Nintendo announces Switch OLED Model
nintendo.com
nintendo.com
That game is still IMO far better than any AAA title I've played (including GTA V, Red Dead 2, Cyberpunk (!), AC Origins/Odyssey/Valhalla) on significantly more powerful consoles/PC and it runs nearly perfectly on the current Switch, both handheld and docked. What's even more shocking is how they manage to keep the game so engaging and beautiful looking whilst keeping the loading times so low. I can boot the console, load the game and be playing in probably <30 seconds compared to at least 4 minutes for top PS4 titles.
Who needs hyper-realistic graphics and 5 min load times (looking at you AC/RDR/GTA...) when you have less realistic but MORE beautiful graphics, attention-to-detail with truly addictive, deep and mastery-focused gameplay?
Which leads me to the new OLED Switch release: when a game like BOTW is so great, still so relevant today and runs so perfectly on the existing Switch models, I'd say the console didn't even need an update ... although I would personally have loved bluetooth audio.
I no longer need to think about save points.
What's important to me at the end of the day is a great game, not technical metrics which aren't meaningless but less meaningful ... e.g. Donkey Kong Country on a SNES emulator is still a better, more enjoyable game than 2020's Crash Bandicoot 4 which fits into the same platforming category.
PS4 had plenty of chances to release a "great" critically acclaimed game given the hardware, even 4 years in yet they still didn't manage to beat BOTW according to gamers/critics. Looking at metacritic, the best PS4 games of all time (RDR2, GTAV) are at 97, which is the same as BOTW.
As for PS5/XSX. Do they even have any truly "great" games yet? All their best games are remakes/remasters which are limited to better graphics. Truly great games are exactly why Nintendo can afford to barely update their console 5 years after release.
And on a minor note, the original kickstand is an absolute joke, it would be nice to try one that actually works.
Also yes, the original kickstand made me wonder if anyone at Nintendo had actually tried to use it more than once. It's by far my least favorite part of the Switch.
The GB Color is also twice as fast and has more than double the RAM. (Although one can argue if it's an upgrade or a real "separate" console)
The New 3ds has been mentioned, which is more than 8 times faster and has double the ram.
The only handheld generation where Nintendo didn't do this was the GBA, so it's very common.
Though, I would still argue a 4K upgrade is a little far fetched. Nintendo hardware has always been less powerful than that of its 'competitors', who only recently started pushing 4K. (whether or not Nintendo actually competes with Sony and Microsoft is a whole other discussion :P).
Since we're talking things that affect portability/battery life in general: The GBA SP, aside from being their first foldable handheld, was the first with an internal light and a built-in rechargeable battery (instead of taking AA or AAA batteries).
Just try something like Apex Legends and you'll see how it pretty much looks like you're seeing through an oily film. Even the DLCs for the console darling, Breath of the Wild, can't sustain smooth 30fps gameplay.
People didn't expect better hardware to get 4K. People expected better hardware to make their games playable on internal 720p screen.
let me introduce you /r/nintendo lol. I do see your point. Mid-generation upgrades have been done before and they can work. I still don't think it's necessary. Ultimately developers have to target the old hardware still, so it's not like games will change drastically, and it causes confusion for consumers. That's just my opinion of course.
It's just a money grab selling underperforming AAA ports on switch.
Switch is hardly competitive with modern phone chipsets with its old architecture.
Of course that’s not an argument against improving Specs, but to do that they’d probably launch a new generation.
I pretty much only play Nintendo titles or small indie games and I have never experienced any framerate issues.
Heck, even slow strategy games like XCOM2 don't run well.
It's not even with the DLCs. Korok Forest, as beautiful as it is, is commonly known as "Frame Drop Forest".
It would result in an opposite effect. New SoC, developed in 5nm process or 7nm process would consume way less energy, which would dramatically increase battery life.
It's not really that hard to believe if you look at a) how long console lifespans are b) what kind of hardware Nintendo usually puts in their home consoles.
Actually, not even. Pretty sure the new New 3DS had a beefier processor and added the 2nd joystick.
I actually thought at the time that it was going to be a stealth new console, similar to how the Gameboy Color was originally just “gameboy games, now in color”, but after a couple of years GBC-only titles were the norm. That didn’t happen, of course.
Sony and Microsoft have greatly pushed the capabilities of consoles over the past 20 years. Nintendo for its part has been happy to stay out of the specs race and focus its console offerings around staples like Mario and Zelda.
And there are also underperforming first-party games. BOTW had drops to 15 fps in some areas, and Link's Awakening had major performance issues.
Good thing we got WarioWare and whatever the current version of Wii Fit is called.
Nintendo is seriously out of touch with the market and they are still viewing themselves as a toymaker. I have no idea how their core fanbase doesn't get tired of rehashing the same 5 games for 4 decades.
They have been advertising to us since we were literal babies. Their corporate mascots have become familiar characters.
I personally find it extremely unethical Nintendo advertises to children. As an adult my brain still reacts to their corporate mascots.
Nintendo Switch sells a lot in it's current form competing directly/indirectly with new gen consoles, and it's halfway through the Switch lifecycle, and Nintendo way - at least for handhelds - is to launch new versions, like themed ones, of the same hardware (even with minor tweaks - like New 3DS, 3DS XL, etc).
It works, why change it?
Because they can't get the lasted releases? They still get some, like Doom, but some would never run properly on this form factor, specially at this price point.
They sell entertainment, and they are pretty good at it. I'd even go through the length of saying Nintendo might position themselves more towards Disney then Sony Computer Entertainment, for sure they are between them and they're alone there.
It should be quite inspiring for startups really. It's solid evidence that your customers will pay much more than you'd think when the product you're selling is a great fit for their needs.
The lesson is that you shouldn't cut prices based on your instincts. Test the market, and only discount when your sales data shows that you actually need to. If you can sell a product for a premium long past the point where you'd expect to need to start discounting then the only thing wrong was your expectation. Believe the market.
And there is also another point to consider. 2020 brought a huge drain of hardware-supply, we've seen it with the new xbox and PS5. Nintendo already had supply-problems in better times, now way would they risk bringing some new hotseller in the actual situation.
Nintendo denies all reports of new products until they're released; regardless of if the rumor is right or not.
Nintendo is best in class for using psychology tricks.
Edit- I'm not referring to 2021, I'm referring to 2000-2020.
Actually, some software companies (especially Electron-based software) have realised how grave the hardware shortages are now that they're optimising their software to run more efficiently at the expense of slowdown in feature-adding (which if it's a more normal event it will be ignored for development velocity).
7-inch instead of 6.2-inch, but still 1280x720.
It plays all current games on Xbox Game Pass at Ultra High settings, so I don't feel a big urge to get any new consoles.
And with the curved 3440x1440p 144hz monitor I'm starting to prefer gaming on the PC again (except Switch games, of course, currently playing Super Mario Golf and Game Maker Studio on there).
Granted it's more expensive, but it also gives me a beefy computer for development, if I ever come up with a game idea that's not some simple graphic puzzle game (I'm trying, my designer brain just really likes grids for some reason, and I have very limited art skills).
I use my Switch only plugged into its dock routed through another device that allows me to use Bluetooth headphones. So it's not an issue for me. But I really can't understand how you can sell something as portable if you can't use it with Bluetooth headphones out of the box.
With that, if you already have a Switch, don't bother upgrading.
How do we know that? What is to say they won't announce that next week? Was there something specific about the 6th July being the date we would find out whether the rumours were true?
Everyone Else: Where do I preorder?
My biggest question is the OLED, is it pentile? Since the resolution is the same but with a larger 7" OLED, the pixel density are already lower, and if they are using the industry norm pentile matrix OLED, it would means the pixel density is even lower for certain colour.
I suppose better colour saturation and accuracy might make up for it. Although $349 is quite expensive. I guess since they cant make enough of it for demand they might as well price it higher.
I am wondering if Nvidia SoC will make it into Switch 2 again. Low Budget Low Margin chips aren't exactly their usual play. And sometimes I just wish Nintendo make their own Smartphones.
Curious if they will do it again.
A lot of people are hoping for unannounced changes, but there doesn't seem to be any.
They're ok for solo gaming, but anything multiplayer or especially cooperative is impossible.
If controller's longevity is inherently problematic, how is it suitable for solo while not so for copperative?
So bad yet so expensive. I am honestly amazed there is no drama around it, its THAT bad. People can obviously tolerate any kind of shit.
But let's be honest, you don't buy Nintendo products for high quality gaming, you buy it because you always buy Zelda.
There are some games that are basically unplayable because the drift will unpredictably fuck things up. Like the new Super Mario Golf game, for example. I tried it with the old Joy Cons and the drift will randomly add curve to your shot and ruin the shot, and some of the challenges in Adventure mode in particular don't leave much room for error.
Did you really manage to break 2 Pro controllers? If so, how and in which way is it broken?
Not really doubting you, however those are beasts and, generally, renowned as the better controllers (compared to Xbox, PS4).
I have one (Xenoblade one) and it has around 500 hours of playtime on it - feels like new...
this announcement is only disappointing because while the Switch is obviously a hybrid handheld/TV console, Nintendo has a great history of making hardware updates to their handheld lines that make them better in various ways (not just performance!).
So, rather than fix the issue they throw in wired so people won't complain?
At this point they need to make a home console and a handheld separately. I love my switch (2.0),but the wireless issues drive me insane. No way in hell will I reward them by buying this version.
OMG, we are in 2021. Ethernet ports should be on ones body already and people love that 2021 nintendo added one. Amazed.
More importantly, it sends a message to other vendors they shouldn't remove the Ethernet port too hastily. Apple won't listen, someone else might. Really, too many companies seem to reason "Apple removed it so can we." At least someone can point out: "Nintendo did it, too, and later regretted it."
Someone should tell Nintendo's marketing department.
They didn’t mention it but I assume the OLED would be more power efficient.
In fact, it can use up more power in white/light scenes to the point that it averages out to not really make a huge difference. If your average use include a lot of light/white content, you'd have even less battery life than what you'd get with LCD. Here's one test (a bit older but OLED hasn't changed much since then): https://www.anandtech.com/show/10697/the-lenovo-thinkpad-x1-...
The strangest thing I learned is, virtually everyone uses the same thumbsticks. Sony and Microsoft etc. buy them all from a company called ALPS, whom I remember as mouse/trackpad manufacturers back in the nineties.
So why do Switches seem to have so much trouble with this, while Playstations don't? my guesses…
- Switches are just used a lot more (seems unlikely)
- Switches get exposed to more dirt and crap by being thrown in backpacks and bags a lot (maybe?)
- The clearance between the joycon and the stick mechanism isn't tight enough (doesn't hold up to scrutiny IMHO)
Anyway, I've found that dribbling a little rubbing alcohol on the ball of the thumbsticks and rocking a few orbits usually clears it up for a few months, and I still derive enough joy from these cons to give them a pass on it.
OEM replacement for Switch - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32840163595.html
yes, probably different product lines (in fact definitely, the Xbox stick is threaded metal), but I dug into ALPS's inventory and they don't offer more than two or possibly three models in total.
Tried pure alcohol on all drifting ones without any effect whatsoever.
Docked-only features like DLSS are unnecessary.
Even with DLSS, the CPU heavily limits performance anyway.
Indies are making so much money on Switch that there is a guaranteed pipeline of titles, plus Nintendo 1st-party, to keep the system relevant for about another 3 years, until hopefully we see a Switch 2 with much more powerful CPU and GPU (with basic raytracing), still 720p handheld, with maybe a standalone dock with a DLSS chip for 4k docked.