaper Switch and Labo kits are one and the same.

I'm not saying it won't happen but rather it would be a bit daft if it did. 

Edited by Hero-of-Time

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I seriously doubt that they'll release a Switch without the ability to dock or use Joy-Cons.  Even if the included Joy-cons were hardwired to the system, you'd still be able to connect other Joy-cons/Pro Controllers to the system via bluetooth anyway.

 

I can absolutely believe that they will have a premium model and a cost-reduced "lite" model though.  Nintendo need to keep up with the competition if they want to keep getting 3rd party support; while at the same time, they are clearly keen on having an entry level system (which is why they've kept the 3DS alive for so long).

 

The premium Switch will likely replace the current model (which will be discontinued - reduces market confusion and also gets the security compromised models off the market) and use almost exactly the same form factor as the current Switch; while a cost-reduced model that is smaller and more compact will likely replace the 3DS as Nintendo's current "budget" console.

 

This cost-reduced model will feature the same CPU/GPU/RAM/Storage specs as the current Switch but will probably remove HD rumble (probably will have no built-in rumble support at all) and have its controls hard-wired to the system (while it will continue to support all existing controllers via bluetooth).  The system will also probably have just one gyroscope/accelerometer (as opposed to the three sets that the current Switch has with the two Joy-Cons and the base unit), will probably remove the IR camera (you'd still be able to use the existing Joy-cons; so it wouldn't be incompatible with any existing software), will not come with a dock or Joy-con grip (but will be able to use them if you buy them seperately), have a smaller screen (maybe of lower quality too), have lower quality speakers and will probably ditch the fan (since the X1 chip will likely be produced on a smaller manufacturing process).  It will probably keep everything else though.

 

Aim for £149.99 and release it on the same day as Pokemon Sword/Shield.  Bonza!

 

It will also probably have a smaller battery, but will likely keep the same battery life as the current model, due to the ditching of the fan and the smaller production process for the X1 chip.

 

The Switch Pro will be a beast though! Either using the X2 chip, or something entierly custom (Should at least match base PS4 level specs in terms of performance :) ).  Probably will have 8GB of RAM, as well as USH3 and SDUC support (for SD cards above 2TB and super high speed loading times!).  Otherwise, it will just use the existing Joy-Cons, reuse the current system design almost wholesale (including the fan) and will just outright replace the current model, not losing anything.  Will also have a brand new dock with 4K output and (hopefully) built-in ethernet support.  Praying for active stylus support though (ALA Apple Pencil), that's my biggest wish for a Switch Pro!  I want to see proper touchscreen (DS style!) controlled games to come back! :D 

 

Otherwise, I'd be over the moon if we could get native 3DS hardware BC support as well! Would be killer to be able to play my 3DS/DS library on my Switch! (and would give people an actual reason to buy the games they've been pumping out over the last couple of years for it!).  An autostereoscopic screen and IR sensor bar (built into the Switch unit and the new dock) would be amazing as well; but that's probably just a pipedream sadly...

 

I suspect that Switch Pro will probably sell for the same price as the current model (£279.99) and just outright replace the existing one in the marketplace.  Release on the same day as the Switch Lite.

 

The system's screen will likely get a boost to 1080p.  I was originally on Team-720p screen; but with Labo VR now being a thing? They now have an incentive to increase the screen's resolution, so it'll probably happen; even though the system doesn't really need it otherwise...

 

Handheld mode will now become the current Docked mode spec; while Docked mode will support resolutions up to 4K.  Hopefully we'll see developers being sensible though and targetting reasonable resolutions in Docked mode though.  I'd much rather see games like Doom hitting 60FPS than see them aim for 4K...

 

Oh and don't get your hopes up for bluetooth headphone support.  As long as Switch supports 8 BT devices being connected to it at once, it aint happening.  It's just a limitation of current BT technology; it can't offer that level of data throughput neccesary to support everything at once.  Likewise, I expect them to stick with having 32GB of internal storage.  There's no point in wasting precious hardware budget on something that is rendered moot by the Micro SD card slot anyway.

Edited by Dcubed

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28 minutes ago, Dcubed said:

Release on the same day as the Switch Lite.

If they released a Switch Pro in summer then a mini 6 months later I would buy both. But if they release on the same day I’d probably just pick one. 

I see why it makes sense to release on the same day after all that’s what companies like Apple do but spacing them out could potentially earn them a few more sales. Albeit with some backlash thrown in. 

I also don’t think it’s safe to assume any (potential/rumoured) Pro model will be a PS4 in your “pocket”. I suppose they need to stay in touching distance with PS5 and Xbox 2 but I still find it hard to believe. 

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9 minutes ago, Ronnie said:

1, If they released a Switch Pro in summer then a mini 6 months later I would buy both. But if they release on the same day I’d probably just pick one. 

2, I see why it makes sense to release on the same day after all that’s what companies like Apple do but spacing them out could potentially earn them a few more sales. Albeit with some backlash thrown in. 

3, I also don’t think it’s safe to assume any (potential/rumoured) Pro model will be a PS4 in your “pocket”. I suppose they need to stay in touching distance with PS5 and Xbox 2 but I still find it hard to believe. 

1, They're not aimed at the same target market, so that really doesn't matter.  Switch Lite would be aimed at kids/parents, who are jostling for the likes of Pokemon Sword/Shield; while Switch Pro is aimed at enthusiasts and the existing Switch userbase.

 

2, Copying Apple's release strategy is exactly what Nintendo is intending to do, and has been intending to do since the very beginning of the NX/Switch... Even Iwata himself said that this was always the original intention...

 

Quote

Iwata: When this happens, home consoles and handheld devices will no longer be completely different, and they will become like brothers in a family of systems.

Still, I am not sure if the form factor (the size and configuration of the hardware) will be integrated. In contrast, the number of form factors might increase.  Currently, we can only provide two form factors because if we had three or four different architectures, we would face serious shortages of software on every platform. To cite a specific case, Apple is able to release smart devices with various form factors one after another because there is one way of programming adopted by all platforms. Apple has a common platform called iOS. Another example is Android. Though there are various models, Android does not face software shortages because there is one common way of programming on the Android platform that works with various models. The point is, Nintendo platforms should be like those two examples. Whether we will ultimately need just one device will be determined by what consumers demand in the future, and that is not something we know at the moment.However, we are hoping to change and correct the situation in which we develop games for different platforms individually and sometimes disappoint consumers with game shortages as we attempt to move from one platform to another, and we believe that we will be able to deliver tangible results in the future.

 

3, Switch is already nipping at the heels of the PS4.  The Tegra X2 is the most likely candidate for a Switch Pro out of all of Nvidia's existing SOCs; and that already more or less matches base PS4 level specs, never mind if they end up using something more custom that integrates the new Nvidia Turing architecture!  Matching base PS4 should be a relatively easy task here, but Nintendo also know that PS5/Xbox Scarlet are just around the corner... so they know that they need something that is going to be good enough to keep getting 3rd party support on the Switch family of systems going forward...

Edited by Dcubed

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I'd prefer it if Nintendo didn't cause a fragmentation in hardware. They are pretty bad at supporting their own enhanced consoles. There already issues with publishers going digital only, or required downloads due to the cost of carts and having a "Pro" would mean the game sizes are larger. Maybe? I don't think it would be powerful enough for 4k textures or anything.

I do expect a new hardware revision at some point, if only to get the hardware exploitable consoles off the market. 

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14 hours ago, Hero-of-Time said:

More rumors about new Switch models have surfaced.

I think most of us here have speculated that a new model ( either more powerful or smaller and cheaper ) would be on its way this year but launching 2 of them is certainly an interesting move. The smaller cheaper model is definitely a must and should be the one that is prioritised, especially with Pokemon and potentially Animal Crossing hitting this year

Hmm.

And here I was, planning on finally picking up a Switch next month -- a Mini model wouldn't have delayed that purchase, but the talk of a second console releasing this year too make me guess that I'm putting that on hold for now and diving back into my PS4 and 3DS ::shrug: hopefully they say something sooner rather than later if there really are plans to release two consoles this year, because I don't know how much longer I'll be able to hold out... :blank:

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1 hour ago, Ike said:

I'd prefer it if Nintendo didn't cause a fragmentation in hardware. They are pretty bad at supporting their own enhanced consoles. There already issues with publishers going digital only, or required downloads due to the cost of carts and having a "Pro" would mean the game sizes are larger. Maybe? I don't think it would be powerful enough for 4k textures or anything.

I do expect a new hardware revision at some point, if only to get the hardware exploitable consoles off the market. 

If the Switch Lite just has the same internal hardware as the current Switch; while the Switch Pro uses the existing Docked mode as the new Handheld mode; then support will basically be automatic.

 

Only thing that devs would need to do would be to support the new Pro Docked mode.  In that regard, it's no different from other Pro consoles; but it should be a lot easier in the Switch's case, since all of its games are already designed to support multiple specifications anyway.

 

Switch games are already like PC/iOS/Android titles in that regard and are already not built to a fixed specification.  This would just be the next extension of the possible spec targets and should be very easy to implement (just a flip of a few switches, no not that one, and some QA testing).

 

It's possible that some developers might include "High res/4K texture packs" as downloads; but I doubt that many devs will include this on the game cards themselves, due to cost concerns.  This is something that they're already doing on other consoles anyway though, so I suspect that they'd do the same here.

Edited by Dcubed

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As long as all current and future Switch games work on all models of the Switch, i can't see an issue.  It does sound like it will, so that's a good thing.

Making a Switch-lite and a Pro model, and discontinuing the current Switch is the most logical way forward.  keeping the current model about will just confuse things.

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The only thing which is concerning me about this latest rumour is this quote...

My latest on new Nintendo Switch coming as early as this summer. There would be two models, and people who've seen them said designs of new devices are "different from the original and you'd be surprised."

Different probably equates to altered form factor... now for a purely portable Switch I can understand that but for the Pro model, you can say goodbye to a lot of accesories.

Maybe it's a minor issue, I'm just now looking at my recently purchased Switch Grip from Satisfye and I'm wondering how much more use I'll get out of it now. ::shrug:

Obviously the joy-cons will still be compatible but this might mean that a lot of accesories which relied on the existing form factor of the Switch may become useless.

That's why I'm hoping that by some small miracle, Nintendo keep the form factor of the Pro model the same as the existing model.

You can still have a slightly bigger, better screen with less bezel this way and can change the ports a little bit if needed but still keep those accesories useable.

Just something I thought was worth considering anyway, ultimately Nintendo's going to do whatever Nintendo's going to do. :p

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The way Sony and Microsoft have handled their more powerful PS4's and Xbox One machines, everything worked on any PS4/Xbox One right down to accessories.  So it didn't matter which version of those machines you got, everything worked.  Games were more optimized for the more powerful machines, but they worked on the lower tier models.  Which is perfectly fine and it won't alienate the install base.

However, they did replace the OG models with the Slim and S respectively, so i'm expecting the Switch mini to replace the current Switch.

Maybe a lot of 3rd party accessories won't work on the new Switch models at the start, but i'm almost guaranteeing that 1st party stuff will work no problem.  So Joy-cons, Pro Controllers, Docks and the GC adaptor will be fine.  I'm guessing they'll provide iterations or updates to allow the 2nd and 3rd party accessories to work.

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Oh yeah, the technical stuff should still work the same, I was just talking more about the third-party grips that are available for use in handheld mode.

If they change the form factor of the Switch with or without the joy-cons attached significantly, those won't be of any use.

So I was just hoping that for the pro model, they would keep the form factor so it was exactly the same size and shape but improve the internal components.

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16 minutes ago, S.C.G said:

Oh yeah, the technical stuff should still work the same, I was just talking more about the third-party grips that are available for use in handheld mode.

If they change the form factor of the Switch with or without the joy-cons attached significantly, those won't be of any use.

So I was just hoping that for the pro model, they would keep the form factor so it was exactly the same size and shape but improve the internal components.

If they use the same Joy-cons (which they will), then things like the Flip Grip will still work with a Switch Pro.

 

I don't think we have anything to worry about there.  I'm certain that the form factor will not be changing much for the Switch Pro.

 

A Switch Lite will probably look quite different though... probably will look more like those GBA/PSP/Vita style fan mockups I reckon...

 

a-mock-up-of-how-a-switch-mini-or-lite-m

I'll take an Atomic Purple one thank you very much!

Edited by Dcubed

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2 minutes ago, Dcubed said:

If they use the same Joy-cons (which they will), then things like the Flip Grip will still work with a Switch Pro.

I was more thinking of the Satisfye Pro Gaming Grip...

nintendo_switch_pro_gaming_grip_4.jpg&f=

It really does make the world of difference when playing in portable mode.

But it's a minor concern in the grand scheme of things I suppose and it is likely that they'll keep the original form factor for the Pro model hopefully.

That's even if any of this even happens, but it is seeming likely at this point.

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