Nintendo Switch – New Video Game System [video] • Hacker News Board

Re: Nintendo Switch – New Video Game System [video]

#241

Post by JackOverflow » Thu, Oct 20, 2016, 4:42 PM UTC

touristtam wrote: post #193

JackOverflow wrote: post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I seriously doubt its going to be as powerful as Sony or Microsofts current consoles. Eurogamer did a decent anaylsis of a Tegra processor http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2016-ninten... , which should be similar to what nintendo are using in the Switch. I would assume Nintendo chose a processor that can give good battery life, rather than raw horsepower.

See one of the comments: nVidia is providing the graphical hardware. https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/2016/10/20/nintendo-switch/

I'm aware. The link I provided is from a few months ago when rumors about that were going around. Also its not just the graphics hardware, the Tegra is a CPU/GPU combo.

Re: Nintendo Switch – New Video Game System [video]

#242

Post by city41 » Thu, Oct 20, 2016, 4:42 PM UTC

Pxtl wrote: post #205

mratzloff wrote: post #52

If there's a "switch" here, it's Nintendo finally taking feedback from customers and third parties seriously. Console with graphical power that rivals Xbox One and PS4. Check. Industry-standard architecture and tooling (Unity), allowing third parties to flood in. Check. Blends their successful portable division with their console division (this has been a common refrain for awhile now). Check. They already addressed…

Realistically, I'm betting this one is going to lag the competition in terms of specs, and imho that's okay. Nintendo made a huge splash with the Wii while making a weaker device. This thing has to run on batteries. It has to include mobile-quality batteries and a screen, which is an added cost that other consoles don't have. With those components in mind, I fully expect it to have comparatively weak hardware so they…

Lagging in specs is a major reason 3rd parties shun Nintendo's consoles. Porting a game between XB1, PS4 and PC is relatively easy due to them all being of similar caliber. But the cutbacks required for porting to Wii U usually means they just don't bother.

Re: Nintendo Switch – New Video Game System [video]

#243

Post by pimeys » Thu, Oct 20, 2016, 4:43 PM UTC

jakebasile wrote: post #179

takingflac wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or maybe it isn't graphics that make the game but rather the gameplay itself?

Mostly true, but improved graphical fidelity can add to the immersion and experience. But also, compute power doesn't mean solely graphical compute - more power means more advanced AI, faster menus, higher maximum players in multiplayer, and so on.

I'm nowadays a PC-gamer myself owning a hefty computer and I love beautiful games like Witcher 3.

But I still think Nintendo has some of the best games ever made on their consoles. Take a look into Super Mario Galaxy series, how they just work, are nice to navigate and play, how you can play the games over and over again and have fun even years after their release. Sure they don't have the fastest hardware, but what they can do with it is just amazing.

Re: Nintendo Switch – New Video Game System [video]

#244

Post by Guest98123 » Thu, Oct 20, 2016, 4:43 PM UTC

emdowling wrote: post #8

It is so reassuring to see Nintendo create a modern gaming machine that doesn't try to be a living room hub or an iPad competitor. Going entirely by the video alone, every single design decision has been made with a clear focus on gaming. The simple docking action for transitioning it to the TV, the versatility and portability of the controllers, the reasonable size, etc all combine to make this (again, judging entir…

Is the Nintendo Switch much different than the below; connecting a gamepad to your existing mobile phone, or streaming your phone to your TV?

http://i.imgur.com/DlUMgxb.png

The Switch might offer some advantages now, but it's not going to take long before mobile phones offer similar graphics, and gamepad experiences. At that point, what's the advantage of buying a Switch, when the phone in your pocket does all of the same things, and more?

I think Switch will sell enough to be profitable, but Nintendo is going to be squeezed out of the hardware market. They can't compete with Playstation and Xbox for the console market. They can't compete with Steam on the PC and laptop market. They'll also lose the mobile market to the iPhone, and Pixels of the future.

Personally, I think Nintendo should move away from hardware and focus on game development. Imagine Mario, Mario Kart, Pokemon, Metroid, Zelda, Smash Bros, and Kirby games distributed on Playstation, Xbox, Steam, iPhones, and Android. That's a huge market waiting for them.

Re: Nintendo Switch – New Video Game System [video]

#245

Post by slantyyz » Thu, Oct 20, 2016, 4:43 PM UTC

candl wrote: post #73

Hopefully the docking station provides additional CPU/GPU power, otherwise this would be no different to a PS Vita.

>> Hopefully the docking station provides additional CPU/GPU power, otherwise this would be no different to a PS Vita.

Only if you make game console purchasing decisions based on hardware alone.

I would think that the hardware matters less if your primary interest is in having access to the latest and greatest Nintendo first party games like Zelda, Mario Kart, etc.

Re: Nintendo Switch – New Video Game System [video]

#246

Post by GrumpyYoungMan » Thu, Oct 20, 2016, 4:44 PM UTC

ericzawo wrote: post #18

This looks amazing, and the fact they got Skyrim in the trailer is a great promise of its graphical prowess. I just hope they take online gaming seriously this generation.

One wonders how they managed to get Skyrim to fit onto a cartridge.

Re: Nintendo Switch – New Video Game System [video]

#247

Post by mkozlows » Thu, Oct 20, 2016, 4:45 PM UTC

striking wrote: post #128

Retr0spectrum wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In that form factor? Unlikely. My guess would be somewhere around PS3/360 performance, perhaps with better graphics.

They already have 360 parity. Tri-core PPC processors (Wii U is clocked to half of 360 speed but CPU was never really the problem with those games) with AMD GPUs bound directly to the southbridge (Xbox 360 has an R500 equivalent, Wii U has a Radeon HD 4000/R700 equivalent). Also, the Xbox 360 had 512MB of VRAM and no other RAM; Wii U uses 2GB DDR3 with 32MB transparent rendering cache. The Wii U does more than the 36…

Wii U was AC-powered and comparatively large. This is a battery-powered handheld. If it matches the Wii U, that will be good.

Re: Nintendo Switch – New Video Game System [video]

#248

Post by jedimastert » Thu, Oct 20, 2016, 4:45 PM UTC

calferreira wrote: post #231

Is it just me or the console mechanism looks fragile ? If you keep pulling and putting the side remotes, it looks like it might break in the future. Also, it will be quite the challenge for nintendo to gain momentum with the handheld part of the console. Everyone plays on phones and tablets these days, so i don't see much incentive on that part. They should've stalled pokemon go and launched it with the new console.…

> Also, it will be quite the challenge for nintendo to gain momentum with the handheld part of the console.

They're also the only company in the handheld market right now, with a surprising amount of sales, (even with the 2DS), so they don't really have to gain momentum as much as keep it.

I think putting their next handheld and console in the same basket means massive sales, especially for one side or the other that hasn't really crossed over yet. It's gonna be really interesting, and I'm pretty curious to see it in real life.

Re: Nintendo Switch – New Video Game System [video]

#249

Post by apolymath » Thu, Oct 20, 2016, 4:46 PM UTC

Pxtl wrote: post #205

mratzloff wrote: post #52

If there's a "switch" here, it's Nintendo finally taking feedback from customers and third parties seriously. Console with graphical power that rivals Xbox One and PS4. Check. Industry-standard architecture and tooling (Unity), allowing third parties to flood in. Check. Blends their successful portable division with their console division (this has been a common refrain for awhile now). Check. They already addressed…

Realistically, I'm betting this one is going to lag the competition in terms of specs, and imho that's okay. Nintendo made a huge splash with the Wii while making a weaker device. This thing has to run on batteries. It has to include mobile-quality batteries and a screen, which is an added cost that other consoles don't have. With those components in mind, I fully expect it to have comparatively weak hardware so they…

I'm guessing they will ship an Nvidia chipset. Even if this isn't true, we are reaching an age where GPU technology is nearly identical for PC, console, and mobile.

Re: Nintendo Switch – New Video Game System [video]

#250

Post by swasheck » Thu, Oct 20, 2016, 4:48 PM UTC

jakebasile wrote: post #179

takingflac wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or maybe it isn't graphics that make the game but rather the gameplay itself?

Mostly true, but improved graphical fidelity can add to the immersion and experience. But also, compute power doesn't mean solely graphical compute - more power means more advanced AI, faster menus, higher maximum players in multiplayer, and so on.

While I agree with you, it's also possible to flip the argument that improved graphical fidelity as the immersive experience may cover the tendency to rehash the same story lines and action in a different setting.