Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

This statement is never going to be fully representative of the population and as a further notice: Yes, they say they all use it handheld. What they haven't said, as you have failed to clarify upon it, is that all use EXCLUSIVELY handheld.

I use it handheld too. I also use it on my TV. Stating its EXCLUSIVELY handheld, would back up your point. But you didn't do that. People just said they use one half of the functionality without denying they use the other.

I suggest you do some extra reading around here. Most don't take it out of the dock or use it in both forms.

And the dock DOES help the Switch run better. When the system is docked it identifies and only runs at full capacity when a HDMI connection to a TV (To push more than 1080p and thus use the extra oomph not needed for 720p in handheld mode) and when a power supply is connected, so that it doesn't use the battery and has a full power supply to draw from to fuel the full capacity of the system.

In fact, if it doesn't detect that power supply, it wont do it. The dock does in fact help the Switch run at a higher clock speed and thus get superior performance, simply because the dock gives the signals and components necessary to do so, the components just aren't computational, rather technical.

@Ralizah Versatility sacrifices to miss many multiplat games, have lesser specs, and be stuck with cartridges. A devil's due that is already haunting it by every game that confirms skipping the system.

Or a 1080 display that clips with one's TV, like Fate/Extella does with mine. Also you can't call it a hybrid, because it doesn't stack up to other home-consoles in that department, yet beats every other handheld out there. Ergo handheld.

@BLP_Software @UmniKnight @Octane Personal experience can be skewed. Let's look at some polls.

This poll on GameFAQs is pretty even between handheld, docked, and those who do a mixture of both, but just slightly leans towards handheld users.

This other GameFAQ's poll, however, leans slightly toward docked.

This Nintendolife poll also leaned slightly toward handheld users.

This poll at the zeldainformer forums (Which I am a member of) leans slightly toward handheld, but it also only had an 11-user poll size.

That's all I was able to find, really. NoA released a poll that said 83% of Switch owners play at home, but not only was that poll skewed by lack of options, it doesn't count the number of people (like me) who play at home exclusively in handheld.

My opinion is that it's a pretty even split. Every half-decent poll I found was almost even within a roughly 10% margin.

@gcunit Hey, Nintendo tagged it a home-console, that wasn't on me. If they'd have tagged it handheld, it would've been far more honest, and I probably wouldn't have bought it. That said, I do agree on BotW (Less so MK8D, but that's because I've played that to death on Wii-U)

@BLP_Software I did forget that part didn't I? But yes, I did see mostly people who argued they'd play it handheld always, if not most of the time. My fear is that we shall see handheld mode receive favouritism later down the line (I bet Game Freak would make Switch Pokemon handheld only if given the choice)

Also if that is true about the dock having things run better, then why was BotW running better in handheld vs docked?

I see the Switch for what it is, a hybrid console. It was never going to be a portable PS4. I would say I have a 60/40 split between playing in docked mode and handheld. I would say games like Splatoon are best suited being played docked as I cannot get on with the controls in handheld mode.
To be honest if the Switch is a roaring success, I cannot see Nintendo making a dedicated home console again.

@DarthNocturnal But for now, they're a crutch that is more in the Switch's way, than doing it any favours. I've had many a technical discussion on our local Discord with people who do programming and the likes, and they frequently mention the cartridge as a reason why multiplats ain't making the jump.

@Nicolai I believe the numbers of which mode is used more should be privy to Nintendo alone. If they become public, then I fear developers will act on them, and the message of the Switch will be messed over hard. If games like Severed and Voez didn't have a solid reason to be handheld only, they'd be doing that already.

@UmniKnight

"It tends to run better in handheld"

What games does this actually apply to? Breath of the Wild was patched. Everything I've got (20-oddgames) runs better docked, even if it's just a resolution boost.

@Nicolai Why did you reply to me? I don't care how people use their Switch, that's up to them!

@Farmboy74

"To be honest if the Switch is a roaring success, I cannot see Nintendo making a dedicated home console again".

I agree, and it makes total sense. Their most successful machines have been handhelds, their handhelds outsell their home Consoles, there's very strong competition in the home Console market but none in the handheld market.

The hybrid concept makes perfect sense too. Switch is the list powerful handheld around and Nintendo's most powerful home Console. Sweet spot.

@electrolite77 I never take my Switch out of it's dock, so I haven't been able to test BotW, but I frequently encounter frame-drops at particular places, and I see them when playing Fate/Extella as well.

Does it frequently drop frames in handheld mode as well then?

I thought the advantage of cartridge was that because it's flash memory the game information is loaded quicker than it would be from a disc.
I think the main reason multiplats have not made the jump is the performance of the WII U, the Switch is not powerful enough and quite possibly Nintendo delaying the release of development kits.

@electrolite77 I don't see it have much going for it as home-console though, other than connecting to a TV. If the dock did more than it does now, then I would agree.

Console, handheld, hybrid.... it's all the above. Games cost $60 because.... they're $60 home console games. XV2 is $60 (actually, it's only $50) because... you guessed it, it's a full console game, playable as a full console game, identical to all other home console versions of the game which also released at $60. Only way you're going to pay less, is if you go out and look for a significantly inferior, sub-HD, handheld-only 3DS version. Then you can pay $40. Games don't magically cost less just because they run on a handheld- they cost less because they've always been vastly inferior. But now we have console parity.

It doesn't matter if tablets can run to a TV. They can't do so out of the box and they can't do so easily and practically. It's why nobody bothers doing it. Ease of use and practicality is everything. And games run better in docked mode. Zelda jumps from 720p to 900p upscaled to 1080p. Splatoon 2 jumps from 720p to 1080p. Same for Arms, same for Mario Kart 8, same for pretty much every game on the system. Who cares how cheap or not cheap the dock is. It lets you play games on your TV , and people want to play on the TV... so what's the problem. Out of the box you get the ability to play full console games on the TV and instantly grab the system to take with you anywhere and play the exact same games uncompromised on the go. The dock doesn't have to make games run better- it simply has to serve one purpose- provide an easy, seamless method by which gamers can play on the TV and instantly take the system with them without disconnecting/reconnecting cables, without using save transfer tools, without any hassle and without and significant downgrade to the game itself in either mode.

@UmniKnight Can you conclusively prove those statements though? If you can, sure, but before you say "This is how it is" I want your evidence, less I am reduced to simply countering your points with asking for proof, and saying there are many outliers to your point.

Breath of the Wild runs at 720p handheld, hitting mostly 30fps. 900p docked, hitting mostly 30fps. One of those is, by objectivity, better.

Another example - Splatoon 2: 720p max resolution at 60fps on handheld. 1080p 60 on docked.

Another - Sonic Mania: 720p 60fps handheld. 1080p 60fps docked.

Another: Mario Kart 8: 720p 60fps handheld. 1080p 60fps docked.

Another: Minecraft: 720p 60 with few dips handheld. 1080p with few dips docked.

Another: Thumper: 720p 60 handheld. 1080p 60fps docked.

Another: Snake Pass: 475p 30fps handheld. 675p 30fps docked

Another: Shovel Knight. 720p handheld. 1080p docked. FPS consistent across

Another: FAST RMX. Dynamic up to 720p at 60fps on handheld. Dynamic 1080p at 60 fps docked.

Another: ARMS - 720p 60 handheld. 1080p 60 docked.

I can go on, and on, and on.

Games, with very few exceptions I must stress, they do exist but are few, run better at a higher resolution or frame rate when docked than handheld. Simply because the power supply and higher resolution of a TV means the extra power of the Switch can be used, rather than be wasted on pushing higher resolution visuals on a screen that cant show them by pixel count.

@UmniKnight Wait, your argument is that you see people never using it docked, only as a handheld, because "That's what it is and Nintendo lied"....yet you just said you never use it out of the dock.

Methinks the pot is calling the kettle black right now.

@UmniKnight

If you don't see any, fair enough. However to me the value is it plugs into my TV and plays lots of really good games that look great*. No it isn't as powerful as other consoles but so what? My XB1 isn't as powerful as my PS4 Pro but that doesn't mean it's worth less as a home Console.

*P.S. Actually the value to me is the flexibility, that it's both a superbly Powerful handheld as well, but we're strictly talking home Console worth here.

@JaxonH https://www.nedgame.nl/nintendo-switch/dragon-ball-xenoverse-... 59,99 for us Dutchies.

What are the chances we get new switch announcements at gamescom?