Nintendo Unveils 'Switch', Its New Gaming Console and Tablet Hybrid (engadget.com)

And finally, we know what's Nintendo's next gaming console will look like. The company today released a "preview trailer" of the Nintendo Switch, or "Project NX" as we liked to call it before today. Engadget adds: Like the countless rumors previously asserted, it's indeed a hybrid mobile and home console with a tablet element and detachable controllers. The tablet itself (which Nintendo calls "the Switch Console" is thin and pretty attractive. It looks to have a screen measuring around 7 inches, of unspecified resolution. At home, it'll plug into the "Switch Dock," which in turn plugs into your TV. In the trailer, a gamer plugs in what looks to be an SD Card-style cartridge, meaning games are likely to be distributed both digitally and physically. It's powered by an unspecified custom Nvidia Tegra processor.Nintendo said it intends to launch the Switch in March of 2017.

Comments

Clever design

[Camembert]

The photo gallery makes it look like a clever modular design, curious how it will work in reality.

Re:Clever design

[Anubis IV]

Really digging the design for it, based on what the trailer shows. What's interesting, however, seems to be the fact that all of the computing is done in the tablet portion, which is itself relatively small, even by tablet standards, suggesting that it'll have some serious constraints in terms of the horsepower they can cram in there. That's par for the course with the last few generations of Nintendo consoles, of course, but it may also be an indication that they're continuing to target the casual crowd that they've been losing to general purpose mobile devices for nearly 10 years now.

I really hope Nintendo knocks it out of the park, but I have to admit that I'm slightly pessimistic about their prospects. Had they launched this console back in 2012 instead of the Wii U, they'd be in much better position today. The Wii sold a lot of people on having a console in their home and a 2012 Switch launch would have allowed them to take that experience to more places. But today? Their Wii customers went to Android and iOS instead of the Wii U. People were willing to give up the TV to get more mobility and they've grown to love those smartphones and tablets, so Nintendo is going to have an uphill battle to win people back. They'll really need to sell the "it can do both mobile and TV" angle, but even that path may be risky, since Apple or Google could very easily get into that space with an updated Apple TV or Chromecast that can do far more.

And while I know there are concerns about the horsepower, if I'm being honest, even the Wii U was already past the point of being "good enough" for the vast majority of their customers, hardcore gamers notwithstanding (but then again, those gamers will only be satisfied with a custom PC, since even the PS4 Pro and Scorpio next year won't be capable of running at or above 120Hz or doing above 4K, both of which are things hardcore folks are already asking for). What'll be more interesting is whether or not it has enough horsepower to fill open world games with NPCs that are each driven by their own AI routine, for instance. I recall Ubisoft showing the difference between consoles for one of their Assassin's Creed games a few years back and it was startling how much of an effect it had on the look and feel of the game to have the number of independently thinking NPCs doubled or tripled, thanks to the additional horsepower.

All of which is to say, I may pick one up eventually (depending on the price, games, etc.), but the Wii U is already one of the lesser-used consoles in our house (it's basically just there to play first party Nintendo games), so I'm not holding out much hope that the Switch will succeed in a market that has moved on.

Re:Clever design

[Big Hairy Ian]

Modular design=more things kids can break

Re:Clever design

[harrkev]

I am actually less concerned about horsepower than I am with ownership. To me, current generation graphics are good enough. Would Mario be any more fun if you can see each and every pore and pimple on his face?

My last Nintendo console was a Wii, which suffered a mishap. I lost all of my purchased games because Nintendo tied downloadables to the console instead of the account. I honestly gave the Wii U a pass just because of this.

If I buy a Switch and some downloadable games for it, and it is destroyed, will I have to re-purchase all of those games, or can they be transferred to a new console easily? I really want the sane standards set by Steam. I am not a favor of DRM, but since some publishers insist on it, at least Steam does it in a manner that is least obtrusive.

Re:Clever design

[elrous0]

If I buy a Switch and some downloadable games for it, and it is destroyed, will I have to re-purchase all of those games,

LOL, this is Nintendo. Do you even need to ask?

Re:Clever design

[elrous0]

Still, it could work out for them. Their handhelds have been their bread-and-butter for some time now. Why bother competing in the much more competitive home console market when you can dominate in the handheld market?

Re:Clever design

[Alopex]

My friends all got jobs, relocated across the country/world, and then started having families. My coworkers are now all representative of what my other friends did, and they're all too busy raising young kids. I don't have the local co-op option like I did 15 years ago.

I'm sure it'll be a fine product

[PrescriptionWarning]

But I can't help to wonder if they are just a bit late to the tablet fad, haven't new tablet purchases slowed to a crawl because everyone already has one? I'm not saying they won't be able to sell it or anything, I'm just thinking it might lack that X-factor that rocketed the Wii to such success.

Hoping

[Daetrin]

I didn't think the Wii was that bad, but i never did really like the motion controls and always opted for classic controller whenever possible. I never did get around to upgrading to the Wii U (though there are some games on it that i really want to play) but i have been enjoying my 3DS quite a bit.

So i'm pretty glad that motion controls don't seem to be a big feature of the Switch. However i am worried about the graphical quality. If their "unspecified custom Nvidia Tegra processor" can't easily handle ports from the PS4 and XBone (for the base models at the very least) Nintendo may end up in a tough spot.

They're trying to go for a "best of both worlds" approach, but with phone and tablet games eating into their market at one end and the PS4 and XBone capping it on the other end i'm not sure if we still live in an era where Nintendo can continue to survive on console exclusives alone.

But it _does_ look like a more interesting concept to me than the Wii and Wii U, so i'll try to keep my hopes up.

Re:Hoping

[cfalcon]

> Nintendo can continue to survive

Nintendo will have no problem "surviving". Their profits are always high. Worldwide, Nintendo has like five thousand employees. It's difficult to compare that to the video game divisions of other corporations, but Nintendo runs pretty damned lean. Nintendo historically makes money when you buy their console, whereas everyone else loses money when you buy their console, and only goes into profitability when you have purchased several of their games.

> can't easily handle ports from the PS4 and XBone

It looks to be about as powerful as a Wii-U, if not more. I could be wrong- their video makes no claims except showing Wii-U games ported to the Switch. The big problem is this: ports fucking suck for Nintendo. When Nintendo has offered superior graphics in some case, the port doesn't use them. When Nintendo has offered different inputs, the ports ignore them. When Nintendo has offered different outputs, the ports ignore them. This is a BIG deal for them, because it basically means that ports are garbage. A game built for the Xbone will come over to PC with no optimization, shitty framerate, and bad controls. That same game will go over to the PS4 pretty damned well- maybe even better. But the Wii-U version will lack online features in many cases (even though Nintendo offers those), not use the motion controls, not use the tablet addition on the Wii-U, and instead just sit there with worse framerate, details, or levels. Because the port is just like a goddamned recompile and ship, apparently. If you have an Xbone and a Wii-U, you aren't playing ANY of those games on the Wii-U. You play Nintendo games on the Nintendo console- mostly.

There's ultimately no way for a portable to match the full consoles in power, right? So this is pretty clearly a departure from the Xbone / PS4 market, which they were only arguably sorta in to begin with.

The Wii-U was their best model before IMO. With more inputs and outputs than anything else, and the ability to just put most games straight on the pad and play portably anywhere in TV range, the console offered family friendliness and general coolness. Meanwhile, it was backward compatible with all Wii games and controllers. This thing looks cool, but I doubt it will work with everything. One of the screens shows it apparently using a Wii-U controller, but I can't be sure.

Will it be huge? Maybe, probably not. But it doesn't need to be huge for Nintendo to be profitable. That's always been the case. Nintendo will be fine with any manner of success. They have plenty of cash reserves if they bomb, but I doubt they'll bomb.

Re:Hoping

[Rowan_u]

That looks like Skyrim in the trailer :)

Re:The answer is obvious...

[Black.Shuck]

Given the choice between a Switch or my Wii, I know which one I want to play with.

Erm... so which is it?

Nintendo OFFICIALLY has left the "console" market.

[furry_wookie]

This announcement means Nintendo has officially left the console market and is now competing with ipads.

This device appears to be nothing but a 7" tablet with a little plastic charging/video-out docking port that can use external wireless controllers.

This might be the next thing in portable gaming systems, but there is no way this will be 'console' class. It is basically a PS-vita with a dock.

Personally if I was going to carry around a 7" tablet device, I would just carry a real tablet that can do so much more.

Advert aimed at wrong market?

[mccalli]

Looks to me, sorry to say, like a kid's console. They're playing on the TV, then the rest of the family needs the TV so they move over and carry on playing.

Must say doesn't look massively desirable otherwise. It's pretty big. Can't see this challenging the primacy of phones for mobile gaming, and already we see that even with controllers available most mobile players don't go for them.

Re:Advert aimed at wrong market?

[cfalcon]

> They're playing on the TV, then the rest of the family needs the TV so they move over and carry on playing

That's actually the secret appeal of the Wii-U right now. Game is starting, the child presses the button that makes the pad into the output AND the input. You just can't go super crazy far from the console. This makes it into an actual portable, I guess. More compact than a Wii-U pad I think, though?

If I was Nintendo....

[johnsmithperson123]

I would add Dolphin Wii emulator to the NX and sell the discs as downloads. The Tegra X1 can easily handle Dolphin and people will be more inclined to buy something that can both replace their current Wii and also be a portable tablet.

Re:If I was Nintendo....

[furry_wookie]

Probably not a "X1", the press releases mentioned it is a 'customized' (translation very stripped down, low cost, low power version) of the Terga.

I think it'll depend on the price

[H3lldr0p]

More than your average 7" tablet? It'll be a tougher sell for me.

The brand just doesn't inspire the idea of good times with games anymore. Just more tired and uninspiring retreads of their old properties. Not to mention the constant problems they've had with third parties. The Wii was drowning in shovelware. The WiiU was too underpowered for anyone to care about it.

This thing is supposed to be powered by a custom NVidia chip. So I don't know. Is it enough to attract good devs? Who can say at this point?

Re:So many important unaswered questions

[furry_wookie]

>Is the docking station what gives it the console-level power?

Nope. Watch the video and freeze the screen. The tablet is all you get, what you see in the tablet is everything.

The docking station is a small cheap plastic thing with not connectors or ports or anything much at all it is clearly just used for charging and video out.

This is not a 'console' its a portable, and it will probably not be anything like console gaming or anything that can compete with Xbox or Playstation. Nintendo is clearly trying to compete here with iPads, not consoles.

Plastic vs metal on those controller rails?

[RyanFenton]

Fortunately, looks like the controllers will function disconnected - but I'm just wondering how durable those controller slide rails will be.

One of the problems with the NDS series has been that the screen hinge often gets stressed and broken through normal use.

Here, the 'hinge' will be the connection between the controllers and the device you're connecting them to. Just looking at the grip style, I'd thing it would be a constant thing for players to tighten/angle their grip during play. I'd be interested in seeing the hardware reviews before buying to see if stress on those rails might flex the entire shell of the device over time.

On a similar note, I'm wondering if those slide rails also function as a controller charging mechanism, and how that might play into durability.

Still, looking very much forward to playing the upcoming Zelda game someday, just have to decide if it'll be on this thing, or buying a cheap used WiiU eventually.

Ryan Fenton

Different Target Market

[The Raven]

I like how Nintendo isn't even attempting to compete with the other two still. Totally different demographics, different use case, different technology.

It is a little depressing to see Nintendo release a console on a different cadence than the other two, and even two years later their hardware is less powerful. I guarantee this thing won't be running any 4k resolutions or VR framerates.

But that's not their target. They have always emphasized simpler games with unique gameplay. I think the trade off will be a bit easier to swallow this time, with the mobile-tablet form factor.

I'm concerned about those tiny-ass half-controllers though. Not sure how that'll play out with adult sized hands.

Re:Different Target Market

[thegarbz]

It is a little depressing to see Nintendo release a console on a different cadence than the other two, and even two years later their hardware is less powerful. I guarantee this thing won't be running any 4k resolutions or VR framerates.

I'm struggling to see what benefit Mario's perfectly bald cartoonish head would get from 4K. People seem to be fetishising the hardware while ignoring the fact that a large portion of the Nintendo catalogue not only are incredibly fine on their own, but actually use the lower powered hardware to their advantage by focusing on gameplay rather graphical masturbation.

Honestly I've given up on most AAA titles.

Backwards compatibility

[phorm]

This seems more "portable" than "console", and from the video it seems there's not much in the way of peripherals to deal with legacy games.

Buuuuut, that would be a *huge* seller for me. If they come up with something that could replace not only my 3DS but any previous consoles, that's gold (and certainly something the competition seems to fail on). I wonder if the dock is going to allow peripherals, say like an optical drive and/or adaptors for old-style controllers.

The commercial reads like a dystopia.

[sackvillian]

Dog wants to go outside? No need to stop playing with your virtual animals! International travel? You can stay immersed in the same game world the whole time! Hip millennial friends invite you to come socialise? Don't forget to bring the screen!

But seriously, the ad is stunning for its honesty. Normally, video game ads go to pains to avoid reminding you of what it feels like to see another human staring blankly at a screen, but this ad was basically one example after another. Always the 3rd-person, with almost no focus on the 1st-person experience... amazing.

Re: The commercial reads like a dystopia.

[hackwrench]

All utopias turn out to be dystopias.

Re:The commercial reads like a dystopia.

[erapert]

I was more concerned that the depicted dystopia was a hipster Idiocracy where the whole world is populated by cool kids driving around in antique VW vans with their cool friends and oh-so-nerdy-but-so-cute girls in artfully ripped jeans and converse that are just so interested in that cool video game that the hipster douche du jour is playing.

What is wrong with me? Why am I so bitter?

Re:What OS does it use?

[KozmoStevnNaut]

Probably something ARM-based, and since it's Nvidia-powered, probably the latest iteration of the Tegra SoC.

Interesting controller layout choice

[sl3xd]

Interesting that they went with the controller layout used by the Xbox, rather than a Playstation or Steam controller layout.

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[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

We are living in the future!

[sootman]

This is what you get when kids raised on Transformers reach adulthood and become product managers.

Re:Dammit Nintendo

[jxander]

No. Just, please, no.

There is one thing and one thing alone that this console needs: Good games (from both Nintendo and 3rd party devs)

I'd much rather play an amazing game in pixel art than a boring game in stunning 4k. Focus on games.
Half of the stuff you listed can be accomplished with a $50 Roku. Or for a few dollars more, get a blueray player with streaming functionality. Why add all that extra overhead to a gaming console? Focus on games.
DVR Functionality? Seriously? Anyone still on cable can get their DVR through the cable company. If you're streaming Netflix, HBOGo, etc. (per your own demands) it's already DVR'ed. Do we really need Nintendo to bend over backwards to save you $5 a month on your cable bill. Focus on games.

Any extra bells and whistles you add will take away from the core functionality: games (and the requisite cooperation with outside developers to make games)