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Nintendo Switch | Hardware Review Thread

thatJohann

Member
So it seems that left joy con issue is in fact a thing? I keep reading mentions of it on the reviews. That's not good. And why hasn't Nintendo said a thing yet? I'll wait for a newer revision of the hardware down the line after the iron out the kinks.
 

jobrro

Member
That DF review raised some pretty head-scratching design decisions. Like, why it the world would the OS UI be upscaled 720p instead of native 1080p when docked?

Hopefully they care enough to patch this in either the day one update or shortly after.

Very strange decision.
 
Is it possible the day one update isn't out yet because they're looking into a last second joycon fix to be added into the patch? Or would they just release the initial day one update as originally planned and then a joycon fix later?
 

Spirited

Mine is pretty and pink
No? The wiiU -> Xbox One was significantly smaller than the Wii -> 360

Saying a system that's about ~4x the power (docked) has a larger gap seems crazy.

Yeah I very much do not understand comments like that in regards to the switch's hardware.
 
That DF review raised some pretty head-scratching design decisions. Like, why it the world would the OS UI be upscaled 720p instead of native 1080p when docked?

I'm guessing because the signal refreshes faster with software upscale than just changing the signal display...?

Actual guess.
 

NSESN

Member
BTW, if anyone wants to read a review that is informative but at the same time doesn't save Nintendo from criticism I recomend the Digital Foundry one. Bonus points for doing a separated article about the Joy-Con problems
 

Kureransu

Member
Yeah, it definitely is a soft launch, Zelda and Bomberman aside, I'll only have indies to cover-up the lack of software until MK8.



Indeed, but Nintendo has the big end of the stick here, they decided when to lift the embargo. I put the fault on them on this one.

I think if they embargo'd for march 6th, it would have gave a negative vibe all around. so it was a catch 22 for them regardless.
 

MikeBison

Member
Hardware reviews make very little sense in isolation, rather I've learnt more from the impressions and videos over the last couple of weeks. The shortcomings of the system are plain to see. But It has some excellent features.

Overall, I feel like Nintendo are putting a good foot forward and the system will live or die on the support it receives. It gets off to a strong start by the simple fact that in a couple of days we get to play a (what might well be the very best Zelda) full scale Zelda game on the go and at home.

Indie support seems great and in a month or so's time we can tear around in Mario kart and then take the console out of the house, snap off a controller and play multiplayer MK incredibly easily.

Same goes for Splatoon etc. Then the end of the year a new 3D Mario. Again, could be an instant classic.

The possibility to play amazing Nintendo first party games on the go and at home is a tantalising prospect. People like IGN telling me that the online infrastructure isn't already in place is a total moot point.

Edit:

Hardare reviews maybe make sense more for someone who wants Switch as their only console. If that's the case, it maybe makes sense to wait until fall. But for most of us, this is our 'Nintendo machine'. Never going to compete for the living room the way the PS4 or even XB1 does in terms of it's features like Netlfix etc etc.
 

Vanillalite

Ask me about the GAF Notebook
Reviews seem to all basically be like 9/10 for handheld mode with battery drain being the main issue. Then more like 6 or 7/10 for console mode depending upon how much the joy con sync fucked with you and how much of a bitch the setup is in your entertainment center.

To be expected honestly.

*Shrugs*
 

jts

...hate me...
Damn, sounds great. IGN's review seems to be basura and completely out of line with the average excitement though. Oh well, I remember IGN being good.
 

Schnozberry

Member
So the IGN review claims the power gap between the Switch and the Xbox One is the same as the original Wii and the 360

IGN can't really do math, then. The Wii GPU was 20x slower than the Xbox 360, and 19x slower than the PS3.

In this case, we're talking about the PS4 and Xbox One being 3-4x more powerful, and that's before considering any potential differences in architectural efficiency.
 

Skyzard

Banned
Is it possible the day one update isn't out yet because they're looking into a last second joycon fix to be added into the patch? Or would they just release the initial day one update as originally planned and then a joycon fix later?

Is it Day 1 yet? :p

Or were they supposed to release it before the hardware embargo? (I don't know).
 
I'm starting to think that Nintendo really is executing the strategy theorized about by a few commentators. Do a soft launch of the Switch and let the hardcore get theirs, stock up big games for the next 8 months, then really push it at christmas after a major OS update that rolls out the full online network and features.

Right now the system really does seem like a blank slate that does nothing but play Zelda. That just screams "early adopter product".

The problem with that strategy is that narratives can be tough to break. If the narrative around the system is that it has no games worth playing other than Zelda (which isn't exclusive to the system) then you're not going to get the mainstream buzz that made the PS2, the Wii, and the PS4 a hit with casuals.

Personally I think the delay is only going to hurt it...between now and Christmas is long enough for the word to get out that while this looks like a tablet, it has none of a tablet's functionality.
 

KingSnake

The Birthday Skeleton
Yeah, the Digital Foundry review + the Joycons issue article are very well done articles. Strongly recommended.
 
I'm still getting one, but all these reviews say pretty much the same thing.

It's best to wait if you're not dying to have it at launch.

Not sure why they made such ridiculous hardware decisions.

- Poor kickstand
- Memory card is behind the kickstand
- Charging port on the bottom. Can't use the kickstand and charge at the same time. Who the hell thought this was a good idea?
- Joy cons clearly not tested properly because almost all the reviews mention connectivity issues.

I'm going to feel annoyed when they fix all these problems with the next hardware revision.
 

Seik

Banned
I think if they embargo'd for march 6th, it would have gave a negative vibe all around. so it was a catch 22 for them regardless.

That's not what I meant at all.

They should have prepared better and release the day 1/online patch BEFORE launch so that reviewers could do their reviews properly, not delay the embargo post-launch, that would be shady AF.

And WTF...the OS is 720p even when docked? lol
 

Coxy100

Banned
Going by the reviews i guess the console is still work in progress would be a terrible purchase at launch at that price , will hold off until a future price drop and more nintendo games.

This is where I'm at. I want it to be a success - but reviews like the Wired make me glad I'm not day 1.
 

jobrro

Member
I really think DF's is the best review, it's very informative and realistic about the capabilities and what to expect.

Yeah. Concerns about possibly scratching the screen with the docking mechanism, heatmaps in the varying modes, comprehensive tests of the Joycon desync issue to accompany their prior article and generally just a thorough review all round.
 

BitStyle

Unconfirmed Member
So it seems that left joy con issue is in fact a thing? I keep reading mentions of it on the reviews. That's not good. And why hasn't Nintendo said a thing yet? I'll wait for a newer revision of the hardware down the line after the iron out the kinks.
It's a joycon issue period (not specifically left or right). It deals with the Bluetooth frequency being too low, so signal gets obstructed when objects containing water (like hands or body) are in front of it. For Nintendo's sake, it should hopefully be fixed via firmware.
 

Magnalon

Neo Member
when do we see the game reviews

I know zelda is tomorrow, but the rest?

I have reviews for Shovel Knight, Zelda, and Bomberman going up before launch on their embargoes at Destructoid.

A lot of outlets didn't get 1-2 Switch. Snipperclips will be sent out when the eShop goes live (roughly Thursday evening).
 

Ninja Dom

Member
Oh my, I wanna see all the Mario illustrations of him and the gang playing the Switch.
jpg
 
The way people talking about this as a "portable with a TV out" I wonder, or hope, we get a revision that's portable only. Non-detachable joycons and no bundled dock, maybe a bit smaller.
 

Cloukyo

Banned
Pretty much what people were saying when it was revealed then. Expensive and not enough games on launch, wait til end of year. That's fair, for someone who wants the new Zelda (like me) I think buying it now makes sense, the price won't drop, so you might as well get it early...
 
Keen to see what the day one patch offers. But they're going to have to offer a pro controller bundle eventually with the complaints about the joy con grip.
 
D

Deleted member 752119

Unconfirmed Member
Seems about what I expected. Amazing handheld for the portable fans, but probably a wait and see how it pans out for a long while for the console only folk like me.

It will need a bunch of exclusives I want along with a price drop/sale and bundle to get me in board, if it ever does. $370 for console and pro controller is just too much for its power level as a console for me, a long Wii my diminished interest in Nintendo outside of Zelda and Metroid (If they ever put it another worthy entry).

No wireless headphone solution currently is a bummer as well as I play while my fiancé is working or sleeping a lot.
 

Neoweee

Member
wow so in general ppl are saying the hardware is straight up amazing .....

Not "in general". There's a lot of negativity about...

- The battery life.
- The charging situation for the controllers.
- The charging situation for the system.
- The lack of headphone jack on the controllers.
- The lack of any bluetooth headphone capabilities.
- Substantial desync with the controller that may require some people to spend another $70 to get a controller that is more consistent.
- Lack of D-Pad on the default controller.

The Desync is going to be a dealbreaker for a lot of people. The lack of comment from Nintendo is worrying. Can it even be fixed with firmware? I hope they were just being shady and pulling a Volvo, using a battery-efficient mode during the review period then fixing it in a patch.
 

Mpl90

Two copies sold? That's not a bomb guys, stop trolling!!!
In general, reading several reviews / some final comments, it seems the feeling is that it's a good, if not great base, but of course Nintendo needs to prove it's worthy in the long run. Sounds positive overall, given these are in progress. Also, yes, the DF article is a must-read.
 
Yeah. Concerns about possibly scratching the screen with the docking mechanism, heatmaps in the varying modes, comprehensive tests of the Joycon desync issue to accompany their prior article and generally just a thorough review all round.
yeah, the heat thing especially was good.

it seems like it'll get a little hot but to be fair my vita used to get quite hot. will wait and see how it feels :p
 

Dystify

Member
Stephen Totilo posted his view as a comment in the Kotaku review.

http://kotaku.com/my-experience-with-the-switch-is-a-little-different-tha-1792850780

My experience with the Switch is a little different than Kirk’s because I’ve been playing it primarily as a portable. That’s the thing with the Switch. If you use it primarily on your TV, you’ll have one experience. If you play it on the go or at least away from the TV, you may have a very different one.

I’m playing it as a handheld because I’ve got two eight-week-old kids and can’t make much use of the TV in our living room. I also can’t spend a whole lot of time gaming in long stretches while the kids are up, need feeding or need to be put to bed. So even though I’ve had the Switch for about a week, I have only connected it to my TV for about two hours. Instead, I’ve played it for about 10-15 more hours while lying on my bed, as the kids sleep in their cribs. I’ve played the Switch a couple of hours more on the subway while commuting to work. And I’ve played it in the office, in tiny stints, sometimes in handheld mode but then plugged into the TV here when I’ve needed to capture footage.

Because of the way I’ve played, I’ve barely used the Joy-Con grip and haven’t touched the pro controller. I’m almost always playing the system with the Joy-Cons attached to the device. I therefore have not run into the Joy-Con de-synch issues much. But.. I did run into them almost immediately when I sat down to play the Switch on my home TV. I was about six feet from my TV, and I think my left leg was crossed over the right in such a way that there was interference keeping the signal from the controller from smoothly getting to my Switch near my TV. Link started to wander a bit in Zelda. I moved my leg and it was fine, for what it’s worth. And I didn’t have the same issue when I tried playing in the office.

Anyway, if you play this just as a handheld, maybe you’ll be missing the point of a lot of what Nintendo is doing, but I’m playing it that way and am enjoying it in a way I can’t currently play my Xbox One or PS4 (even with Remote Play). So, for me, as a new dad, this system has arrived at a perfect time. Some of those issues that come up when playing it on TV just aren’t as big a deal to me. I nevertheless hope Nintendo can address them, because this system is brimming with potential.
 
That Wired review was pretty brutal as well, and honestly all the criticisms are warranted at this point, the update will change that, but for what they have dealt with it's pretty understandable. Will watch the Digital Foundry one when I get home.
 

Schnozberry

Member
How are so many people just hoping over the positive reviews and just reading the negative ones? Everyone makes it sound like doom and gloom in here.

It's called confirmation bias. People latch on to opinions that confirm their pre-existing beliefs.

To me it seems people are generally positive about the hardware, but are critical of the process of reviewing the device without final software or full capabilities. Those are completely fair criticisms as far as I'm concerned. But there's a lot to like about the Switch too, so it's really going to depend on how you feel about the games lineup day one. Personally, I think Zelda, 1-2 Switch, and a smattering of eShop games are worth buying. If you disagree, you might want to sit out for a while.
 

JustenP88

I earned 100 Gamerscore™ for collecting 300 widgets and thereby created Trump's America
"Seems pretty cool but barebones feature and game-wise at launch". Every console launch ever.
 

Kikorin

Member
Seems an amazing piece of hardware with a poor lineup, except for Zelda that looks awesome.

Not unexpected, but I need Zelda handheld and I'll buy dayone for it, anyway price will not drop anytime soon.
 
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