RavageDark
Member
So, we're just stuck on the battery life. No one wants to talk about the news re: the dock?
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Laura Dale: NX battery 3 hours max on dev kit, dock improves performance, touchscreen
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Sometimes when traveling I just don't have access to a plug, perhaps.
Or if I have a power outage for a prolonged period. This one may sound silly but as someone who lives in a dense forest, it is something I have with some regularity (we're looking into getting an external backup generator, though).
And sometimes I just want to play in bed for a long while and not have a cord hanging around me and getting tangled up in the sheets.
shouamabane
Member
3 hours of gameplay is fine for the way I use handhelds. Will the battery last longer for mobile style games and media streaming?
Yeah they probably did the best they could with the tech available atm. There will also likely be improvements with future iterations as well as battery packs for this one. This will be more than enough for me personally as I'm primarily a console gamer, and the handheld feature will mostly be used for playing in bed and around the house.
Eh, excuses about why it can't do this or that doesn't help make the Switch more appealing. If battery life is a dealbreaker for some then it's still gonna be a dealbreaker, whether there's a reasonable explanation or not.
Like, a lot of people probably wanted to be able to take the Wii U gamepad on the go (or at least fully around the house). It's obvious why Nintendo couldn't do that, but that didn't stop people from being disappointed and unimpressed with the gamepad's functionality.
HandsomeCharles
Member
Let's be honest here: 3 hours battery life is not good.
That said, there are many (cheap) alternatives that we can already use to extend this by means of extent all rechargeable batteries. The real issue is if the Switch will draw power from its battery faster than it can be recharged by external battery packs.
There is also a chance that they will take the same approach that they did with the Wii U. Package in a smaller battery to keep costs down, but sell a larger capacity one for those who need it. I bought one of those larger Wii U battery's and it was worth every penny. I'll do the same if they give me the option wth the switch.
That said, there are many (cheap) alternatives that we can already use to extend this by means of extent all rechargeable batteries. The real issue is if the Switch will draw power from its battery faster than it can be recharged by external battery packs.
There is also a chance that they will take the same approach that they did with the Wii U. Package in a smaller battery to keep costs down, but sell a larger capacity one for those who need it. I bought one of those larger Wii U battery's and it was worth every penny. I'll do the same if they give me the option wth the switch.
Spiral Insanity
Banned
Is three hours really that far fetched to you?
The issue that I have with three hours is that after some cycles, that three hours is going to be 2 hours, or even less.
Hurry up and go to the quickest trademark office and trademark Switch Lite, Switch Light, Switch RGB, Switch Galaxy, Switch Note, Switch Phone...
MisterHero
Super Member
too bad I can't play it plugged into the wall, if the only means of charging is the dock
HandsomeCharles
Member
I very much doubt that will be the case
That's more important than it being 3 hours of battery time running an intensive 3d game.
What are my options of charging it? How long does it take to get a full charge?
If my only option is a proprietary port on the dock that's a big fucking issue. Although I would be shocked if we only have one option. Best case scenario is usb charging like most phones, tablets etc.
I can forsee a charging brick specific to the Switch though as realistic, think along the lines of the Wii U where we had two different plugs (one for console, and one for gamepad), I can see one for the dock and one for the handheld unit.
SinCityAssassin
Member
Insiders who have been correct before confirm charging without the dock.
3 hours is utter shit. Pretty worthless imo.
Like I said in the other thread, this console doesn't seem to really be for anyone. It's not as portable as a traditional handheld, the battery life is abysmal, and it's a very weak home console. It's not really going to make ileithwr Nintendo crowd happy. It's nothing but a compromise wrapped up in Nintendos confusion about how to unify their development under a single umbrella.
Like I said in the other thread, this console doesn't seem to really be for anyone. It's not as portable as a traditional handheld, the battery life is abysmal, and it's a very weak home console. It's not really going to make ileithwr Nintendo crowd happy. It's nothing but a compromise wrapped up in Nintendos confusion about how to unify their development under a single umbrella.
It'll be nice to have a USB-C for charging.
SinCityAssassin
Member
So you've said gibberish.
MisterHero
Super Member
Well that's good, even if it's from an additional purchase for an unrevealed peripheral.
God I can't wait for more info
ShadowFox08
Member
10k says he has a reliable source from Nintendo that renders games in 1080p and down samples it to 720p on the handheld. Lol
Anyway, we have to take into account that if there is a higher clock speed when on dock mode, much of that power, would be used to put it natively scale it to 1080p from 720p(handheld) which takes IP pretty significant power.
Anyway, we have to take into account that if there is a higher clock speed when on dock mode, much of that power, would be used to put it natively scale it to 1080p from 720p(handheld) which takes IP pretty significant power.
It is not farfetched.
But the article or her tweets don't tell us how long the battery of the Nintendo Switch will last.
That's now how the currently popular battery technology works.
It's not about cycles, it's about time spent at a specific charge. What is poison for Lithium Ion is being 100% charged all the time or being fully flat.
Unless Nintendo sets a charge limit at 90% (or even more conservative 70% which some Laptop manufacturers do) it will ruin the battery life for players that only play in docked mode.
(Just so this is clear: This is months upon months of usage in this way, not a few times.)
Athreous
Member
Don't worry, Nintendo fanboys will still say we are talking bs if we argue the battery life time and they'll still buy the same old mario/pokemon and say that it's the best experience ever =p
You are arguing the battery life of a devkit.
Not bullshit.
Just desperate.
It can.
Its a devkit.
We have no clue how the battery works, it could be like Nexus 6p and Lumia 950 or 950 Xl with USB C and it charge over 60 to 80 percent of battery life in 30 minutes or less.......or like samsung galaxy s7 rapid charging which is older technology than USB C but it still charge fast
the other thing people forget, battery have gotten cheaper in past years, you can get a 30,000 mah battery that can charge a iphone up 11 times before you need to charge it again
I put that as an option because look how the trailer show off the device, they make it seem we keep it in a bag, so obvious thought in my head is that even if battery was an issue, Samsung, and other companies found ways to deal with it better, rapid charging, USB C, 30,000mah battery charger and etc.......
and for the people to say the 30,000 mah battery expensive, they have them on amazon for 30 some days and other days 40 to 50........i am not saying that is cheap, but from what I seen customers spend on extra hard drive for 360 back in the days when I use to work gamestop, show me 40 dollars is much easier to spend
so its like i said we know nothing and people getting all crazy, remember its 2016, things have improved
the other thing people forget, battery have gotten cheaper in past years, you can get a 30,000 mah battery that can charge a iphone up 11 times before you need to charge it again
I put that as an option because look how the trailer show off the device, they make it seem we keep it in a bag, so obvious thought in my head is that even if battery was an issue, Samsung, and other companies found ways to deal with it better, rapid charging, USB C, 30,000mah battery charger and etc.......
and for the people to say the 30,000 mah battery expensive, they have them on amazon for 30 some days and other days 40 to 50........i am not saying that is cheap, but from what I seen customers spend on extra hard drive for 360 back in the days when I use to work gamestop, show me 40 dollars is much easier to spend
so its like i said we know nothing and people getting all crazy, remember its 2016, things have improved
ProtomanNeo
Member
Leave thread for a couple hours. Comeback and people are still bitching about the whole 3 hour. Never minding everything that's been said to debunk their grievance. This is Neogaf indeed. I'll try again in another couple hours.
You sure like Nintendo games.
Wandering Robot
Member
Hopefully there's a charger for Switch tablets on the go. This battery (that is the dev kit battery) is nothing special, but it's also not a disastrous overlook by Nintendo or anything.
Hell...my laptop doesn't even get three hours anymore. :'(
Hell...my laptop doesn't even get three hours anymore. :'(
Captain Europe
Member
Let it all out.
AcademicSaucer
Member
go on
KratosEnergyDrink
Member
With modern batteries it take many cycles, probably years before they lose significant power. We don't live in the 90s or early 2000s anymore.
3DS seems to not lost a minute of battery power since I bought it.
Hip Hop
Member
Hopefully it's around 5-6 hours when it launches.
Ideally, I would prefer not to pay extra but the Wii U tablet pad did receive an official new battery wich pretty much doubled the battery life to 8 hours compared to 3-5 hours. They should really look into that later as well.
https://store.nintendo.com/ng3/browse/productDetailColorSizePicker.jsp?productId=prod150204
Ideally, I would prefer not to pay extra but the Wii U tablet pad did receive an official new battery wich pretty much doubled the battery life to 8 hours compared to 3-5 hours. They should really look into that later as well.
https://store.nintendo.com/ng3/browse/productDetailColorSizePicker.jsp?productId=prod150204
Dear lord. Some people just like shitting on stuff I guess.
1) It was a dev kit. We don't know whether or not it was the X1 OC dev kit or a newer one with a possible probable Pascal SoC in it, but either way it's entirely possible that the battery life was not what it will be in the retail device.
2) If it is a Pascal chip, it will be much more power-efficient than the old dev kit.
3) It IS likely that the source was referencing a newer dev kit that was closer to finalized, but even then I doubt power use was fully dialed in.
4) No matter the case, we were NEVER going to get 5 hours of battery life pushing modern 3D graphics at 720p on a brightly-lit screen for an affordable price. EVER. Period. The best we can hope for is that the dev kit was not finalized in regard to power efficiency/battery and we can maybe get 3 1/2 to MAAAAAYBE 4 hours at full blast playing BotW. And 4 is pushing it for sure.
Nintendo did not discover some Philosopher's Stone of battery/power tech that no one else in the consumer tablet market knows about.
1) It was a dev kit. We don't know whether or not it was the X1 OC dev kit or a newer one with a possible probable Pascal SoC in it, but either way it's entirely possible that the battery life was not what it will be in the retail device.
2) If it is a Pascal chip, it will be much more power-efficient than the old dev kit.
3) It IS likely that the source was referencing a newer dev kit that was closer to finalized, but even then I doubt power use was fully dialed in.
4) No matter the case, we were NEVER going to get 5 hours of battery life pushing modern 3D graphics at 720p on a brightly-lit screen for an affordable price. EVER. Period. The best we can hope for is that the dev kit was not finalized in regard to power efficiency/battery and we can maybe get 3 1/2 to MAAAAAYBE 4 hours at full blast playing BotW. And 4 is pushing it for sure.
Nintendo did not discover some Philosopher's Stone of battery/power tech that no one else in the consumer tablet market knows about.
Fourth Storm
Member
Screen brightness will make a huge difference. If you're playing outside in the sunlight that Switch is gonna need to be lit the hell up and that's gonna drain it quick.
Honestly, it's disappointing to hear but not at all a deal breaker. I feel for people who have commutes for longer than 3 hours, but I'm sure there will be a slew of peripherals to address the issue. Hopefully, there is a fast charging feature (not holding my breathe though).
Honestly, it's disappointing to hear but not at all a deal breaker. I feel for people who have commutes for longer than 3 hours, but I'm sure there will be a slew of peripherals to address the issue. Hopefully, there is a fast charging feature (not holding my breathe though).
lwilliams3
Member
I wouldn't count on the Switch having a good battery life This is a machine that is beyond the Wii U in portable form with a 720p screen at a marketable price. There will be compromises, and it looks like Nintendo will sacrifice battery life for raw power and capability,
Not too long ago, we were expecting Nintendo's portable system to be around PSVita's range. This machine will be well over one order of mangitude beyond that.
I think considering how things are with the Switch, touchscreen would be necessary, even if they won't be able to be a big part of gaming.
I don't think the Switch or any device Nintendo could make, could have properly treaded into the mobile/phone market, but I think Switch could make moves into the tablet market if executed properly. Nintendo having a platform where they would get their own mobile games could be big in getting mobile gamers to the dedicated gaming space, and if they can offer some decent functionality as a tablet, they could at least offer more reason for buying it since the tablet market's growth seems to be slowing without any additional hook since they are still not a replacement for a PC/Mac for most people.
Not to mention, for the actual dedicated gaming side of things, while Nintendo may not necessarily care for touchscreen core gaming, outside of the 3DS for the time being, they still have multiple generations of legacy titles on the DS/3DS/Wii U that they can't simply write off forever. Even if backward compatibility isn't something they will have in any form right now, why would they not have any way to have new hardware that can play those games to be able to sell them and have people experience them?
I don't think the Switch can be marketed in the way we've come to think of portable gaming outside of mobile, that's why they are targeting at young adults. That being said, I still think they have to sell the value of it beyond just what we think of as traditional gaming experiences.
Hopefully in the same way it's more like a tablet, I hope it's charging options extend beyond just the dock and doesn't have the standard power brick but maybe uses USB to charge. That way even if it has a short battery life, you can plug it into any USB port or even use mobile battery extenders. It would make the need to charge at least not handcuff you to AC power outlets. The rumors have said something about 2 USB 2.0 ports and 1 USB 3.0 port, which we haven't seen on the dock, so maybe the 3.0 port is on the back and it's just for power.
I don't think the Switch or any device Nintendo could make, could have properly treaded into the mobile/phone market, but I think Switch could make moves into the tablet market if executed properly. Nintendo having a platform where they would get their own mobile games could be big in getting mobile gamers to the dedicated gaming space, and if they can offer some decent functionality as a tablet, they could at least offer more reason for buying it since the tablet market's growth seems to be slowing without any additional hook since they are still not a replacement for a PC/Mac for most people.
Not to mention, for the actual dedicated gaming side of things, while Nintendo may not necessarily care for touchscreen core gaming, outside of the 3DS for the time being, they still have multiple generations of legacy titles on the DS/3DS/Wii U that they can't simply write off forever. Even if backward compatibility isn't something they will have in any form right now, why would they not have any way to have new hardware that can play those games to be able to sell them and have people experience them?
I don't think the Switch can be marketed in the way we've come to think of portable gaming outside of mobile, that's why they are targeting at young adults. That being said, I still think they have to sell the value of it beyond just what we think of as traditional gaming experiences.
Hopefully in the same way it's more like a tablet, I hope it's charging options extend beyond just the dock and doesn't have the standard power brick but maybe uses USB to charge. That way even if it has a short battery life, you can plug it into any USB port or even use mobile battery extenders. It would make the need to charge at least not handcuff you to AC power outlets. The rumors have said something about 2 USB 2.0 ports and 1 USB 3.0 port, which we haven't seen on the dock, so maybe the 3.0 port is on the back and it's just for power.
mrchampipi
Member
Thank you.
Not saying NS's battery life sounds exciting, but come on people, it was never going to be 5h.
CrazedProfessional
Member
A dev kit is benchmarking the battery scenario, if it is unsatisfactory the maH will either increase or the components will be downclocked.
5 hours is probably their target but 4.5hours is acceptable to most people given the formfactor, sleekness and lack of advancement in battery tech.
3 is likely their target if they found that acceptable enough for the 3DS and Wii U GamePad.
CrazedProfessional
Member
The gamepad never leaves the house and the newer 3DSs are closer to 5 or 6 given the 3D effect has taken a back-seat in most cases.
I think aiming for 5 is possible, especially if the joycons add their battery to the equation as well, 3 batteries working in unionson, say 4000mah for the tablet and 1000mah each on the joycons. Bringing it to 6000mah total.
Maybe 4 hours or slightly more if batteries work that way.
UnemployedVillain
Member
Except the 3DS battery life is longer than 3 hours and the Wii U is always meant to be played indoors (basically when you know there are outlets nearby)
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