This one image sums up neogaf today, but not so much about the very real concerns regarding price or lack of software/online. No it concerns the technology in the Switch and it's mostly from people who have no idea the costs of such technology or blatant trolling.
So I thought it was time to put some myths, half truths or bald faced lies to bed.
1. Urgh the battery life is terrible! Nintendo cheaped out on it!!!!
Nope they didn't. Sorry but that is a fact. For the size and form factor of the switch nintendo has actually put in a good battery (for once). Remember they have a relatively small form factor to fill and lithium ion battery tech hasn't exactly made great strides for a long time. The battery will take up the majority of the Switches case as well. For the price point they aimed at they actually did a good job.
2. But it runs out in 2.5 hours!
When running intensive games it will do (Zelda runs for 3 hours). Guess what though, that's lithium ion batteries for you. They can only store so much charge and they are still the best things we have. If you want an example of how limited battery tech is try playing a graphically intensive game on your iphone or other mobile device. You will say goodbye to your battery...fast, and they are using tech not as good as in the switch. Also, for the billionth time, the battery can recharge and the machine still be played at the same time, just like every single tablet or handheld console ever. So no, you're not going to be playing Zelda on your TV screen and then when you remove the switch discover it's battery is dead.
3. It takes 3 hours the charge!
Yeah because it's not using quick charge. The likely reason for this is that Quick charging lithium ion can degrade the longevity of the battery. Last thing Nintendo want is machines eating through their batteries. Which takes me nicely onto...
4. I can't change the battery!
Not strictly true. You could decide to lose all sense and open up your switch but that's risky. Changing the battery on a tablet like device is a pain in the arse and can easily mess up unless you know what your doing. You have to do all sorts of awkward things like pry the glass away (Tricky), make sure you open it up correctly (Otherwise it's screwed digitizer time), make sure the ribbon cables are removed etc. Oh and your warranty is fucked. Tablets tend to be sealed units because they contain delicate components inside.
5. Wow it's not very powerful is it!
For a mobile device it is. In fact it's very powerful. More powerful than the WiiU or any of the previous generations machines while drinking a fraction of the electricity. The tegra X1 in the machine is pretty much the best there is in the mobile market and there's nothing out there at the moment or even for the next few years that'll beat it. Nvidia really made a good chip.
6. Yeah but the chips speed is lower than the one in the Nvidia shield.
Ah the old, 1Ghz versus 768mhz, confusion. Yeah people were a bit mystified at this, but thanks to some researching by your fellow gaffers it seems that when the Tegra X1 runs at max power for a few minutes it does what all hot chips do, it downclocks so it doesn't fry to death. The speed it downclocks to is.....768mhz. So all Nintendo are doing is making sure when the machine is docked it doesn't melt the console. Remember it's operating in a much smaller form factor than the Nvidia shield does so it's very sensible decision on Nintendos part. Speaking of the Nvidia shield...
7. The price is way too high on the Switch.
Okay I'll talk about price. Would we have all liked the price lower? God yes. However, consider what you getting for the Uk price of 280 pounds (which by the way is more expensive than America is paying). You are getting the guts of an Nvidia shield with some customisation. You are also getting a 6.2 inch IPS display (and a good one I might add). You are getting two joy cons controllers and the handle thing/come charger, as well as other bits and bobs. Now if you look at the UK price on the new Nvidia shields, which use the same tech and feature less main memory, then it's 180 pounds. That's basically just the machine and power supply and a remote thingy. There's no screen, there's no battery, there's no joycons (which seem to cost quite a bit). All of those extra bits bump up the cost of manufacture quite a bit. For reference the Nvidia shield pro, with is fancy controller, costs......280 pounds!
MOBILE TECHNOLOGY COSTS MONEY. IT IS NOT CHEAP TO MAKE.
For a company that wants to make a small amount of profit on machines it sells it's probably the best they can do. Remember MS and Sony initially sell machines at a loss, a big loss. MS burnt billions with the Xbox 360 and sony did with the PS3. Even the newest consoles were probably sold either on margin or at a small loss. Nintendo do not want to make a loss on a machine, they did with the WiiU at the start and it hurt them.
TL
R. Stuff costs money to build, stuff also has to work in a variety of conditions without burning your hands. Nintendo got the best they could for the price they aimed at. So when someone in a topic moans about any of the above just point them here.
