Topic: The Nintendo Switch Rumor and Speculation Thread

On Wii U, 3DS and the Nintendo Channel on Wii you could only submit a rating if you had played it for a certain amount of time. And on MiiVerse while you could post anywhere if you had played a game it would show a little badge on your post

It worked fairly well. Really the main problem with it was that, on the 3DS in particular, the Virtual console titles were heavily boosted. The highest rated titles were basically just the GB Pokemon games. But even so, it was still better than having no signal at all

A distinction without a point. If I'm buying new hardware in 2027 for over $500AU I think it's reasonable to expect it not have a ten year old SoC. A more modern SoC at a similar price would be significantly more compelling

Not if it can't do something noticeably different, then the difference won't matter to anyone but dedicated hobbyists.

Yup. Expected the 8" 1080p portable screen & resolution bump. LCD's have improved a lot since 2016, so expect deeper blacks & better colour if Nintendo does in fact save OLED(or better yet, QD-OLED) for a future 3-year GEN refresh/upgrade.

For me personally, it doesn't matter. I'd rather just use a second smaller 55" QD-OLED(S90D) TV in my living room just for with a second Switch 2 while YouTube is on in the background on my 65", or vice versa. I like having a 2 TV set up, Sakuria-style, except my smaller one is on the right side of the room rather than being plunked directly right beside each other, which isn't a good look imo.

Anyways, looks like the big N will have it's own unique 4K upscaling technique, PS4+ power and potentially HDR. I Just hope we get some whacky innovations, the unexpected, instead of a 'playing it safe' predictable 'super' switch with beefier specs. I mean, give people what they want(4K, HDR, PS4+ power etc), while also surprising us with some industry shaking innovations that we've never experienced before.

@NeonPizza
Responding to something specific there?

@Ulysses
I'm not sure Nintendo would be keen to do another social media thing given how quickly they dropped MiiVerse. I would guess that moderation would be one hell of a task they don't want to bother with

Honestly, I'd just be fine with the ability to thumbs up or down a game and have that ratio show on the eShop. A section in the eShop which shows what games people are playing, not just what they're buying. Then thirdly in an ideal world some kind of recommendation for other games based on what similar users to me have played, liked, purchased

Do those three things and the eShop becomes significantly more browsable. Because as it stands the only games that you see are new releases, upcoming releases and titles that are abusing discounts to climb the charts. None of which are necessarily games that are good or I care about

@FishyS
Yea, but what I'm saying is, how many people ACTUALLY end up using the backwards compatibility consistently? People's eyes are notoriously bigger than their stomachs: We all SAY we want backwards compatibility, and some people even threaten they won't buy the console if it doesn't have it, but then how many people are REALLY going to be popping Tropical Freeze into their Switch 2 consistently instead of playing Switch 2 games, especially early in the Switch 2's life cycle when new big games are (hopefully) coming out on the regular?

@skywake
I appreciate the honest answer. I never owned a Wii and missed out on all of its awesome games, so when I got my Wii U, I was super pumped to have the ability to play those games. And... I utilized it exactly once lol I purchased a used copy of Skyward Sword for chump change, popped it into my Wii U, and didn't even play it long enough to get to the first dungeon. That was about how long my use of backwards compatibility lasted with my Wii U. Just my anecdote, but something in me is telling me that many people have similar experiences.

@dmcc0
Wow, you certainly seem to play a lot of older games! Do you play any recent Switch games?

@rallydefault I'm currently playing stitch. which I bought at launch a week or so ago, so I guess I do play the odd new game. To be fair that's not typically what I do though - I usually just pick stuff up in sales now as I tend not to play straight away due to the size of the backlog. The last game I remember buying and playing close to launch was Paper Mario TOK, but I don't think I'm a typical Switch player (if there is such a thing) in that I tend not to play too many 1st party games or buy stuff at launch. My Switch is used mostly for indies, retro games and stuff that I think is more suited to playing handheld rather than on the Xbox (RPGs, puzzle games etc.).

I think people will be more likely to want (and use) backwards compatibility if they already have the games to play. As your example with the WiiU, if you don't already have games for the previous console you're unlikely to go out and buy old games - although I did buy an Xbox this Gen precisely because it was backwards compatible and I didn't previously own an Xbox, but I'm probably an exception!

@rallydefault
TBH I think what you're saying here is broadly correct. People do overemphasise the importance of backwards compatibility but generally once the new platform is out they'll play the new games. Mostly because people play newer releases just in general. It's kinda like how I have games in my Steam library from over a decade ago and while it's nice that I can play them I generally don't

But just because it's generally the case doesn't mean there aren't exceptions. It's a bit hard to have give good examples because previous Nintendo platforms with backwards compatibility always had some huge drawback. But I think with Switch there are some. I could see myself still wanting to whip out Jackbox games for games nights deep into the Switch 2 era. Or Boomerang Fu, Hades, Super Meat Boy, Thumper

Or maybe I pick up something I skipped? Maybe they put Mario Tennis Aces or Mario Strikers on sale and I figure, why not? I mean as much as I passionately disagree with the "more power is useless" bit @Bolt_Strike likes to push there is some surface level merit to the argument. For a large section of games this additional power will be utterly meaningless

This won't be like the transition to HD where it was hard to revisit Wii games once the Wii U was out. Even stuff that wasn't even close to pushing the Wii, like Rhythm Heaven for example, just looked crap on a HD set. It won't be like that this time because 1080p is good enough and a lot of games on Switch are able to attain 1080p without breaking a sweat. Not that I'm pushing the "4K is dumb" barrow either.... anyways....

The point is there will be Switch games which will immediately look and feel dated once Switch 2 is out in the same way that Wii games looked old as soon as you got a HDTV. I can't imagine people rushing to revisit Hogwarts Legacy or Doom once Switch 2 is out. Even if backwards compatibility comes with some performance improvements for legacy titles there are games that will just die on the vine. But for every Witcher 3 or Hyrule Warriors there's a Baba is You or Arms. A lot of Switch games will still hold up

Tropical Breeze is maybe not the best example since it is a Wii U game we are all playing on Switch 😝 I suspect the same reasoning people play it on Switch even years after release will continue to hold; until Nintendo puts out another big Donkey Kong game, people will play the current game on whatever device they mostly use, whether that is Wii U, Switch, or Switch 2. Given rumours, there may be a DK game early on in Switch 2's life but there may not be and there certainly won't be new games in every single franchises early in Switch 2's life. I don't really expect Mario Maker 3 to come immediately so I plan to play Mario Maker 2 on Switch 2 while waiting. As for my (mostly digital) backlog? I don't actually expect to see much if any difference whether I happen to play them on Switch 2 or Switch 1, so no reason not to play on the new hardware which I will already be using to play the new big games. People are still buying 10 year old Mario Kart, so people clearly don't only buy or play the newest big games.

My guess is The Switch 2 transition will be more like PS4 to PS5 or for that matter Steam. No one says 'this game was made during an older release of Steam, I am not going to play on this version'. It's hard to even tell that. No, people just play whatever game they want on whatever hardware is convenient and close to hand, which tends to be a mix of brand new, old favorites, and backlog games.

Imagine if you had to re-buy Minecraft everytime you got a new PC or had to re-buy your favorite mobile puzzle game every couple years when you swap phone or if the Switch 2 version of NSO wouldn't let you play Tetris 99. Most games are not ones which need to be revisited after they are beaten, but most people have some games they keep playing for a long time.

As for backlogs? You earlier asked how many people on these forums would play old games on new hardware and I expect most people on these forums have backlogs. You could certainly play those on Switch 1, but why bother when you have an identical or conceivably better experience playing the same game on Switch 2?

@rallydefault I think not having backwards compatibility can make the system more disposable. You're essentially starting from scratch yet again so you may decide to keep the old system and start fresh on a different platform holder's system. For example instead of upgrading Switch to Switch 2, going for Switch + PS5.

Switch and PS4 had unique circumstances that made starting from scratch work out very well but that's not the norm.

I'd also add that there are some genres of games that I tend to want to have on any platform. Like I'll want to have some kind of arcade racer, a Tetris-like, a geometry war-like, a strategy game, a party game

Assuming Switch 2 has backwards compatibility I already have those bases covered. I won't really see the need to have something to fill that itch for one style of game or another. Instead I can focus my attention on games that are actually interesting in their own right from day 1. And that's surely a good thing

It'll be interesting if we'll get another Switch to Switch 2 port situation as we did between the Wii U and the Switch. Which current Switch titles will simply be repackaged as 4k versions for Switch 2? Figure Breath of the Wild is in the bag for a $70 re-release?

Or a $10 fee if you owned a digital copy?

I doubt Nintendo would simply offer a free update patch for owners of a physical copy.

@Magician If they ever do a Selects range, with all the patches on cart and an update for 4K compatbility on witch 2...that would be lovely! The alternative is 'extra content' which lets face it, is probably more sustainable than new titles.

I was thinking about the launch of the Switch 2 and thinking of the potential pitfalls that have caused problems for other console launches in the past and what Nintendo may do to avoid them:

This is underpowered!

If we're being honest Nintendo consoles traditionally tend not to have the highest specs when compared to others. This hasn't hampered sales in the past but you don't want all that's being spoken about after your products launch being how the console is 'still last gen' or 'only ps4 level power'. You can't stop the internet from complaining once something like this picks up traction but the easiest counter I think is to show a graphically beautiful, technically challenging game running well in your launch campaign (hint hint Metroid Prime 4). If you don't have a first party game ready to do this then a 3rd party port of a recentish game looking great works well too (Could see Assassins Creed: Mirage or Elden Ring fulfilling this role).

Why do I need this?

We've recently seem that more players are playing older live service games more often than new releases https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/consumers-were-mostl... it's not as prominent for Switch users but if the games mostly being played are the likes of Fortnite/Apex/Minecraft/Mario Kart or Splatoon, then it makes buying a new console less of an important purchase as these games all run on the old Switch. It's certainly more of a problem now than it has ever been and Nintendo aren't going to drown the new console with new games straight away. So I guess making sure backwards compatibility is highlighted 'all your old favourites are here on the Switch 2' AND a great new Nintendo 1st party game and hjnts of futures ones will help.

Way too expensive!

I'm not sure what price point Nintendo will be aiming for but consoles always seem to be that much more than you wanted the to be. The Switch proved that a console launched mid-gen (in comparison to their console 'rivals') that was cheaper than them was a successful business model, I think they might creep quite a bit higher in price which might be risky with current economic winds, but the only real solution is not to launch at too high a price (like the 3ds,which required an early price drop).

Sure there's plant of other potential problems out there too of course!

Regardless of tech, if Nintendo can have a release schedule filled with 'Oh this is so much fun!' or 'Why hasn't anyone done this before??' then I think they will be fine lol. My biggest worry is it's a technical marvel with AAA experiences...

@skywake
Yea, I wonder how much dev time goes into making a new console like this backwards compatible. It could be relatively little, or it could be a lot (I'm thinking the stuff we would hear about the PS3 and its backwards compatibility challenges and woes).

For me, taking that "generally" blanket, I'd rather that dev time go towards something else if it's approaching even a modest investment of time and energy.

But if it's fairly light, then sure, why not just toss it on? Would be silly not to.

@FishyS
Well, just throw whatever else you want in there that wasn't on Wii U, I guess. Origami King? Mario Odyssey?

You're always gonna have communities like speedrunners who will be playing the old games and making them seem popular through streams and events and stuff like that. I just think the millions upon millions majority of console owners don't consistently use the function.

I'd even take UI themes and stuff instead of backwards compatibility lol

Backwards compatibility is important IMO - even if most won’t use it much. Some people are heavily wedded to particular games (e.g. Smash or Splatoon). Backwards compatibility- in a seamless digital way - means they’re there on day one.

Sorting out the eshop discoverability should obviously be another priority but we certainly don’t want to lose access to any of that digital library. The eshop really is the platform - Switch/Switch 2 are just devices to access it.

I think people are reading too much into this old vs new mentality. They have only one console to worry about and for others to think they know best Nintendo is just a farce here. It's not like a 3DS and Switch are current production-they only have a Nintendo Switch and coming Switch 2 to replace it. As for future Switch console that will be more iterations of the Switch tech as it doesn't seem anytime soon they will make coffee table console as Switch portable is their bread/butter money maker. And if the current hardware leaks are anything to sneeze at it looks to best their own designs to make it a one console you would want to buy and get. The last part is for Nintendo to give a reveal and that will more or less tell what is up-but considering a leak from a hardware maker that kind of puts the horse out of the barn now.

@Magician
If there's backwards compatibility I see little reason to release Switch 2 specific versions. Maybe for the occasional title they'll do a significant asset rework but if it's just the same game without the performance cap that should be just folded into backwards compatibility

With the transition from Wii U it made sense because those platforms were physically incompatible. Even ignoring the disc vs card and controller differences PPC/AMD code just doesn't run on ARM/NV. Even if it did there are significant differences in what each platform was good or not good at. Wii U ports required intervention. Switch content on Switch 2 won't

And then there's the fact that the Wii U was the Wii U. You could charge for these games as if they were new because to most people they were new. Most people skipped the Wii U. And the ones who didn't were dedicated fans who could easily be sold on the idea of a portable version of that great Wii U game

I'm sure there will be cases where there are Switch 2 remakes and how they charge for all this is a business not a technical problem. But I'd argue that the Wii U ports to Switch strategy was a once off thing for a unique scenario. The Switch 2 won't be able to repeat it

I think Switch 2 is largely just going to continue on as if the Switch library is it's library

The Switch represented a big change for Nintendo. Not just in terms of hardware architecture, but also how they went about their business model as a whole. There needed to be big changes from the Wii U, if there weren't the ship would've sunk the moment it left the harbor. I think we can all say that change was for the better, it showed that Nintendo was aware that they weren't immortal. If they made any more blunders like the Wii U, the blows might not have been fatal, but there's only so many they can take. Thankfully, the Switch was the right move for both the consumers as well as Nintendo at large. Unifying their handheld and console divisions effectively combined their audiences into one large collective, opening themselves up to third-parties and indies allowed their reach to expand into markets they weren't really familiar with (Even collaborating with some of them), and by bringing back old titles (By ports, NSO, etc.) they brought back a wide slew of games that people loved while simultaneously introducing them to the many new members of their audience. This whole spiel is basically to say that the Switch era was undoubtedly one of Nintendo's most successful but also one of their most experimental. There was no guarantee that this would work out, regardless of the console's unique idea and publishing partners. These past 7 years have been filled to the brim with a TON of noteworthy things that helped put Nintendo back on the map when they had faded into obscurity for so long. (At least when compared to the competitors.) To simply erase all of that success and progress for no good reason would be utterly baffling. That'd be like building a jenga tower out of money, then not only knocking it to the ground, but lighting it on fire as well. I'm sorry, but no matter how you slice it, abandoning all that's happened these past 7 years would only hurt them in the long run. The Switch era has been absolutely amazing, not just for me, but for the majority of the fandom (Or at least a huge chunk) I know I'm kinda throwing logic out the window in favor of feelings, but to me, I simply feel we've come too far to just throw it out the window and do it all over again. ...thanks for coming to my Ted Talk. Sorry for the ramble, if it's clogging the thread too much I can delete it.

There have been 4,240 replies to this thread so definitely don't worry about clogging it up; even though some of us occasionally argue it is nice to hear people's opinions