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[Silent_Ocarina]

So if you're on your bed and it dies and you wanna continue playing, you have to wait 30 minutes after you dock/plug it?

Why does it take 30 minutes until he can resume gameplay?

I think he's saying the Switch kept his game suspended for 30 minutes when it was supposedly dead, not that he had to charge it for 30 minutes before playing again.

 

[GiantBreadbug]

Saying they had a better launch line-up or linking it to the tweet?

The former

 

[Kissenkopf]

Lmao this system is badly not ready.

Your first console launch?

 

[Smellycat]

An activity log shouldn't be hard to implement

But for those who are concerned, the closest thing that you can use is the Parental Controls feature:

https://youtu.be/03bAayBtcb0?t=114

 

[Sesuadra]

That's definitely not me.

I turn off auto brightness on all of my portable devices, I loathe the feature. Hate doing anything and then my display changes out of nowhere. The Vita having auto dim as a feature you can't turn off makes me loathe the hardware.

I also disable auto rotation on my phone for similar reasons.

+1

 

[ffdgh]

Sync issues? Hope it's nothing too serious...and ironed out by summer.

 

[PrimeBeef]

I honestly think this is a "soft launch".

Get the Nintendo hardcore to buy this thing, then iron out the problems for the masses in September or whenever Mario releases.

Soft launch implies it is only launching to a restricted audience or market, with a a fully proper launch at a later date. The official launch date of the Switch is 3/3/17. There is no additional launch dates planned for the future. So this is not a soft launch.

I know what you and others are getting at due to the Switch being feature light and a relatively small line up of games. But it is definitely a full and proper launch.

 

[foxbeldin]

Switch is the best launch lineup Nintendo has had in a while. People forget how bad Wii U and 3DS were.

3DS was awful but wiiU had quite the amount of games. Switch's lineup is redeemed by Zelda.

 

[gregor7777]

The UI is so fast.

Big relief. I hate slow UIs

 

[GregLombardi]

Lmao this system is badly not ready.

LMAO user who posts exclusively in Sony threads shitposts in a Nintendo thread. NEWS AT 11.

 

[ASIS]

This quote from Time is making me all hyped again:

As I'm typing this, the Switch (in handheld mode) is nestled in an elongated case inside a backpack sitting beside me at a coffeehouse. Yes, that's something mobile phones, tablets and Nintendo's own 3DS can do. But it's all the things they can't do that seem to validate Switch's existence.

This is so true!

 

[Plum]

What's your point?

Also Kotaku gave PS4 and XBO a "not yet" in their launch reviews, why Switch should be different?

Decrying the Switch as being "undercooked" because it doesn't have those features whilst ignoring that the other two didn't as well is hypocritical, no ifs or buts about it.

Here's their original PS4 review. Note how there's nothing about an activity log or lack of backwards compatability or PS1/2 classics.

 

[emb]

Activity log was really cool, I hate to see it ever not present. Wii U's was already a fair step down from what 3DS had though, so even if they had added it, probably wouldn't have been all that good. And 3DS was hurt by selling me so much hardware; so I could never get a full picture of my activity across all my 3DSes.

VC isn't a big deal to me. Unless they're gonna say, "hey, here are your Wii U and 3DS and maybe even Wii purchases, transfer them for free", than I have a hard time seeing myself care (they're not going to allow anything like that).

The syncing issue has potential to be a real big deal though. Does it happen when connected to the grip? If so that makes it a more big deal for me personally. Would expedite my purchase of a pro controller. If it's just when they're floating off on their own, unconnected, I can't see myself personally encountering it much.

 

[Tal Shiar Agent]

I honestly think this is a "soft launch".

Get the Nintendo hardcore to buy this thing, then iron out the problems for the masses in September or whenever Mario releases.

That's exactly what the Nintendo rep I met said was the idea behind this barebones March launch. By the holiday season Nintendo plans for the Switch to be a full fledged tablet multipurpose device.

 

[Dark Cloud]

So many good things I'm hearing. Damn I can't wait!

 

[Painraze]

Well, then he should've said 'I can't say why yet'. He's good with words, I'll take what he says at face value.

https://twitter.com/jasonschreier/status/834777847994654720

https://twitter.com/ArcadeGirl64/status/834779198719926272

 

[TheDinoman]

Simply because it's Nintendo. Every system has some issues to iron out on release.

Well, to be fair, Nintendo is just coming off the back of what is by far their biggest commercial failure in the home console market. Naturally there's a lot of pressure from many people for Nintendo to be fully on their A game and turn things around.

 

[Kthulhu]

It's fun. Same reason it's fun to comb through trophy lists for no reason, same reason people keep journals.


Switch is the best launch lineup Nintendo has had in a while. People forget how bad Wii U and 3DS were.


System died at 12:00, plugged in and charged at 12:30, resumed from saved spot at 12:31

Same as the Vita or any laptop, right? You'd expect that from a modern portable.



What? Why wouldn't you need to know these things? And surely you get that playing too much games in lieu of working, doing other hobbies, exercise... is bad for you? I can easily get addicted to games and let everything else fall by the wayside. So I have to restrict my gaming time. Harder to do that if I don't know what it is, or whether I've been gaming too much.

So it's an impractical feature that only a small minority care about?

Why is Jason talking about it like it's some reason not to buy the system?

 

[Lights and Waves]

Honestly until this summer, my Switch is strictly intended as a docked Zelda machine.

 

[Zombie James]

It's under User Icon > Add Friends, but it currently doesn't work.

I saw that in your screenshots but I was more curious how you actually add a friend (friend code, user name, email address, social media, etc). Guess we'll still have to wait.

 

[Leatherface]

I REALLY want a pro controller. After reading about it in some of these previews and seeing the high res photos, I feel like I made a big mistake by skipping it when I pre-ordered. Hopefully I can pick one up shortly after launch.

 

[MHWilliams]

Have you timed how long it is to fully charge the Switch using the AC adapter while undocked? And also charging it while docked? I'm curious as to the actual length of the charging time (said to be 3 hrs), as well as if there's time difference when charging it docked vs undocked.

Thanks in advance!

I have not. I simply left it in the dock and went to do other stuff. I should do that next time I do the Full to Zero battery drain test.

What are your thoughts on the Joycon grip vs the pro controller?

Joy-Con and Joy-Con Grip... good enough for government work. Shoulder buttons a bit too close together and the analog depth means you lose a bit of precision.

The Pro Controller is 100% legit.

Great writeup! Some cool images too. Probably the most thorough I've seen so far.

Any chance you have a ballpark length of the included USB-C cable? It seems super short which concerns me.

As I said to someone else, I don't have my tap measure handy, so at least 5 feet, possibly 6.

How's the official switch case? Look durable and snug and won't mess up the analog sticks?

Decent! It's not a hard case, but it feels like it would protect the Switch from a fall. I doubt it would mess up the sticks.

Why do people care about the activity log?

Someone on Twitter just asked me about it.

What is "standard settings" ?

Auto Brightness.

 

[valouris]

It seems you both misunderstood my wording. The battery died and 30 minutes elapsed before he could get it plugged back into the dock. It didn't take 30 minutes before the system turned on again.

Yeah that makes way more sense. So it lasts at least 30 minutes "dead", in sleep mode, that's really good. Wonder how long it can go.

 

[10k]

Hot damn! One of the guys from NWR (Nintendo World Report) has some fantastic news about the battery dying! Apparently if you let it go all the way down, the system kicks itself into sleep mode and saves your progress.

His accidental test allowed him to resume playing after 30 minutes between the battery dying and docking the console. That's fucking ace.

https://twitter.com/nron10/status/834775813803372548

That's badass.

 

[Already Torn]

3DS was awful but wiiU had quite the amount of games. Switch's lineup is redeemed by Zelda.

Wii U had a lot of games, but none worth playing

First Nintendo console I've waited on buying since the Gamecube

So it's an impractical feature that only a small minority care about?

Why is Jason talking about it like it's some reason not to buy the system?

How is it impractical? It's super easy to implement, that's why it not being there when it was on 3DS highlights how barebones everything is.

 

[akileese]

Lmao this system is badly not ready.

Someone doesn't remember the Xbox One launch. Terrible dashboard, had to be hard shut powered down on the regular or else it became laggy and unresponsive and games just crashing on a whim.

I've bought a lot of systems on launch day and honestly, the Xbox One was by far my biggest day one regret. That thing was a fucking disaster. I went through three of them inside of two days due to hardware failure. It's kind of funny because eventually it became the most used between that, my PC, and my PS4.

 

[oti]

I'm not buying a Switch to play Zelda in bed either. I have a Wii U with functional controllers.

Thank you for letting me know.

 

[BassForever]

Seems were at the stage of the pre launch hype cycle where everyone looks for previews that confirm what they wanted to hear. Seems like the biggest negative is the left joy con desycn which sounds like a bug that hopefully is fixed by launch.

 

[Blunoise]

Guinea pi...... I mean early adopters will test out all the kinks.

Yea guys like let's never buy a new product doing launch ever because it's not fully feature, was PS4 fully featured as it is now ?

 

[uncleniccius]

The former

Subjective, but as a WiiU owner the main reason to buy one is instantly gone, even if it is a slightly better version. That is also the only game I would buy, which wasn't the case with PS4/XBO (for me at least).

It isn't like say, BF4 which had a much better version on the new consoles.

 

[PrimeBeef]

Decrying the Switch as being "undercooked" because it doesn't have those features whilst ignoring that the other two didn't as well is hypocritical, no ifs or buts about it.

Here's their original PS4 review. Note how there's nothing about an activity log or lack of backwards compatability or PS1/2 classics.

It took them a year before they could recommend a PS4 too.

 

[Bubble Walrus]

No Activity Log? :-(

 

[SomedayTheFire]

Decrying the Switch as being "undercooked" because it doesn't have those features whilst ignoring that the other two didn't as well is hypocritical, no ifs or buts about it.

Here's their original PS4 review. Note how there's nothing about an activity log or lack of backwards compatability or PS1/2 classics.

you're looking at it the wrong way. they're not comparing it to Ps4 and XB1, but rather other Nintendo consoles and handhelds.

 

[MHWilliams]

Hot damn! One of the guys from NWR (Nintendo World Report) has some fantastic news about the battery dying! Apparently if you let it go all the way down, the system kicks itself into sleep mode and saves your progress.

This is true.

It gives you a warning, then it automatically drops into Sleep Mode.

 

[SweetDonuts]

Don't care about VC or activity log, I'm buying it on launch for Zelda. The disconnecting joycon is concerning but I'm sure it will be fixed with an update. Everything else sounds great so far.

 

[Forkball]

Important:

 

[GinoFelino]

https://twitter.com/jasonschreier/status/834777847994654720

Relatively spartan, yeah. Like every other gaming OS at launch ever.

It'd be nice if they were there, sure, but undercooked? It's just standard procedure.

 

[jokkir]

Someone doesn't remember the Xbox One launch. Terrible dashboard, had to be hard shut powered down on the regular or else it became laggy and unresponsive and games just crashing on a whim.

I've bought a lot of systems on launch day and honestly, the Xbox One was by far my biggest day one regret. That thing was a fucking disaster. I went through three of them inside of two days due to hardware failure. It's kind of funny because eventually it became the most used between that, my PC, and my PS4.

I mean, he wasn't talking about other launches but just for Switch. No really need to compare it to the xbone

 

[Neoxon]

I have not. I simply left it in the dock and went to do other stuff. I should do that next time I do the Full to Zero battery drain test.



Joy-Con and Joy-Con Grip... good enough for government work. Shoulder buttons a bit too close together and the analog depth means you lose a bit of precision.

The Pro Controller is 100% legit.



As I said to someone else, I don't have my tap measure handy, so at least 5 feet, possibly 6.



Decent! It's not a hard case, but it feels like it would protect the Switch from a fall. I doubt it would mess up the sticks.



Someone on Twitter just asked me about it.



Auto Brightness.

Does the Pro Controller transmit data through the USB-C cord when plugged in?

 

[Painraze]

Decrying the Switch as being "undercooked" because it doesn't have those features whilst ignoring that the other two didn't as well is hypocritical, no ifs or buts about it.

Here's their original PS4 review. Note how there's nothing about an activity log or lack of backwards compatability or PS1/2 classics.

You missed this part:

UPDATE 11/19/14: One year later (give or take) and we finally recommend that you get a PS4.

 

[Kthulhu]

This is true.

It gives you a warning, then it automatically drops into Sleep Mode.

Nintendo does what Vita don't.

 

[othersteve]

To clarify since I saw someone asking, the left Joy-Con sync issue only applies outside of a roughly 6 foot radius from the device itself.

This is a very clean and objectively written preview. Detail is quite good too. Good job!

Thanks!

Othersteve...I remember you since the IGN days. Even the avatar.

Nice preview btw

Old school! And thanks man!

 

[wild wild rice]

Mike Williams is making me happy I pre-ordered a Pro controller. Guess I'll just use the joycons for stuff that really benefits from it, e.g., ARMS and anything else designed around that control scheme. (No More Heroes 3?)

 

[shanafan]

Lmao this system is badly not ready.

So the N64 was a pure disaster then, right? Only two games at launch.

 

[bennibop]

Still sounds like Switch is not for me particularly at launch, cost of Pro controller, sync issues, console price, screen resolution (720p in 2017 is ridiculous) and battery life are a turn off.

Will look again in 6-12 months.

 

[Joe Shlabotnik]

Well you're not really supposed to turn it off? I mean, it's useful to let it auto adjust.

I turn off auto brightness on just about everything that has it. It always seems to either over- or undercompensate to me.

 

[10k]

I honestly think this is a "soft launch".

Get the Nintendo hardcore to buy this thing, then iron out the problems for the masses in September or whenever Mario releases.

That likely is their strategy. They know no matter what they'll sell 3-4 million easily. Then they'll have the system more fleshed out and fix issues and have it perfect for when the masses who aren't hardcore nintendo fans come looking for it come the holidays.

 

[Coffinhal]

Good question. Does it mean ambient light sensor on? Wifi on?

Yep, also were the joy-con 100% charged ? And maybe there are other settings (Bluetooth?) Airplane mode on/off ?

First cycles might no be calibrated yet too but I'm no battery expert

 

[valouris]

Important:

Poor Luigi, they don't let him play MK8 after the death stare debacle. He must be on anger management sessions.

 

[Mrstriker09]

Your first console launch?

Lol Um nope! I had ps4 and X1 at launch and both had tons of games to play.