Topic: Nintendo Switch 2

@JaxonH
Another thing i wanted to point out in regards to a lot of people complaining about having to wear something in order to game or watch a movie, aka > even future light 100g VR glasses for ex. I always wear headphones & throw on my prescription eye glasses whenever I play NS1 on my TV. So...Ya, I'm used to it. I can tolerate the headphones for maybe 2 1/2 hours max, which imo is the perfect amount of time for a gaming session, for me personally, before my eyes start to feel goopy and i want to break away from the TV and do something else entirely.

Wearing eye glasses though, while annoying to wear and Constantly clean, is still less offensive than like a pair of Sennheiser over head cans. VR headsets still currently being the most cumbersome since they're currently around 500g - 560g with Q3 & PSVR2. But when you're THAT immersed and having that good of a time, you almost forget about the weight and the fact that there's this thing on your head.

At least Steam frame will be 75g lighter than Quest 3. Clocking in at around 425g with a far better back to front balancing act in terms of weight distribution. It's still a headset though and it aint' light like the Pheonex or Quest 4 will be for 2027, at just under 110g in the form of thick wrap around glasses. Over head cans/headphones in VR still isn't recommended due to the cans themselves shifting while moving your head around. I think top tier high end low latency 2.4g wireless ear buds with a USB-C dongle is the best solution.

If only VR tracked 5.2/7.2 surround sound speaker systems existed. Currently the most comfortable way to game imo, is still with a controller, on a 65" QD-OLED, and a great 5.2 Speaker System, and not having to wear prescription eye glasses(I really need lasik)

@Nep-Nep-Freak
Ikr? I'm not a huge LEGO game fan, but I did enjoy LEGO Star Wars Skywalker Saga quite a bit, I thought LEGO Horizon was pretty fun (though shallow), and LEGO Batman looks incredible.

LEGO games typically suffer from lack of mechanical depth, but Zelda was never that mechanically deep- it's engagement stemmed from the classic loop with puzzle solving (BotW/TotK were exceptions to that established formula and did offer more mechanical depth).

I think a LEGO Legend of Zelda title based on the well-known formula of older Zelda titles would be a smash hit, and potentially a fan favorite. If they worked with Nintendo to ensure solid dungeon design, clever puzzles, snappy and intuitive gameplay with top-rate humor and an engaging hook, I could see such a game selling 10m+ over its lifespan.

It's a perfect marriage of IP. This needs to happen.

@UpsideDownRowlet
Wonder why that is? Well, whichever studio they use, as long as Nintendo oversees it I think it would turn out fantastic.

@JaxonH I'm pretty sure it had something to do with TT games having a bad track record with employee treatment recently (particularly with the troubled development of Skywalker Saga), which LEGO probably didn't want associated with its brand image.

https://www.pcgamer.com/lego-star-wars-the-skywalker-saga-dev...

I'm not super knowledgeable about this matter though, so there could be more to this story.

@NeonPizza
Ya, no arguing there is a market for VR and certainly will always be people like you who appreciate it.

I just form my opinions on what I see in the market historically, and I'm convinced most will never buy into VR beyond a one-time curiosity. Not saying it isn't fun or immersive or that being light weight would feel too heavy or anything, merely that a simple 2D screen without any needed body accessories will always be the mainstay.

Like, you don't play handheld which highlights individual preference. But handheld gaming has been leading the market since its inception with the Game & Watch. Be it the GameBoy, GBA, the DS or 3DS, Switch, Switch 2, it's consistently proven to be something people want. Even mobile gaming on a phone which lacks traditional controls, a huge stumbling block, has become larger than any other sector.

There's also the fact VR is very limiting in terms of experiences, since it's centered around self-immersion. One example is games like Zelda BotW, Monster Hunter, Elden Ring, and countless others, where getting hit can knock you down and the character rolls. That doesn't really work in VR. The game has to be modified and changed to work around its limitations of realism. Platformers don't really work well unless its a diorama, which is cool and all but it's basically just 3D at that point. 2D platformers become VR sunglasses with a theater screen. Games have have to be built ground up for VR, so that lack of native compatibility in terms of design also really holds it back.

All that said, I'm sure it'll stick around on PC/mobile so, it's not like it's ever going away. Much like PC handhelds, it'll maintain a small niche market where the ones who love it absolute love it, but everyone else disinterested.

Sorry, don't mean to rain on your parade. I really do hope the best for its future. It's not like I'm against VR. Just sharing my honest assessment.

What we need are glasses-free 3D 4KTVs. Where the capability is baked in out of the box, even if it's never used at first, and is only compatible with the select number of 3D Blu-Rays.

But over time, if all TV's adopted this, eventually the market would mostly have access to the technology. Then gaming companies could release games in 3D again, where anyone without a 3DTV could play normally, but those with a 3DTV could toggle on the 3D mode.

Unfortunately, there's no incentive for TV companies to adopt and include such a technology, especially when there's a dead market for it atm.

I don't see Nintendo doing Lego games because they'd have to release it on PS much like how Sony had to release Lego Horizon Adventures on Switch.

I think the 2026 Zelda game would be A Link Between Worlds remaster for Switch 1, 3DS seems safe for remaster opportunities meanwhile GCN NSO exists and DS NSO is probably next year considering the current NSO new console additions pattern.

All this VR talk has me thinking - I remember a long time ago, this must be around 2005 or 2006, there was a rumor that Nintendo was making a console the had a 3D projector for games (the system was a projector) - similar to something Microsoft was working on years ago. If I'm remembering correctly, it had to do with a special screen to enable it. Again, it was only a rumor but I always thought that sounded so cool. Who needs a 3D TV when your console is doing it for you.
Flash forward to the Wii, there was a guy who set up Wii Motes by the TV and put a sensor bar type peripheral on his head. The Wii was able to do head tracking and follow him around as he moved around his room. Another example that I thought not only looked incredible (at the time) but also thought that games would go that direction - incorporate some movement and perspective changes based on where you move in your space. He had a basic obstable course set up, and as he moved forward or back in his room, he could dodge the obstacles. It was neat.
I think there could be a future for VR, but I also think there are some possibilities that could be VR like, without using a headset. My only experience with the VR is the Quest 2 + RE 4, and it's really cool. But I can only handle 30 mins at a time before I need to stop. Modern headsets give a vastly improved experience - maybe I could handle more time using one.
I do wonder if in the future there will be more of a focus on immersive experiences in your home - holographic type gaming. Probably not - but where this thread has gone, it's gotten me thinking and remembering some of the old theories that were floating around in the early internet days . I'm still waiting for the SW2 to have the ability to connect wirelessly to the dock, and provide WiiU type gameplay (because I skipped that system). I guess I have the Virtual Boy to tide me over for now

@JaxonH
Well said! And yes, If only glasses-free S3D 65" QD-OLED TV's existed that exapand on the 'New' 3DS's S3D technology. Pair that with a NS2 & PS5 Pro(PSSR2), and I'm guessing we'd get 1080p per eye split in half from 4K, best case scenario. It would simulate the feeling of looking through a window into the game world, with nearly true to life 3D depth perception and 3D pop out effects. But would it be capable of simulating the exact same feeling that VR is currently capable of? Not quite. How can it when it's just a stationary fixed rectangle that acts as a 'window'(But also pop out 3D) into the game world? where as VR plunks you IN the game world regardless of what perspective it throws your way, with life sized characters and environments that can appear inches away from your face?

The problem is, is that due to the current field of view limitations, every single VR game you play makes you feel like you're looking through a scubadiver mask. As it restricts all corners of your periperhal vision until you turn your head in that exact direction. Won't be the case in the future once FOV, but for now it's still a thing and a slight barrier, even at 110d FOV. Other PCVR headsets that push towards 120d wind up sacrifiing the binocular overlap(Meaning, the 3D depth perception). So you can't have the best of both worlds just yet.

Also, there's a BOTW PCVR Mod, but unfortunately it's currently in first person with motion controls tacked on. That to me completely obliterates or tarnishes the games style & presentation. If they updated it and released it in 3rd person VR with your head acting as the camera behind a life sized link just feet away from you with the same exact traditional control scheme as the NS1/2 Pro Controller it would play just as perfectly and seemlessly like on a TV.

Also, getting hit in a '3rd person' VR title , that produces or causes a roll back effect with your character doesn't have any negative impact on the experience unless it's in first person which I'm guessing is what you were referring to. Then you could very well run in to trouble, unless the devs choose a more stylastic approach and quickly change the perspective to 3rd person which Capcom did with RE4 Remake for PSVR2. Seeing Leon in 3rd person jump/crash through windows, climb latters(etc) were some of the most spectacular moments in that game too.

3rd person VR titles, top down VR, or Diorahama styled in the same vein as Moss will have zero issues with that. I 100%'d Astro Bot: RM for PSVR1 years ago. Putting aside the low pixelated resolution, screen door effect and occasional reprojection(Caused by 60fps in VR) it was phenomenal as a PS2-esque styled platformer with tacked on DualShock VR Motion controls.

Also, Steam Frame supposedly can force Stereoscopic 3D into any flat steam game you play on it. Obiously reinforcing the effect won't be as good as being developed with the real thing in mid, but it's something at least. But you still have to wear a headset in order to enjoy it.

Given how long it already takes to make games... just imagine if most of the market shifted to VR/AR.

Question about boost mode: do they allow Mario galaxy (3d all stars) to have gyro aiming in handheld mode?

@rallydefault
I like the idea of a Super Hybrid console that allows you to play the same exact game like lets say Mario Kart World & Kirby Air Riders, on a TV, Handheld, TableTop, VR('3rd person' VR for both of those titles in particular, with an NS2 Pro controller) or a Mixed Reality 2D/or Stereoscopic 3D Size adjustable screen using the same VR/MR Nintendo glasses you'd use to play the same game in VR. Everybody wins, and nobodies left out based on how they like to play.

@Grumblevolcano
Although I really like ALBW (I bought it at launch), I think it would be a "too small" title for the 40th anniversary. And the 3D effect is one of the game's main charms.
I would like a release along the lines of Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2. Something like Wind Waker + Twilight Princess, or Ocarina of Time + Majora's Mask (remastered from the 3DS versions).