The Nintendo Switch Console Thread

[Jovian9]

Definitely hoping for some performance improvements when docked. Hopefully none of these games look "worse" than they do on the Wii U. I'm perfectly fine with the way all my Wii U games look compared to the Xbox One S and PS4. I actually have my Wii U hooked up to a different TV. The 4k TV has the Xbox and PS4.

I find myself wishing I hadn't bought Skyrim on the Xbox One S recently as now I'll probably never play it as I want to be able to carry that one around on the Switch.



I think the hardest part about the Switch for me is that I'll actually have to have carts. I have a case for carts with the 3DS now I'll need another. I've went almost full digital this generation (minus Destiny on the Xbox One and a handful on the Wii U....and the 3DS of course).

 

[MRU]

Definitely hoping for some performance improvements when docked. Hopefully none of these games look "worse" than they do on the Wii U. I'm perfectly fine with the way all my Wii U games look compared to the Xbox One S and PS4. I actually have my Wii U hooked up to a different TV. The 4k TV has the Xbox and PS4.

I find myself wishing I hadn't bought Skyrim on the Xbox One S recently as now I'll probably never play it as I want to be able to carry that one around on the Switch.



I think the hardest part about the Switch for me is that I'll actually have to have carts. I have a case for carts with the 3DS now I'll need another. I've went almost full digital this generation (minus Destiny on the Xbox One and a handful on the Wii U....and the 3DS of course).

At least with XB1S skyrim you can get the excellent graphics mods for improved texture and foliage. I doubt Switch version will support mods. However you can just play through as a different character / different approach to justify playing both . I re-bought it on PS4 & XB1 version over holidays when it was €30 and that's what I am doing.

 

[Aneres11]

Having realised I don't really want any of the launch games apart from Zelda, I am still keeping my pre-order.

I just know if I cancel it I will absolutely rage and be really jealous of everyone come March haha.

Plus, I love the idea of the console so much. I feel it could be a great one to own if the games came for it. Which I am just praying they do, but I honestly think it's going to be another Wii U, where its sparse between the Nintendo first party titles which keep me dusting off the console every few months as I solidly play my XB One in between.

I would have just loved to see it have the power of the current gen consoles so porting would be easy. I'd love to see a solid online infrastructure and an achievement system so there would be no reason what so ever for third parties to not support.
I can honestly say I wouldn't need another console underneath my TV coz if I had to choose, it would always be Nintendo. For better or worse!

 

[iosuser]

100% agreed with you on all points, except I wasn't privileged enough to afford the original NES (hence the huge disappointment I wasn't able to get an NES classic mini during the holidays). Upgraded my PS4 to a Pro, haven't touched it more than an hour, same with my XB1S. Bought 6 games during the holidays, they're all still sealed Guess what I've been playing, Mario Run on my iPad I wouldn't feel it's a big loss if PS4 or XB1 are the last from Sony and MS, but it'll be a big hole if this is it for Nintendo. I do believe the Switch must do well if we're to see another generation of Nintendo console.

And, oh yes, another Metroid or five, please!

I'm pretty excited about this system. I never bought myself a WiiU as my wife bought us one (for me and the kids) like 6 months after it came out and I was never hyped about it.

Are the games lacking on the WiiU, yes. But I have hundreds of digital games and am not even close to playing 1/4 of them on my Xbox One. And I love my Xbox One. I bought a PS4 Slim on Amazon around Christmas for $200 new (some random quick deal) and have spent all of about an hour using it. The Wii U, while having a lot less games, I've spent tons of time on and manage to put lots of hours into each and every game I get. I also have 3x as many games on the WiiU that my kids and I enjoy together.

At this point I've owned every Nintendo system (including the virtual boy) and have enjoyed them. Hell, my virtual boy just died a few years ago. So I've pre-ordered two (grey joy-con package and colored joy-con package). The launch line-up of the Switch doesn't have me concerned. Over the course of it's life there will be plenty of games to justify the $300 price to me. Zelda at launch in and of itself is going to make me feel like it's worth it. And if the Mario game is good I'll never complain. Though I'd pay $500 for this system if I knew Metroid was coming


I'm nearly 40 years old. I've lived my life with Nintendo. I don't even look at them the same as I do Xbox and Playstation. Nintendo is almost like a necessity for me, regardless of specs and what they do. Most homes have TVs, computers, etc. I look at Nintendo in that light. I have one b/c that's just the way it is. And I've never been disappointed and now I get to see my kids (who are around the same age as I was) have that same fun and magic that I experienced when I unwrapped that 8-bit NES with Gyromite and ROB all those years ago. Can't wait!

 

[akuma13]

I wish the Switch had achievements and a good online infrastructure too. I'm contemplating whether to return my PS4 because I know once I get the Switch I won't be playing it anymore.

 

[blesscheese]

Digital Foundry analysis. Compared to Wii U version at E3 last year it runs better. But we will have to see what the final version for Wii U is like.

I am hoping that at the least, the load times for the Switch version are much quicker than the Wii U version (i.e., cartridge vs. disc read times).

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

I haven't had anything Nintendo since the N64.

The price of the Switch is looking good, and the games are also looking good. I'll be picking on up.

 

[MRU]

More Digital Foundry Hands on.

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

Reggie indirectly confirmed that the VC is comming to the Switch, and that they are working on something with regards to digital transfers.

A very big plus in my book, so lets hope teh wont be charging is too much to transfer something we already bought..

 

[akuma13]

More Digital Foundry Hands on.

Great overview and they touched on something that i never realized. I always saw the Switch as a handheld that you happen to dock, not a home console that you take with you. It's partly why Nintendo is being criticized with the system. Their Vita analysis ( 15:20) is exactly how I feel and how i view the Switch, the successor to the Vita.

 

[MRU]

Great overview and they touched on something that i never realized. I always saw the Switch as a handheld that you happen to dock, not a home console that you take with you. It's partly why Nintendo is being criticized with the system. Their Vita analysis ( 15:20) is exactly how I feel and how i view the Switch, the successor to the Vita.

Yeah essentially if you approach it as a Handheld you can dock - its a potentially great system. If Handheld is your priority.

But if your priority is as a home console, then approaching it as a Home Console that you can occasionally play handheld, then its pretty underwhelming and offers only a modicum improvement on Wii U, which was already a distance behind PS4 & XB1 - even before Pro & Scorpio.

The feedback that on TV screen quality was pretty lacklustre and with some games at 720p without any anti-aliasing it really is ho-hum.

If you are a handheld gamer, then most of these issues (bar questionable battery life) will be mitigated by the smaller screen and careful art direction.

______

It's why as a primary Home Console user, *especially if you are already a Wii U owner, the Switch doesn't offer much advancement.

As a primarily Handheld user, its a massive leap over the 3DS with the 'bonus' of occasional TV dock play.


So yeah its a tale of two halves, and possibly very polarizing.

It's why I would have personally prefered a sole Home Console harkening back to NES/SNES/N64/GC days, one with more power that could match at least the XB1 in power, so that it would receive the same multi-platform games as the others to bolster its game library, between the inevitable long gaps in Nintendo's own schedule. I would have also wanted in 2017, a device that would at least offer 1080p on TV for ALL its games or at least 900p with a solid AA solution.

The switch sadly isn't the console I wanted from Nintendo, but I can acknowledge that you are a primarily handheld gamer only, who never bought the Wii U, then the switch does offer some major enticement.

 

[blesscheese]

More Digital Foundry Hands on.

Great video...I'm glad they got all the negatives out right away, lol. (I loved Virtual On, so hearing the comparison of that with ARMS was good to hear!)

This reminded me of another thing that annoyed me slightly, I was looking at the Switch being less "gimmicky" than the Wii U or Wii, maybe a return to a more traditional video game console. I was surprised by the Joy-Con's being (essentially) mini-Wiimotes with those sensors. My initial reaction was "well, let's see what they do with it," and I was somewhat neutral after watching the live stream. Now looking at it again, I'm concerned about how they are "promoting" it by charging a full $50 for the 1-2 Switch game that really should have been a free pack-in game. The more I think about it, I'm asking myself, why didn't they just do a Wii Sports Update for Switch, and pack that in?

My concern is that Nintendo is driving their cost up $20 or so bucks by having this Wiimote sensor thing that no 3rd party is really going to use or exploit. The sooner they can lower their price down to $250 or even $199, the better off they will be. Seeing how well they did with the original Wii (and how they botched it with the Wii U) I was hoping for a better delineation of how this console is better than the previous one, and making a clear point of how the tech was going to enhance the gameplay experience.

Everybody gets the fact that now you can take your game on the go and have it on a beautiful portable screen, and the reaction has generally been positive...I'm not sure people will get why they want a milking game or a "guess how many marbles" game...it hasn't exactly taken off with any other console, PC games, or iOS. I guess you could say that is a way they are differentiating themselves, but it doesn't seem like the market is screaming for that kind of differentiation, and the tech has been out there for over 10 years now.

 

[Jovian9]

More Digital Foundry Hands on.

Very informative video. Based upon their reviews I have no reason to be worried about this system as I am not looking at this as being a huge leap in graphics for the console side. However, since it is the beginning of the life of this console I'm sure they'll be able to push it's limits after it releases.

I take about a 90 minute lunch at work everyday. Gotta take one as it's a break from the office and I'm there 10 hours per day. Can't wait to take this thing with me to get some fun in during lunch

 

[0098386]

Just bought some 3DS games off the eShop and I got thinking about the 'love' that system has. It's so daft with the download screen and little touches here and there - I really hope those are kept in the Switch, that it doesn't take itself too seriously.

Remember the Wii to Wii U transfer animation? More of that! I don't mind them becoming more standard like the Xbox and PS lines but I hope they keep the Nintendo soul.

 

[Fozzybadfeet]

Oh? What changed your mind?

I think I simply was caught up on the hype and was trying to justify spending money to pre-order, when I wasn't really blown away from the Nintendo Presentation.

Add to the fact that I have a backlog of games on my PS4, I'm not sure if I'll have time to play.

I'm keeping my eyes on it, though. Probably buy one towards the end of the year. After some users review the system and games.

 

[0098386]

Snip

Actually for me as a primarily-handheld gamer it seems a step back from the 3DS. Going off what we currently know about the Switch, I gave myself a little test and thought through what console I'd take with me on a day trip into town... as mad as it sounds! Because of Streetpass I'd be more likely to take the 3DS. I see that as a way of "filling up" my currently active games, and a way of getting me back into those I haven't played in a while. It's a very powerful feature. Plus the thought of quick, smaller games to bulk out the main active game really helps it too.

I feel that Nintendo are taking a 'handheld that turns into a home console' concept and making it a 'home console you take with you' one... despite Nintendo really being their best with handhelds now. I guess we'll see what happens in the coming months.

I also noticed the Switch doesn't have a dpad! So now I'm really hoping they make some cheaper joycons designed as a retro controller!

 

[MRU]

Actually for me as a primarily-handheld gamer it seems a step back from the 3DS. Going off what we currently know about the Switch, I gave myself a little test and thought through what console I'd take with me on a day trip into town... as mad as it sounds! Because of Streetpass I'd be more likely to take the 3DS. I see that as a way of "filling up" my currently active games, and a way of getting me back into those I haven't played in a while. It's a very powerful feature. Plus the thought of quick, smaller games to bulk out the main active game really helps it too.

I feel that Nintendo are taking a 'handheld that turns into a home console' concept and making it a 'home console you take with you' one... despite Nintendo really being their best with handhelds now. I guess we'll see what happens in the coming months.

I also noticed the Switch doesn't have a dpad! So now I'm really hoping they make some cheaper joycons designed as a retro controller!

Well if thats the case Nintendo are missing the boat on two shores .....

As a primary home console its underwhelming, to the point that it can't even keep up with games graphically released three years ago in 2014 on other systems.

As a primary handheld - without features like streepass, miiverse and with 3 hours battery, its potentially missing the boat also. And as you alluded too, whilst the idea of a full home console game on the move may initially seem appealing, the likes of Home Console games like Zelda are not really intended for those 10 - 15 minute bite sized chunks that many Handheld DS/3DS handheld games realise.

So where exactly does this leave the Switch ????

A home console with major sacrifices to its performance, so it can be made to be played in mobile form, or a mobile console with sacrifices that Nintendo handheld gamers have grown accustomed too, so it can be played on TV ??

Nintendo may have created the console equivalent of the jack of two trades, but the master of none ....


And charging £40-50 for the likes of 12 Switch and Street Fighter 2 is taking the piss out of us all to be frank. And of all the things most alarming - the launch schedule and price nintendo are suggesting £59.99 for BOTW (€80) !!!! and £40-50 for essentially budget games that we would be reluctant to pay £1-2 on mobile for, is the most saddening & maddening thing of the whole launch IMHO.

 

[Taustin Powers]

I am really not entirely sure who the Switch is for. All I know is it's not for me.

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

It has Nintendo games, so it is for me. However, I have so far only been a home console person. Not that I didn't want a portable gaming device, but I've never actually gotten one.

So I will still be buying a home console, and if I get the Switch, the portable part is just icing on the cake. I don't mind that it is likely just a tad faster than the Wii U, as the the latter had some great games, and I just never got one (Didn't like the tablet controller approach!). And while it certainly isn't PS4 Pro level graphics, it is a HUGE step over the Wii, which I currently have, so I will likely be quite satisfied.

Now I just need to find time to finish those 3 Wii games I have laying around and then I can buy the Switch...

 

[twietee]

It has Nintendo games, so it is for me.

Same here. Although I have zero need for another console right now, so will buy it down the road sometime.

For me it would be a "home-handheld" system which is great since I was using the off-tv feature of the U at the majority of times and the only thing annoying there was the clunky and ugly touchpad with it's small screen + bad resolution. All these things will be improved on greatly + the huge upside that I don't even need to fire on the "home-station" to play it + can take it with me on a long ass trip for example.

I'll wait till there is the inevitable Mario 2d platformer, and get it with Zelda. If the Open World Mario is a good one that as well.
And as long as Nintendo keeps producing these little gems like Toads Adventure (name?) or Tropical Freeze and Wooly World + EAs Fifa I'm more than good.

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

And as long as Nintendo keeps producing these little gems like Toads Adventure (name?) or Tropical Freeze and Wooly World *Snip* I'm more than good.

Heh, yeah me too. Those three games are something I really want to try. And with Zelda, Mario Odyssey, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Skyrim, and a bunch of other RPGs, I am pretty happy too. Unfortuntely the former are only for Wii U and the latter only for Switch.. I am really hoping that they will port the Wii U classics to the Switch.

 

[Cnasty]

I will pick one up when the depth of the game line up grows a tad.

Right now, not impressed at all with the lack of games and the actual device so I want some real world feedback and see what other games they have coming.

 

[Taustin Powers]

I have found that I actually do not need a handheld system. I have the Vita, including some games that appeal to me, but I never ever use it.

For a home console, the Switch has too little going for it right now. I'll revert to my SNES for my occasional Nintendo game fix. Super Mario World, A Link to the Past, Donkey Kong Country - I'm all set!

 

[0098386]

I got to thinking about Sony and the Vita last night. I wonder if they're prepared to give the Vita another go and create some kind of dock system for that too? Imagine it, it'd keep it charged up, maybe stick some storage in there for more software, connect to a TV. You could then use a DS3 or 4. Market it as a device for classic PS1 games (go for that NES Mini vibe) since the PS4 doesn't support them, and also the Remote Play with a PS4 function.

One of the reasons my 3DS got so much play was that it was always on its dock fully charged up. The Vita wasn't and I found myself wanting to play a game but having an empty battery.

I know they won't do it. But it'd be nice if they did. There are some amazing games on the Vita and it's ace in itself, supporting PS1, PSP, PS Mini, and Vita games. Bah. Come on Sony!

 

[Taustin Powers]

I got to thinking about Sony and the Vita last night. I wonder if they're prepared to give the Vita another go and create some kind of dock system for that too? Imagine it, it'd keep it charged up, maybe stick some storage in there for more software, connect to a TV. You could then use a DS3 or 4. Market it as a device for classic PS1 games (go for that NES Mini vibe) since the PS4 doesn't support them, and also the Remote Play with a PS4 function.

One of the reasons my 3DS got so much play was that it was always on its dock fully charged up. The Vita wasn't and I found myself wanting to play a game but having an empty battery.

I know they won't do it. But it'd be nice if they did. There are some amazing games on the Vita and it's ace in itself, supporting PS1, PSP, PS Mini, and Vita games. Bah. Come on Sony!

Cool idea! They'll never do it!