Hello.
Did you see the part of the post I bolded before when I responded to him?
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Speculating about a Nintendo Switch mini
- Thread starter jts
- Start date
Hello.
Did you see the part of the post I bolded before when I responded to him?
i don't know. Maybe it can still be docked, but I feel a mini switch have to be a single piece device and have other brand to be successful. Otherwise it is just better to sell the Switch dockless.
Nostremitus
Member
And?
So what do you think?
Nostremitus
Member
There are only two games so far that I know of that require motion controls to play.
Could more come out? Of course.
Are they guaranteed to come out? No.
They could be the only two for the entire generation, as unlikely as that may be.
And honestly, I think that would be a good thing. I like the approach Nintendo took with ARMS. There are motion controls, but you don't have to use them if you don't want to.
The Switch mini could be the handheld for those who just want a portable system to play...
Otherwise, what's the point of the mini? Just get a regular Switch.
StereoVsn
Member
Nintendo needs to have a $200 and under machine for kids and tweens/younger teens. That demographic doesn't care about TV docking much at all and portability is more important. Of course durability and pricing is more important for parents as well.
I have a 3DS for kids. I wouldn't buy a Switch for them. Going to school/friends with detachable joycons guarantees missing joycons for example.
There absolutely needs to be a more durable, cheaper model with integrated controls. Again that has to be at $200 or less.
I have a 3DS for kids. I wouldn't buy a Switch for them. Going to school/friends with detachable joycons guarantees missing joycons for example.
There absolutely needs to be a more durable, cheaper model with integrated controls. Again that has to be at $200 or less.
I don't see how it would be.
I know they didn't support the Pro Controller and I know they didn't with BoI at the start, but that should be booked under launch shenanigans. There is no plausible reason that any game coming out forward wouldn't support the pro controller when it doesn't explicitly rely on a single JoyCon only.
By the time a potential Switch Mini comes out, the amount of games that wouldn't support the Pro Controller should be around a very small percentage number. Even with games coming out that are advertised around the use of motion controls like ARMS they thought to implement a classic control scheme because you have to be able to use it in handheld form too.
For those games that still make use of that functionality, you could still just buy a set of joycons and be set. You'd have to buy some either way, if you wanted to make use of the tabletop mode and/or local MP.
I don't see a single fault in a Switch Mini / Switch Pro marketing angle that would be harder to communicate or that's more difficult to understand than the 3DS/New 3DS/2DS angle. For Motion Controls, look no further than to the 3DS. That wasn't a problem at all for games like OoT 3D even if it was the whole unit that has to be moved.
Okay then.
Yes, more control options are a good thing for accessibility. Although in that case, I am referring to motion controls.
If developers are smart like Naughty Dog, then they can give accessibility controls for those people that have difficulty playing with traditional control methods.
In relation to a Switch Mini, yes you're right, if it has no detachable controls then it doesn't really need accelerometers.
I apologize for misinterpreting Orioto when motion controlled games is a broad statement and got into this mess about whether gyros were a form of motion controls etc.
Maybe next time it would easier to specify accelerometer controlled games and gyro controlled games since apparently motion controlled games is too broad.
SwordStruck
Member
People seem to forget that the 3DS launched at $249, that's not far off from where they are with the Switch right now.
Okay. The point is you don't need use the Pro Controller controls when the Joy-Con controls connected to the Switch work fine.
If the system were to have no detachable Joy-Cons, then the OS just sets the controls to handheld mode just like the regular Switch.
Why would it need to be set to the Pro Controller when there is handheld mode already?
Linkstrikesback
Member
Uhh.
You mean the handheld they felt they had to slash the price of by a third worldwide after about 4 months because people thought it was too expensive?
That's not really a solid argument for the Switch pricepoint as a handheld.
Oh, sure - I guess you're right. I somehow forgot that you obviously could just do that
The Joy-Cons seem like they'd be the biggest problem here.
Would all Joy-Cons be compatible or would only potential shrunken Joy-Cons be compatible?
What if Nintendo made Joy-Con XL's? Would they be compatible.
Or would Nintendo just shrink it length wise, and make a new, universal dock?
Would all Joy-Cons be compatible or would only potential shrunken Joy-Cons be compatible?
What if Nintendo made Joy-Con XL's? Would they be compatible.
Or would Nintendo just shrink it length wise, and make a new, universal dock?
VistraNorrez
Member
I wouldn't be surprised if we did get a Switch with a slightly smaller form factor and non-detachable controllers. But it wouldn't be until Holiday 2020 the earliest. And it would cost under $200 and games would start having warnings about Joy-Con requirements. I'd also expect it to work on the current dock, although it might include a special attachment.
I expect a hardware spec improvement Switch, first, by Holiday 2019. And that would come in 2 SKUs. The typical package that includes the dock, grip, and straps, and an "Upgrade" SKU that is only the tablet console (with big disclaimers on Joy-Con and Dock requirements).
I would buy that "Upgrade" SKU in a heartbeat for $229.99 or less. And I believe a lot of fans would too.
I expect a hardware spec improvement Switch, first, by Holiday 2019. And that would come in 2 SKUs. The typical package that includes the dock, grip, and straps, and an "Upgrade" SKU that is only the tablet console (with big disclaimers on Joy-Con and Dock requirements).
I would buy that "Upgrade" SKU in a heartbeat for $229.99 or less. And I believe a lot of fans would too.
Nostremitus
Member
The size of joycons connecting via Bluetooth shouldn't matter.
The mini shouldn't have detachable controls, though. It should be a solid portable with build in controls but with Bluetooth support for stand alone joycons as well, in my opinion.
That's why the more important question needs to be asked.
People have said that there needs to be a Switch Mini to have a portable that is cheap for kids so that parents can buy more than one Switch for their kids.
So we get a Switch Mini that is $150, done. It's cheap for kids to buy.
Question:
Switch games are $60 and 3DS games are $40. Does it really get cheaper for parents when they'd have to pay more for games?
How can this be cheaper when handheld games are now $60?
I guess this is where someone comes in and says Nintendo will put out family sharing so that parents can buy one game off the eShop and their kids are able to download the game to their Switch units for free.
Well, we'll have to see if Nintendo considers that.
And I know that Koizumi or Takashi was asked about family sharing before.
They gotta fit onto the system.
Exactly. The purpose would be to allow you to buy into the platform at a lower pricepoint while not cutting the consumer off of the functions of the main Switch.
While not a perfect analogy....PS4 and soon XB1 already offer a more affordable option with less features than their premium model.
SmokedMeat
Gamer™
I could see a Switch mini that comes with some sort receiving adapter that plugs into the TV. The Switch then beams the game through this adapter for your TV play. There's no dock, and charging is done the same way you'd charge any other portable.
You'd have to be able to use joycons on Switch mini even if it didn't come with them, because otherwise not all Switch games would be playable on it.
You'd have to be able to use joycons on Switch mini even if it didn't come with them, because otherwise not all Switch games would be playable on it.
We've been talking about it for months. It will happen one day or another because Nintendo loves new models that drive sales for hardware and software. The OP pretty much says everything about it, and I love how it looks in the pictures. When the 3DS dies we'll see it happening. Maybe altogether with a more powerful docking station or more powerful Swith.
No. The analysts who came up with this don't understand the first thing about the Switch or its tech.
Pretending you don't undertsand what i'm talking about to prove your point won't go really far you know...
You perfectly know what i mean. I mean games that are designed to be played with the joy-cons detached, wii style. It' obvious you won't have many of them on Switch. They basically made 2 to validate the tech for launch.
Gyro is something else. You will still have gyro in a switch without joycons. Don't purposely act stupid.
SwordStruck
Member
Point is Nintendo is no stranger of launching hardware 'aimed at kids' above typical price points, and lowering those prices at a later date to bring additional consumers on board that wouldn't purchase at the previous price.
PSFan
Member
Why not just put a hdmi out port on the Switch mini then? Then all you would need is a $6 cable (that they could even pack in) and the "switching" gimmick is still retained.
You mean that motion controls are too broad a statement for all the semantics we have to go through to define what counts as motion controls?
So what is gyro by the way? I'm the one that's wrong about it being a motion control so you should be able to explain it since you know.
Yeah i suggested that in an additional post. Hdmi port and lock video out to 720p/30 to get rid of the extra power requirements
Diablohead
Member
Making it any smaller would cause the thing to get super hot when docked, I would say something like the OP's design would stay undocked in performance so the full fat switch has a reason to exist still.
It's semantics.
What i mean is the intent of my post was pretty clear from the start. I hate when people do that, picking some point in what you say or ignoring the global meaning to prove you wrong. It's pretty common on gaf.
I was talking about what game couldn't be done if the joycons were not detachable anymore,so how is gyro a part of that ?
And i have no idea what the fuck is a goalpost by the way. I guess it's some form of insult on gaf.. Or i must be part of an anti wii cult trolling every videogame forums on the net...
Seriously? Gyro isn't motion control? Gyro was in Wii Motion Plus. It's a motion sensor, like accelerometers and magnetometers.
Actually BotW and Splatoon 2 use the gyro with detached joycons, for aiming. You usually use accelerometers and gyros together for a full input of movement. Either on its own only provides incomplete data.
Betta Lines
Member
How could you use that Mini design with the Dock? The analog sticks are closer together, so they would no longer be outside the slot. Makes no sense, unless they mean it would be compatible with 'a smaller dock'.
D.Lo
Member
Why do people get caught up on console names?
The Mega Drive had no drive. The Xbox One is the third Xbox. The PSP Go did not play PSP retail games. The Game Boy micro could not play Game Boy games (only GBA).
In 2-3 years Nintendo Switch will just be a brand. The console family that plays Nintendo Switch games. The games you play on it an still be switched, pop them out of the Switch mini and into the Switch TV (presumably cloud saves will come to make that easier).
Okay, so you don't know what gyros are. No point in asking then.
I'm surprised you've never seen anyone use the term goalposts here considering you've been a member for 10+ years and it's where I've seen the term used.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moving_the_goalposts
Thank you for proving my point, still trying to invalidate my post and ignoring the point.
Okay, so what about what this guy said about motion controls?
So gyro is motion controls according to him.
Your thoughts?
Graphics Horse
Member
Jesus
Your point won't be proven until the end of the generation. It will likely be disproven before that. Even after you moved the goal post.
Yes, it will soon be a Good Monday.
The Main Event
Member
How would 1-2 Switch work on this thing.
Buggy Loop
Member
Not worth it :
1) It'll add consumer confusion.
2) Joycons & accessories should be compatible with whatever revision Nintendo decides to make eventually.
3) Smaller footprint = less battery
4) Data suggests that gamers tends towards the XL versions of handhels
5) Your thing would not fit in the dock (analog sticks are sticking out of it right?) so not it would not be compatible.
On top of that, you really think by removing the dock (don't forget that USB-C charger is the main culprit in dock prices, the rest is rather basic ) and the joycon aspect they would save ~100+ $? D That's not how this works, they have to open a full new assembly line for this and these machines are not cheap. Mass producing normal Switch bundles, at a high rate, will pay off and drop the price much faster than a new totally different unit.
1) It'll add consumer confusion.
2) Joycons & accessories should be compatible with whatever revision Nintendo decides to make eventually.
3) Smaller footprint = less battery
4) Data suggests that gamers tends towards the XL versions of handhels
5) Your thing would not fit in the dock (analog sticks are sticking out of it right?) so not it would not be compatible.
On top of that, you really think by removing the dock (don't forget that USB-C charger is the main culprit in dock prices, the rest is rather basic ) and the joycon aspect they would save ~100+ $? D That's not how this works, they have to open a full new assembly line for this and these machines are not cheap. Mass producing normal Switch bundles, at a high rate, will pay off and drop the price much faster than a new totally different unit.
Teletraan1
Banned
As I have said before give me a version with no screen, just a black/grey box packed in with a pro controller that I can hook into my TV. No interest in a handheld device AT ALL. Spending money on screens and form factors that are useless to me seems like a huge waste. If the device was cheaper I wouldn't care but spending over $400 CAD for a bunch shit I will never use rubs me the wrong way. A device that drops the original gimmick is not unheard of from Nintendo. (see 2DS)
Xist2inspire
Member
As a counter to that point, the Wii U never did fully shake the misconception that it was just a Wii peripheral based on the name. And as for the others...the Mega Drive wasn't even called the Mega Drive in all countries; the Xbox One caught a lot of flack for the name at first; the PSP Go was a horrific flop; and the GBA Micro was a limited, end-of-an-era product that's the only one in the line that doesn't have backwards compatibility. None of those are good examples.
"Switch" is as much a part of the marketing strategy as it is a name, it's a simple title that instantly gets across what the system is all about and what it can do. Look at the marketing. The "click" sound, the shots of people taking it in and out of the dock, the name...it all blends together to create a strong, clear, and unified message. Now I'm not saying that at some point that message can't be changed, but it's stupid to blow off any concerns about that being a problem, especially now, when the console is fresh out of the gate and forming its own identity. Right now "Switch" pertains to the console itself, and presumably will remain so in the future. Suddenly changing gears in marketing to "It's the games that Switch!", especially when that won't be true, is a risky move, and I don't see how anyone could claim otherwise.
Even Apple uses slightly different names for its products despite them being part of a family of systems. There is no "iPod", "iPod Plus", "iPod Talk", "iPod Go", etc.
Pancake Mix
Copied someone else's pancake recipe
The dock is pure profit if it's not included with the system. Seriously, for the price they're charging the components are not a concern, OP. It's easy to bundle and when they reduce the price of the system later they may sell it separately, unfortunately.
Why would they release a version that doesn't dock? Then the name no longer makes sense and they're leaving money on the table, not least of which from annoyed customers who want to play on their HDTV's.
Additionally, Nintendo is releasing different coloured joy-cons, which are also high-margin accessories, why would they want to discourage those by making a smaller Switch that can't take them? They might do joy-con minis, but I highly doubt they'll remove the rails that connect the joy-cons. Like I said, more likely they just do different sized joy-cons, it's more likely than a system that doesn't dock though.
Why would they release a version that doesn't dock? Then the name no longer makes sense and they're leaving money on the table, not least of which from annoyed customers who want to play on their HDTV's.
Additionally, Nintendo is releasing different coloured joy-cons, which are also high-margin accessories, why would they want to discourage those by making a smaller Switch that can't take them? They might do joy-con minis, but I highly doubt they'll remove the rails that connect the joy-cons. Like I said, more likely they just do different sized joy-cons, it's more likely than a system that doesn't dock though.
TLZ
Banned
Eh. Just call it the Switch
Not
Is the problem just the price or the portability?
If the problem is just the price, which it is imo, then they can just wait for normal production costs to go down naturally, and then release a basic SKU with just the tablet and the Joy-Cons beneath it with a USB-C Cable in a super small package to also reduce storage costs. That could probably manage to bring the price to $199 in a year or two, considering they are currently selling it at a profit. That's already 3DS XL (most popular 3DS) price point. And once costs go down even further, price cut it and introduce a 'Pro' version at a higher price to maximize profits again.
But if you think the Switch is too big... It gets trickier and to be honest I don't think (anymore) that it's worth the headache to make a vita-like design without the multiplayer out-of-the-box bonus and different accessories for TV play AND the need to market it clearly etc etc...
If the problem is just the price, which it is imo, then they can just wait for normal production costs to go down naturally, and then release a basic SKU with just the tablet and the Joy-Cons beneath it with a USB-C Cable in a super small package to also reduce storage costs. That could probably manage to bring the price to $199 in a year or two, considering they are currently selling it at a profit. That's already 3DS XL (most popular 3DS) price point. And once costs go down even further, price cut it and introduce a 'Pro' version at a higher price to maximize profits again.
But if you think the Switch is too big... It gets trickier and to be honest I don't think (anymore) that it's worth the headache to make a vita-like design without the multiplayer out-of-the-box bonus and different accessories for TV play AND the need to market it clearly etc etc...