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[Trago]

Yeah yeah. Dude you don't need specs to understand it's powerful for a handheld. But some of us want to make sure it looks good on the tv and gets third party ports.

We don't have all of the information from developers or Nintendo. At most I think the dock just increases clock speeds.

 

[Aostia]

Yeah yeah. Dude you don't need specs to understand it's powerful for a handheld. But some of us want to make sure it looks good on the tv and gets third party ports.

How could it look bad on a TV screen?
It is even better than a wiiu
Third party games on a Nintendo system? I still struggle to see them if they insist with the bullshit seen in the preview
Market it towards the japanese (also) portable side of things and we could start talking about atlus SE koei level5 capcom Bandai and sega

 

[Fourth Storm]

The dock part was from the Eurogamer 720p screen thread, he hinted at a mic and camera in the Nintendo Switch presentation thread, I think in response to a SMD post. I'll see if I can find them.

Yeah, I was reading through the posts. A mic is definitely confirmed and you can make it out in the official pics on the bottom between the speaker holes. Not so sure about a camera. A QR code reader seems to be hinted at, but maybe the IR sensor on the bottom of the right Joy-Con can do that...

 

[Aostia]

Yeah because RAM is one of the main factors in how expensive a phone is.


The problem is that this "tablet" is supposed to play complex games such as Zelda and Xenoblade. These games benefit from having a huge amount of RAM more than phones.

It should be able to manage both xeno and botw slightly better than the wiiu so...

 

[Dark Cloud]

Yeah because RAM is one of the main factors in how expensive a phone is.


The problem is that this "tablet" is supposed to play complex games such as Zelda and Xenoblade. These games benefit from having a huge amount of RAM more than phones.

Doesn't this rumor imply it can play complex games like Zelda and Xeno since they're on Wii U and this is better than Wii U?

 

[Branduil]

Yeah because RAM is one of the main factors in how expensive a phone is.

The problem is that this "tablet" is supposed to play complex games such as Zelda and Xenoblade. These games benefit from having a huge amount of RAM more than phones.

You mean the Zelda and Xenoblade games that are playable on 1 GB of RAM?

 

[Hermii]

So is there any news about ram amount or are you guys discussing the OP?

 

[Rodin]

It should be able to manage both xeno and botw slightly better than the wiiu so...

Doesn't this rumor imply it can play complex games like Zelda and Xeno since they're on Wii U and this is better than Wii U?

Oh i didn't say it can't, it's much better than Wii U in every aspect. This doesn't mean that games like these wouldn't benefit from having more RAM than 3.2GB.

You mean the Zelda and Xenoblade games that are playable on 1 GB of RAM?

I didn't know that the next Xenoblade was being made with the Wii U specs in mind

I wonder why Arkham Knight doesn't run on PS360, Arkham City was great on those!

 

[MDave]

I get tired of saying this, but being based on Pascal GPU cores doesn't mean that it has to be Parker, or even has to have anything to do with any of the other properties of Parker.

Yeah, I think it might be easier to just refer to it as a 16nm Custom Tegra SoC at this point, as its pretty much the only nanometer size that makes sense with 20nm being that short mid-step to 16nm. If its based on Maxwell/Pascal architecture great. Volta is too far in the future. And I don't see Nvidia / Nintendo doing an entirely new architecture just for the Switch, the cost for the R&D isn't worth it when Nvidia have already done the work for it in Maxwell/Pascal. Maybe we will see some early bits of tech from Volta? Not unheard of when AMD did the 360's GPU and the tech in that was ahead of desktop AMD cards at the time. I wouldn't rule that out, but I don't expect it.

 

[Plinko]

Seems pretty well balanced for what it is but price will be the key for judgment

Right. I love everything I'm hearing, but I won't necessary love it at $299. $249 I'll be happy, and $199 I'll be ecstatic.

 

[Hero of Legend]

Has anything come up regarding 4K upscaling and HDR capabilities at all?

OP says 4K video output (does it mean upscaling or just movies?) at 30fps.

 

[Hero of Legend]

So is there any news about ram amount or are you guys discussing the OP?

Actually Emily today said 4GB RAM is a go in the final retail hardware, no word if it's GDDR5 or anything.

https://twitter.com/ArcadeGirl64/status/792616520308314112

Edit: DP, sorry...

 

[nynt9]

So is there any news about ram amount or are you guys discussing the OP?

Emily Rogers teeeted that the retail unit will have 4GB.

 

[LordRaptor]

Not sure what you're saying here, but A72 would've meant at least getting the same performances at a lower power draw, while generating less heat and taking less space on the die. All pretty important things for a device like this.

There's simply no excuse to use shitty A57 in 2017. That's fact. No reason to spin it.

You were implying that a57s single thread performance is "shitty" because mobile developers passed on it. I was pointing out that the reasons they passed on it were unrelated to its performance - which is to all intents and purposes identical to a similarly clocked jaguar core, which seems to be fine for the other two games console hardware manufacturers.
That's not 'spin'.

 

[Fourth Storm]

Has anything come up regarding 4K upscaling and HDR capabilities at all?

OP says 4K video output (does it mean upscaling or just movies?) at 30fps.

I believe the poster over on Anandtech (who is reputable according to folks there) mentioned the dock includes dedicated upscaling hardware to output at multiple resolutions, including 1080p and 4k. As long as we're fielding rumors, we may as well include that.

 

[protomouse]

Is 6gb even the standard for mobile devices yet? I thought most were still using 4.

Not even that. iPhone 7 and the 10" iPad Pro both have 2GB of LPDDR4. 7 Plus has 3 GB, and the 13" iPad Pro has 4 GB. Note 7 also had 4 GB.

6 GB would probably be next year's high-end devices (Note 8, 7s Plus).

 

[Retromelon]

Right. I love everything I'm hearing, but I won't necessary love it at $299. $249 I'll be happy, and $299 I'll be ecstatic.

English, how does it work

 

[Easy_D]

Yeah yeah. Dude you don't need specs to understand it's powerful for a handheld. But some of us want to make sure it looks good on the tv and gets third party ports.

Why would you even want 3rd party ports. The best games on the 3DS and Wii U were the exclusives, Nintendo and third party

 

[Durante]

Actually Emily today said 4GB RAM is a go in the final retail hardware, no word if it's GDDR5 or anything.

Well, I'm not an "insider", but I can tell you right now that it's going to use LPDDR4.

 

[metalslimer]

I think Nintendo has to hit 250 with this thing. People are kidding themselves if they think this will hit 199 when Nintendo still is selling New Nintedno 3ds xl for that price. I have a bad feeling it will be 299 though.

 

[vern]

The dock part was from the Eurogamer 720p screen thread, he hinted at a mic and camera in the Nintendo Switch presentation thread, I think in response to a SMD post. I'll see if I can find them.

Here:





About 1080p when docked:





I guess this doesn't necessarily suggest upclocking when docked, but that was the context in that thread when he posted. It could just be about how the hardware is capable of rendering at 1080p even though the screen is 720p. Which should be obvious to anyone anyway.

I actually don't know for certain about camera that was a genuine question. I was told it can read QR codes so I am assuming camera, but maybe there are other ways? I'm not a tech guy at all.

 

[AntMurda]

Why would you even want 3rd party ports. The best games on the 3DS and Wii U were the exclusives, Nintendo and third party

That's my main interest, but I do want to play my first-party games 1080p and a little more horse than the Wii U renditions. Third party support is just a general concern for the big picture.

 

[Fourth Storm]

I actually don't know for certain about camera that was a genuine question. I was told it can read QR codes so I am assuming camera, but maybe there are other ways? I'm not a tech guy at all.

Hey, Vern. I am wondering if it would be possible w/ the IR camera used for the reported pointer functionality. Anything else you can share?

 

[Anth0ny]

Yeah yeah. Dude you don't need specs to understand it's powerful for a handheld. But some of us want to make sure it looks good on the tv and gets third party ports.

yeah that was never going to happen. especially now that we know how much ram it has.

it's another first party nintendo box. that's what you're buying.

 

[oti]

I actually don't know for certain about camera that was a genuine question. I was told it can read QR codes so I am assuming camera, but maybe there are other ways? I'm not a tech guy at all.

HOLOGRAMZ CONFIRMED

 

[Hydrargyrus]

What are the differences between GDDR5 and LPDDR4?

 

[Vic]

The Switch isn't made to run a general-purpose OS like Android or iOS, so comparing the performance of both of these platform profiles is kinda of an useless exercise. In the design process for the whole platform, Nintendo needs to reach totally different end-goals than Apple or Samsung.

 

[Jea Song]

So are these specs on par with Xbox one to allow ports? Also 32 Gigs is fine. If it can take SD cards. Also if the games are on carts who needs so much storage? Unless you go digitally only on switch which based on Nintendos history with digital games I would strongly recommend against.

 

[Fourth Storm]

What are the differences between GDDR5 and LPDDR4?

GDDR5 is based off of the DDR3 spec while lpDDR4 is based off the DDR4 spec afaik. To put it simply, GDDR5 is desktop class video memory. It's faster and runs hot. lpDDR4 is current state-of-the-art mobile class memory. It can also be fast, but only with a suitable bus configuration.

 

[Akhe]

Tegra X1 level GPU, 4GB RAM, it doesn't generally matter for a handheld, that will destroy Vita, 3DS and everything else, and i'm sure get a lot of Japanese support that 3DS and Vita both got. That's important.

This!

 

[AntMurda]

Why exactly did the Wii U take an entire 1GB of its ram for the OS? Was it the suspend feature? It feels barren and completely lacking even compared to the Xbox 360.

 

[nynt9]

So are these specs on par with Xbox one to allow ports? Also 32 Gigs is fine. If it can take SD cards. Also if the games are on carts who needs so much storage? Unless you go digitally only on switch which based on Nintendos history with digital games I would strongly recommend against.

No. unless developers manage to downport their games to reduce RAM requirements among other things, I wouldn't count on third party AAA ports, except for maybe extremely gimped versions like the later call of duty games on wii.

 

[FZZ]

I think Nintendo has to hit 250 with this thing. People are kidding themselves if they think this will hit 199 when Nintendo still is selling New Nintedno 3ds xl for that price. I have a bad feeling it will be 299 though.

I'm day 1'ing if it's 300 or below so I'm gucci

Just eagerly waiting til the 12th when I expect preorders to go live

 

[GameAddict411]

The Switch isn't made to run a general-purpose OS like Android or iOS, so comparing the performance of both of these platform profiles is kinda a useless exercise. In the design process for the whole platform, Nintendo needs to reach totally different end-goals than Apple or Samsung.

but that doesn't mean it's magic. If these rumor specs are true, it won't be able to handle current gen games even at SD resolution. Memory bandwidth is by far the worse thing about the system especially if you compare that with the XO and the PS4. As a tablet, it's decent and will probably be faster than most tablets in the market when it comes out. But the problem is that Nintendo is not going to address the third party issues with this device. Developers are just not going to create unique games for the Switch without a really good reason. I just don't see the Switch playing any modern third party titles. Probably rehashes of last gen games.

 

[Dakhil]

So are these specs on par with Xbox one to allow ports? Also 32 Gigs is fine. If it can take SD cards. Also if the games are on carts who needs so much storage? Unless you go digitally only on switch which based on Nintendos history with digital games I would strongly recommend against.

These specs, to me, seem to be noticeably weaker than the Xbox One, but also noticeably stronger than the Wii U.

 

[Skittzo0413]

I actually don't know for certain about camera that was a genuine question. I was told it can read QR codes so I am assuming camera, but maybe there are other ways? I'm not a tech guy at all.

Gotcha, I figured if I said you "hinted" at it it would cover your bases haha

And like Fourth Storm suggested, it could be possible to use the IR sensor in the right joycon to read QR codes. Nintendo has done a lot of research lately involving IR cameras/sensors.

 

[geordiemp]

What are the differences between GDDR5 and LPDDR4?

Depends what they are and clock, but is it not 225 Gb/s vs 25 Gb/s ? (pro vs Switch rumoured).

So the easy answer is one is 9 x faster bandwidth comparing 2017 estimated specs for console application.

For mobile power would be main concern

 

[Fourth Storm]

No. unless developers manage to downport their games to reduce RAM requirements among other things, I wouldn't count on third party AAA ports, except for maybe extremely gimped versions like the later call of duty games on wii.

I wouldn't go that far. Let's see how this pans out. I must say, that anandtech poster's report that most 3rd party ports would probably run at 504p (a true 16:9 resolution at least) is not sounding too crazy now.

 

[oti]

yeah that was never going to happen. especially now that we know how much ram it has.

it's another first party nintendo box. that's what you're buying.

*looks at 3rd party 3DS games*

I think it will be quite more than just a Nintendo box.

 

[vern]

Gotcha, I figured if I said you "hinted" at it it would cover your bases haha

And like Fourth Storm suggested, it could be possible to use the IR sensor in the right joycon to read QR codes. Nintendo has done a lot of research lately involving IR cameras/sensors.

So it may not have a traditional camera built in but I am certain it does have a mic.

 

[Jea Song]

No. unless developers manage to downport their games to reduce RAM requirements among other things, I wouldn't count on third party AAA ports, except for maybe extremely gimped versions like the later call of duty games on wii.

So what lesson did Nintendo learn? If it's underpowered and rely on nintendo first parties? Wouldn't that just been Wii u all over again?

 

[Dakhil]

*looks at 3rd party 3DS games*

I think it will be quite more than just a Nintendo box.

Well, that would certainly be the case if you're talking about Japanese third party support.

But the Nintendo Switch, to me, seems like another Wii U, when Western third party support is concerned.

Of course, Nintendo can prove me wrong on 12 January 2017.

 

[Shikamaru Ninja]

*looks at 3rd party 3DS games*

I think it will be quite more than just a Nintendo box.

We don't know exactly when that transition will happen. Might not be until 2018 when you see the 3DS/DS exclusives find a way over.

 

[DownGrader]

Why exactly did the Wii U take an entire 1GB of its ram for the OS? Was it the suspend feature? It feels barren and completely lacking even compared to the Xbox 360.

I suppose plenty of it was reserved for multitasking Internet Browser (Nintendo eShop and Miiverse use its engine, too).

 

[nynt9]

I wouldn't go that far. Let's see how this pans out. I must say, that anandtech poster's report that most 3rd party ports would probably run at 504p (a true 16:9 resolution at least) is not sounding too crazy now.

I mean, there are bottlenecks with RAM where lowering the res to even 240p wouldn't make things work, in that streaming level sizes, number of NPCs, AI, etc. - if you can't fit your data in memory it won't matter what resolution you run at.

Of course, third parties could put in the effort to very carefully manage their memory and retool their games for the system, but that would require there to be a certain install base for them to put in that investment to do so. And even then, some games just might not be port-able. Battlefield 1 would probably be such a game.

My point is that, given the rumors/leaks and historical precedent, I would buy this device with no expectation of third party AAA support. To do so would be heavily risking getting disappointed.

 

[Jea Song]

Originally Posted by oti xero
*looks at 3rd party 3DS games*

I think it will be quite more than just a Nintendo box.

OK but that works for portable systems. So is the switch not a home console?

 

[Vic]

but that doesn't mean it's magic. If these rumor specs are true, it won't be able to handle current gen games even at SD resolution. Memory bandwidth is by far the worse thing about the system especially if you compare that with the XO and the PS4. As a tablet, it's decent and will probably be faster than most tablets in the market when it comes out. But the problem is that Nintendo is not going to address the third party issues with this device. Developers are just not going to create unique games for the Switch without a really good reason. I just don't see the Switch playing any modern third party titles. Probably rehashes of last gen games.

I've compared the Switch to other mobile platforms, not the PS4 and Xbox One.

 

[The Last One]

OK but that works for portable systems. So is the switch not a home console?

So, the marketing behind the product is what defines the nature of the tech?

 

[MDave]

I think Nintendo has to hit 250 with this thing. People are kidding themselves if they think this will hit 199 when Nintendo still is selling New Nintedno 3ds xl for that price. I have a bad feeling it will be 299 though.

You would have to be kidding yourself if you think Nintendo won't price drop the 3DS XL if the Switch comes at $199 Just have to look at the history of their handhelds to see. The DSi XL was $190 until just 2 weeks before the launch of the 3DS, to $170. Then the 3DS came down months after to that same $170 after its spectacular $250 launch failure

 

[Eolz]

I don't see big publishers bother if they have to make ports lower than 720p. RAM shouldn't be a big issue for ports, just make them worse than expected on multiple points.

Why exactly did the Wii U take an entire 1GB of its ram for the OS? Was it the suspend feature? It feels barren and completely lacking even compared to the Xbox 360.

Pretty sure that was mainly due to that yeah.