Topic: Switch 2 Console Hardware is Finally Interesting

So obviously there has been a lot of discussion on the hardware in general, and overall, since the recent Cyberpunk 2077 showing of footage, which, by the way, you can download on this link without having to go through YouTube compression: https://press.cdprojektred.com/en/224/797#media
something became a little clearer to me.

Let's wave aside the trolls online who like to downplay anything about this console, and let's ignore the ones watching these same people who then parrot the same opinion and just say that the console is exceptionally impressive from its form-factor, price and image output on demanding games.

But most of all, to me, this has opened my eyes that the console itself is quite a margin more interesting when compared to counterparts if we start diving into the specs.

Let's put the console wars aside for a moment, PS4 and Xbox One, when those devices came out, were pretty much equated to PC in architecture. It was very much a what you see is what you get, and that hasn't changed, by the end of the console cycle developers started utilizing techniques to enhance the visuals in their games so they look better than what was seen years back, but all in all the PS4 and Xbox One were the mid-low range PCs at the time which had the perk of having games optimized specifically for them which stayed true until the end of the cycle.

The Switch 1 came out, and while it could be argued that we got a lot of impressive ports out of it, the mystique of the hardware was gone on release due to the Tegra X1 chip being already available in Nvidia's own Shield device, meaning people could easily emulate it and determine what the chip is capable of.

The PS5 and Xbox Series are self-explanatory following this recollection, since they follow the design principles of the PS4/Xbox One, just beefier. Meaning once again, we pretty much knew what we were going to get out of the gate.

The reason I'm putting all of this down is because there is a certain level of curiosity that the Switch 2 is inciting which I don't think I've felt in many years when putting in context console gaming over the last couple of decades. It's the first console that has been continuously disproving people on what is and isn't possible, the Cyberpunk 2077 footage is just one strand, we'll likely see more moving forward.

Having a custom designed chip with modern architecture sure helps this a lot, as we now can't equate it to another device accurately and say it's going to display a result similar, because all emulations and comparisons up to this point have been incredibly wrong, the image quality in the Cyberpunk 2077 videos is just a whole lot higher.

My point being, is that the least talked aspect about the hardware in the Switch 2 isn't the theoretical FLOPs or what hertz it caps at, but rather how interesting it finally is that we're no longer on a vertical scale, but instead looking at a piece of hardware that manages to output great fidelity with a tiny fraction of power on a horizontal scale.

I love my gaming rig and play it quite a bit, but there is no mystique to running a game, of course if I purchase a modern game it should run on hardware that cost as much as it did, with the Switch 2 I've been closely following footage reveals among other tech-savvy YouTubers and blog posters, because it's genuinely been one of the first real interesting consoles to release in a few decades. It's so much more intriguing playing a game like Cyberpunk on the Switch 2 than it is on a $3000 PC where you know what to expect, I already pre-ordered the game to support the developers, just thought I'd put a few thoughts out there that aren't marred by jaded discourse about some numbers which don't matter at all in the long run.

It’s been interesting for a long time. It’s fun because we get to be surprised by the games that are coming and their visual output.

Switch 2 may be the most capable Nintendo console yet, and I’d be very surprised to see what else it’s capable of.

I mean im all in for your enthusiasm and think cyberpunk is very impressive for what it is, but I certainly don't agree Switch 2 is one of the most interesting consoles in decades (Switch 1 was more interesting for starters, hell), and i definitely would not rather play Cyberpunk on SW2 than a 3000 PC.

Your "knowing what to expect" here translates to: experiencing some of the most stupidly gobsmacking visuals possible and for everything Switch 2 is punching up it is no where near as interesting to look at Cyberpunk on SW2 than on a high rig with the latest lighting mods. With the path tracing stuff and latest mods looks near photo real on the top of the line PCs, seriously it must be seen in person to be believed. People talk diminishing returns have as yet not witnessed Cyberpunk with all the bells and whistles turned on at a buttery smooth framerate.

I mean more power to you if you find "competent ports than you didn't expect could run on a system" (and why, it runs on steam deck and ps4?) more interesting than "game which inherently looks as astonishing as it possibly can in every conceivable way at 60fps and 4k resolution." Diversity is the heart of humanity and a good thing.

Because framerate and resolution impact gameplay too, not just visuals as much as people try to make that strained argument. So either way im preferring playing the game where it looks and plays best, and I won't let my console preferences enter into my choice.

But im still super excited for Switch 2 and think it is a pretty cool iteration on Switch 1's concept? And im just fine with that without aggrandizing its design.

@Quantumz00 I have a 4080 RTX system and have been playing modern games on it for years now, including Cyberpunk.

I am well aware that on a PC it looks better, I think you are missing the point of what I'm saying here.

The interesting part of the hardware to me as a tech enthusiast is that we are unable to accurately emulate its performance prior to release. Every other system in recent years this was not the case. Switch's Tegra chip already existed so people could emulate it immediately. PS4/5/Xbox consoles have been small form cheaper PCs for a long time now.

I'm not talking about power, I am talking about expectation of performance vs reality. All recent estimated simulations have been wrong which adds to my point.

Hope that makes sense.

@Varkster Nice to know. This is a nice, positive, POV of a PC user who is excited for switch 2, something that is rare online, or even IRL, and given I don’t have a PC, its nice to keep this in mind.

@pikachupikachup I think it really depends on the kind of communities you are a part of, I've seen a very loud local minority group over the past few months that have been vomiting fake arguments on Nintendo enthusiast websites, all of whom come from the Sony and PC communities solely to undermine Nintendo.

I find value in gaming on PC, sure, but that's also because I invested a large value into my PC and Steam library over the years. I do not find value in undermining other consoles or companies I'm not interested in, which a lot of the internet troll community have been doing for too long now.

Sure, games run excellent (for the most part) on my PC and look fantastic, but there is a certain charm and excitement that comes from console gaming that you just don't feel with PC gaming. Despite costing a lot of money, in some ways to me it actually feels a lot less like a 'premium' experience because the system isn't catered to the specific gaming need on a hardware and software level.

There are many polar opposites to me who think PC is the only platform worth having and everything else is liquid garbage, I think that is an insecure, unhinged approach. This also leads into my original point because as a tech enthusiast I think the Switch 2 on an architecture level is simply a lot more interesting than the usual vertical upgrades we see in the PC scene.

You can get very nice Cyberpunk visuals on the go with the Rog Ally X. And better. My point is Switch 2 is neither doing anything particularly new with its toolset, and is certainly behind the curve technologically and your argument about its novelty being preferential is hollow when we have better handheld versions and better console versions and a ridiculously superior PC version.

My point is we can be very impressed by Cyberpunk Switch 2 (i know I am) and still not invent fables as to what we are getting on the platform. You want a graphics showcase for your SW2 you don't need to argue that it is some novel cutting edge experience when it is not.

So exactly why should I think the Switch 2 version of Cyberpunk is most interesting lol? I am just purely focusing on what you said in the op, where you said, and quote...

"The reason I'm putting all of this down is because there is a certain level of curiosity that the Switch 2 is inciting which I don't think I've felt in many years when putting in context console gaming over the last couple of decades. "

All because you think it is more "interesting" to play a version that "surprised" you because you didn't think it was possible on Switch 2? (Which, again, i ask... why are you surprised? This isn't even an impossible port, SW2 is as powerful as a ps4 pro! Frankly, Witcher 3 and Doom on Switch were far more surprising technical feats. Call me if we get the rumoured switch 2 gtavi version though, then ill be technically surprised the system did it hehe)

@Quantumz00 You are getting salty over a manufactured argument you are making and completely misreading what my original post was saying and now getting passive aggressive with me.

I suggest you take a hike and breathe some fresh air, come back and re-read what was actually written here and maybe you'll come to understand how weird your entire commentary here sounds. I'm not going to argue because again you're throwing "better visuals" platforms at me while ignoring my original point out of willful ignorance and trying to stir some sort of debate I'm not interested in.

I do not plan on responding to you again, good day.

As stated many times before, it's all about the games and until Nintendo release a new Zelda game or equivalents for Switch 2 the ports just aren't going to cut it, anyone with a fairly capable PC rig is going to have seen it all before and apart from the novelty of handheld play the Switch 2 just can't compete here (I am however a buyer, just waiting for a new LOZ game)

@Varkster I hear you, and completely understand your point. I actually really liked what you had to say .

No reason (at least to me) to argue with someone's feelings. I'm excited about this new console for similar but different reasons, as I'm a Switch 1 ONLY gamer. I have no current gen baseline, so the upgrade in performance and power is very exciting.

Overall - the Switch 2 that we are getting is so far beyond what I expected Nintendo to release. I agree with your sentiment - we will be continually surprised with what the developers are able to release, and I cannot wait. It's exciting to not really know what is possible with the system. Keep sharing your thoughts +1 to what you said!

@Quantumz00 Ally X is $300 more than the Switch 2, Cyberpunk has been out on PC for a while, and the Switch 2 is completely new hardware. In addition to this, Ally X is comparable to series S, while Switch 2 with DLSS is comparable to PS4 Pro. Of course it will run better. That’s what you’re paying for. (Just cause I don’t have a PC, doesn’t mean that I don’t know ABOUT PCs)

For many of us, the "novelty of the handheld play" is one of the main selling points of the Switch though. Yes, my tabletop PC has better technical specs than the Switch 2, but since I also like playing games in bed, on the bus, while travelling, etc., the ease of which you can switch from TV play to handheld is irreplaceable. So if the same game is available on the PC and the Switch, even if the Switch version is somewhat inferior I'm still gonna pick it if it runs well enough, because handheld play is more important to me than best possible performance.

And yeah, I know there are handheld PC gaming devices nowadays too, but most of them are more expensive than the Switch 2, they don't have detachable joycons with motion controls and HD rumble and mouse mode, and you can't play Zelda or Xenoblade or Fire Emblem on them. So the Switch wins in this comparison too.

@Varkster I’ve been in those same communities too (crazy how r/Nintendo is filled with anything but Nintendo fans. I saw a negative comment about the SW2 get 500-1000 upvotes vs. negative upvotes for a positive comment), and I’ve tried to defend Nintendo as much as I think they should be (the line is drawn at regular $80 games. Mario Kart, Mario, and if a post on Reddit I saw not long ago is true, then Zelda too, are allowed with their long development times, but a remake should not be at all.), but I’m horrible at arguments and wording my… words, so I can’t really reply to a comeback, even when I have one myself. Not to say sometimes I am convinced by arguments, just can’t win them.

Until we get our grumby hands on it and some will do a indepth hardware analysis this is just all PR wording as no one has a Switch 2 not even the Press can get one to know anything right now.

I understand what you're saying, that the portability is a major selling factor for the console, but for me it just isn't, same for the original Switch plus I'd be terrified of damaging it every-time I had it in handheld mode the relatively weak battery life doesn't help that much either.

Yeah, I get it at that not everyone uses the Switch the same way. Just wanted to point out that it's weird to say that "apart from the novelty of handheld play the Switch 2 just can't compete here", when handheld play is exactly the field where it competes. Even if it's not your thing, you can't deny the fact that the Switch's hybrid nature is its biggest selling point.

No I'm not denying it I'm sure it'd be one of the Switch 2 biggest draws, I was just saying that the whole idea of handheld play is a novelty to me, I'd much rather be in front of my TV with a nice cup of tea and a controller in my hand.

My point isn't that Switch 2 isn't a good value or even that you shouldn't get Cyberpunk on SW2 (I think you should, it us on physical cart and a very competent port!). My point is merely that the argument that Switch 2s version of Cyberpunk is more "interesting" for his various arguments for why this are is supplanted by the fact all these things have been done on other hardware, and better - even in portable form. So what is the novelty exactly that should cause me to think this is the most "interesting" version?

The dude bailed on the discussion because he knows how farcical his original argument was, and tried to obfuscate this fact by suggesting I didn't "get" his actual point but, as usual, failing to actually elaborate as to how. We can read.

@Quantumz00 Alright, fair. I don’t think (read: hope) that he bailed. Sometimes I’m not able to log on for a few days, so I can’t respond to arguments with my counter-points. I think (hope) he did that.