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LPVG: No handheld-only Switch at launch.
- Thread starter axisofweevils
- Start date
Sho_Nuff82
Member
A dock-less SKU released 9-12 months after launch would have a similar effect to a price drop in areas like Japan that don't care about the home console functionality.
This is kind of smart.
This is kind of smart.
Devilgunman
Member
Well, Vita TV was cheaper than the Vita and all Sony did was removing the screen.
Inferno313
Banned
No? They're doing exactly what they need to do. The idea being suggested that they sell this thing with three different SKUs is what would bring about Wii U levels of confusion.
It's the outside people making confusing assumptions lol. Their message is very clear: it's a home console you can take on the go.
Spieler Eins
Member
You'd still have to pay for a feature that's irrelevant to Non-Japanese audiences. Just like the U-Pad.
They're doing this to avoid brand confusion at launch. Once the brand has been established, they can go XL, Lite, New, 2--, or whatever the hell they call their refreshes. I'm not too keen on the idea of a home console only Switch, but they could just call it Switch Home. As for dockless SKU, the "switch" can still refer to changing control methods, switch to tablet mode, switch to portable display mode, etc.
Perhaps, part of it was brand confusion. But a definite part of it was price, so I don't think the 3DS is a good example.
But they have? Their story is that there's no handheld-only model at launch. It's the website that is creating the conjecture.
Nintendo has been damn straight about this thing so far.
It's people making stupid assumptions like they always do.
LOL no, the presentation trailer was VERY crystal clear and so far consumer seems to get what the product is and isn't.
In fact they are not going to offer a handheld-only option at launch to avoid confusing people after their trailer showed the main sku.
Inferno313
Banned
Yeah. People in America, we never use portable devices. Fucking hate them, in fact!
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Oh shit! How'd that get there?
dragonyeuw
Member
The reveal trailer made it perfectly clear what the system is intended to be. Not sure what's confusing about it.
Sony did more than remove the screen, including the touch pad at the bottom plus some more inside its guts. Otherwise, every Vita game would be playable on PSTV.
If the future Handheld Switch doesn't have internal vents and fans or cooling system then the system will be considerably cheaper. Also the controls would not be detachable so there would be a saving on having 2 extra batteries potential 3 if the Grip has a battery.
Spieler Eins
Member
Yeah. People in America, we never use portable devices. Fucking hate them, in fact!
Oh shit! How'd that get there?
This argument can't be real, lol. You are literally showing why dedicated handhelds are dead.
Inferno313
Banned
Good thing the Switch isn't a dedicated handheld?
Devilgunman
Member
Yeah. People in America, we never use portable devices. Fucking hate them, in fact!
Oh shit! How'd that get there?
Are you trying to say the Switch tablet will be in the same market as iPad and Android tablets? Lol good luck Nintendo then.
Making Switch TV will require Nintendo to remove more stuffs than what Sony did for the PSTV, hence high possibly of Switch TV being cheaper than the hybrid sku.
Well you're assuming it will be a decent functional tablet for your argument. Others are assuming it won't be or that they don't care for a tablet in addition to their home consoles either. (I really hope it is a decent multi-functional device though, because I do want a decent tablet)
D
Deleted member 752119
Unconfirmed Member
How so? The video focused entirely on switching between gaming on the TV via dock and in handheld mode. It also features the controller grip prominently.
With that, and this report, it seems clear that there will just be one launch sku (maybe some different bundles with games I guess--but I kind of doubt it) that includes the tablet, dock, JoyCons and controller grip (that one is less certain but seems likely to me).
Where's the confusion? Especially to the average Joe who only sees the reveal video and later adds and not all the speculation and rumors on places like Gaf?
Any portable only or console only skus would be a while down the road and I don't see how that creates more confusion than say the 3DS, 3DSXL, 2DS, N3DS, N3DS XL etc. Just different hardware options that play the same game library, launched and revealed over time.
Yeah, if anything that shows the problem with dedicated, single purpose portable devices in the West.
People aren't willing to bother with them when they already have a smartphone and/or tablet that is good enough for them for games, music etc.
Inferno313
Banned
What I'm saying, is that it's pretty clear why Nintendo would find value in chasing the tablet market, and that it's pretty silly to say that being able to use the Switch as a handheld device has no value for Western audiences.
People like being able to sit on the couch and do something on their tablets, people like being able to bring their entertainment with them to every room of their house, people like being able to play games in bed. What people aren't into, anymore, is dedicated gaming devices that slide into your pocket. Tablets and phones took over the handheld gaming space by offering a device that offers more versatility than portable gaming consoles. The Nintendo Switch is addressing this problem by also being a device that attempts to offer more versatility than traditional gaming handhelds, while still keeping that versatility within gaming.
Vital Tundra
Member
Makes since. They can't screw up like the Wii U. Make the Switch and what it does as clear as possible.
It may not be a stretch that a couple of years after Switch launches there's a PSTV cheaper equivalent.
However people wanting a non-portable option at launch seems too ideologically driven, they just want to make a point that they reject handheld gaming at the cost of a more complicated product and no extra features.
However people wanting a non-portable option at launch seems too ideologically driven, they just want to make a point that they reject handheld gaming at the cost of a more complicated product and no extra features.
D
Deleted member 465307
Unconfirmed Member
Makes sense and good decision, Nintendo. Establish the brand and product first, THEN introduce new forms with different features. Start with the iPad, then later introduce your iPad Mini and iPad Pro.
By the end of 2018 or 2019, though, I do expect a cheaper Switch Mini for the handheld crowd. Better battery life with a smaller screen (4.5-5") and potentially lower resolution screen (540p?) in a smaller form factor. If 7nm happens around then, the portable Switch Mini could be the equivalent of a Nintendo Switch "Slim" version.
I think that Nintendo actually could release a TV-only version exactly like a Project Scorpio at some point. Not with the same amount of power, but with the same purpose: render Switch games at 4K. I imagine that achieving roughly four times the power of the first-gen Switch at power consumption levels comparable to Wii U would not be too hard by 2019-2020 when 4K proliferation will probably be higher. But that does bring up the question of when Nintendo should start upping the hybrid's base power with a Switch 2 to have more technologically advanced games (thus making 4K more difficult and the TV-only model more ambitious), and how all this stuff about SCDs could fit into iterations, and then I realize that the console hasn't even launch yet and I'm getting way ahead of myself.
By the end of 2018 or 2019, though, I do expect a cheaper Switch Mini for the handheld crowd. Better battery life with a smaller screen (4.5-5") and potentially lower resolution screen (540p?) in a smaller form factor. If 7nm happens around then, the portable Switch Mini could be the equivalent of a Nintendo Switch "Slim" version.
I think that Nintendo actually could release a TV-only version exactly like a Project Scorpio at some point. Not with the same amount of power, but with the same purpose: render Switch games at 4K. I imagine that achieving roughly four times the power of the first-gen Switch at power consumption levels comparable to Wii U would not be too hard by 2019-2020 when 4K proliferation will probably be higher. But that does bring up the question of when Nintendo should start upping the hybrid's base power with a Switch 2 to have more technologically advanced games (thus making 4K more difficult and the TV-only model more ambitious), and how all this stuff about SCDs could fit into iterations, and then I realize that the console hasn't even launch yet and I'm getting way ahead of myself.
????
ShadowSoldier89
Member
it'll be curious to see how much people care about the unique part of this. I have a vita and Vita TV and hardly ever use the actual vita now. The switch makes that swapping much more convenient though, will that appeal to enough people?
I know id rather just have a console with stronger hardware than a dockable handheld
JoshuaJSlone
Member
No dockless option? Very sad for those who were hoping to pay 5% less.
No it does not.
Empyrean Heaven
Member
If I had to guess, the console at launch will come with...
The screen
The dock
both Joycons
the joycon grip
A game (hopefully Zelda but it'll probably be something cheaper to produce, maybe the Mario Kart or Splatoon ports)
This is good news as Nintendo is making sure they present this as a home console first. However, this continues to make me worry that Nintendo is promoting the handheld capabilities as a gimmick and not the other half of a system, meaning they won't put the emphasis on battery life that the console sorely needs.
The screen
The dock
both Joycons
the joycon grip
A game (hopefully Zelda but it'll probably be something cheaper to produce, maybe the Mario Kart or Splatoon ports)
This is good news as Nintendo is making sure they present this as a home console first. However, this continues to make me worry that Nintendo is promoting the handheld capabilities as a gimmick and not the other half of a system, meaning they won't put the emphasis on battery life that the console sorely needs.
That's my point though. The brand is Switch. Without the tablet there is no "Switch". Switch Home is a nonsense. This is what I'm talking when I say brand confusion. Calling it something without Switch in the name will again be a challenge.
At least the tablet you can say it's "Switch tablet" or something and you can market it as a second tablet for the same dock or as being able to buy the dock separately. Somewhere down the line.
But "Switch Home" is a totally different product.
Aside from LCD and battery, what else will they remove from Switch to be TV-only? The dock will just be integrated into the whole package as it has the ports and the power supply, the joy-cons will just be replaced by pro controllers, which is pretty much a lateral move. And that's basically it. Unless you want to gut it more that it can't play half of Switch's possible games lineup.
thepenguin55
Member
But also implies nothing at the same time. lol. I don't see them ever breaking this out and if they do it'll be at the end of the system's life sort of like how at the end of the Wii's life they made Wii's that couldn't play GCN games and couldn't connect to the internet. People hoping for a discounted version of something that hasn't even had it's price announced is very strange.
TheDinoman
Member
Milly Osworth
Member
This is a shock.
CrazyHorse
Junior Member
The average consumer is really stupid.
The 2DS is a 3DS which is missing features, same as the Wii Mini and the Vita TV. A TV-only Switch model could be released later on that is cheaper and has no screen and battery. But they can't sell such thing on launch because it would cause confusion, much like none of the other console models I mentioned would be a bad idea at launch.
While there might be some truth to wanting to position it as a home console that is portable, I think there are two other practicalities that may influence that
1) avoiding impacting the likely last meaningful sales period for 3DS. By talking about switch as a home console they hope to avoid putting people off buying 3DS at Christmas
2) cost. Likely this is an expensive console to make. By including lots of cheap plastic shit (sorry - carefully crafted accessories), they can increase the perceived value of the 'home' bundle and offset the likely need to sell it at a relatively expensive price. Post launch once they have production costs more under control, they can then be more flexible in how they offer it to consumers
1) avoiding impacting the likely last meaningful sales period for 3DS. By talking about switch as a home console they hope to avoid putting people off buying 3DS at Christmas
2) cost. Likely this is an expensive console to make. By including lots of cheap plastic shit (sorry - carefully crafted accessories), they can increase the perceived value of the 'home' bundle and offset the likely need to sell it at a relatively expensive price. Post launch once they have production costs more under control, they can then be more flexible in how they offer it to consumers
Well that's why I'm not too keen on the idea, but you can still "switch" controller methods to a lesser extent. Still kind of stretching it though.
It implies the possibility of it. Not that that is much better. But even Nintendo themselves still considered it and is possibly still considering it. Just not at launch.
Well rumors say a touchscreen, and they still have "surprises" to reveal. A major thing they haven't revealed is the OS which possibly could make it a decent tablet if it has good apps.
GiantBreadbug
Member
Are you in the habit of stating absolutely delusional things as fact without explanation? Usually when people say outrageously wrong shit they try to come up with some argument or something but from what I can tell yours is just "I'm a person who doesn't play non-home console games so I'm everybody outside of Japan" which just kinda makes you sound strange.
Ninja Scooter
Member
This was obvious. It's called SWITCH for crying out loud. I have no idea why people were expecting a "Switch-less" SKU. At launch or at any time, to be honest. Like, that's the whole gimmick. The guts are all in the handheld anyway so eventually the dock will be cheap enough to throw in there that any advantage of releasing a "handheld only" SKU will be negligible.
Okami Haundo
Member
I honestly would have been surprised if they released a version of the Switch without a dock at launch. Good on Nintendo for actually being aware of how not to confuse the messaging here.
The next question will be whether they have a base model that doesn't include the joy-con Grip. I was previously willing to bet that we'd have a "base" SKU without that, but now I'm not so sure.
The next question will be whether they have a base model that doesn't include the joy-con Grip. I was previously willing to bet that we'd have a "base" SKU without that, but now I'm not so sure.
Inferno313
Banned
The 2DS is a 3DS marketed at children and overprotective parents concerned about the health impact of 3D. The Wii Mini and Vita TV were both cheap attempts to wring the last bits of profit from dying hardware.
A TV-Only Switch isn't just missing features, but is missing THE feature. The Wii Mini isn't a good comparison. A better comparison would've been if Nintendo had sold a Wii that only included a classic controller, and no motion controls.
valkillmore
Member
Good shit. Looks like they're on top of the messaging, which is so important.
Blame the 3DS to 2DS event. The latter actually has only 1 screen for that matter, in addition to not being 3D.