Topic: The Nintendo Switch Rumor and Speculation Thread

@Madao
I'm still of the view the difference between successor and revision is paper thin. And if this Pro SKU was pushed back due to shortages it just means a delay not a scrapping

@HotGoomba yea I think you are correct the name will not follow a numeric convention and the dock will most likely be compatible with it.

@Ulysses Due to the chip shortage my expectation is that Nintendo will go straight for the successor and skip the Pro model.

@skywake In my eyes a Pro revision would have been a console that developers are not expected to create exclusives for (maybe even not allowed to do so). While a successor will be a console that will be getting new games that won't be releasing for the old model, especially after its first couple of years of release. I agree though that in terms of functionality, I basically expect it to be the same as a Switch, just beefed up.

We all ready have a OLED Switch coming October 8th. So who knows if there will be another Switch. It could be possible that the successor to the Switch won't even be a switch. Did you ever think of that?

Yes, that's exactly what I'm speculating about with regards to the Art Technica story and Nintendo's tweet above. In the same way most people speculating about a Switch Pro, didn't actually expect any new model to be called "Switch Pro", I'm not seeing many people (there's the odd one) proposing "Switch 2" as the name Nintendo would actually use. It's just a useful shorthand to distinguish between a mid-gen update, or a new gen upgrade. Or even if the concept of generations has any mileage at all anymore!

My own opinion is that Nintendo will stick with the hybrid design of the Switch, and also produce handheld models at a lower price point than the full hybrid. I also think the next hybrid model will be a 'Switch 2' - that is it'll be more than just a performance upgrade of OLED model. Think of ideas like updated features in the Joy Cons to support movement, maybe a camera like the 3DS, better support for different ways of playing such as VR (Labo was definitely a proof-of-concept experiment), use of video streaming so the console with a screen can act like a controller (like WiiU) in TV mode. Or even just more themes or folders for the home screen!

Of course this is Nintendo, so they could do anything really, but it can be fun to speculate

I think you're asking the wrong questions. I mean there are some things we can be SUPER confident of and other things that are speculation.

Things we know for sure:

• Technology improves over time
• Nintendo is always developing new hardware
• Eventually Nintendo will retire the current Switch SKU
• Switch Game Cards upto 64GB exist
• The Switch supports Bluetooth and has detachable controllers
• The Switch is probably going to end up being Nintendo's second most successful platform after DS
• Nvidia has newer Tegra SoCs than the X1 in the Switch
• The next Tegra SoC is expected to release in 2022
• The new Switch dock has HDMI 2.0 which supports 4K @ 60Hz and HDR

Things we don't know:

• How Nintendo will position their next hardware release
• When Nintendo will release their next piece of hardware
• How capable their next hardware will be

But given what we know? Given the Switch's success, the Switch's controllers are modular, there are Tegra SoCs they could use to maintain compatibility, the capacity of their current media and the revised Switch Dock? I think a revision is a fairly safe guess. Given the 2022 schedule for new Tegra and the decision to revise the Dock now? Likely we're looking at about a year from now rather than 2+ years

The only real question in my mind is how capable it'll be. And if it REALLY pushes the limit on that front? Well it may end up feeling more like a successor than a revision. The further they push that the more likely games will not be playable on the current Switch. But even here, realistically, it'll be a smaller jump than Wii -> Wii U and a larger jump than GC -> Wii. We won't be getting a portable PS4 Pro anytime soon

How about a Switch Lite with OLED?

@Atomic77 I wouldn't cross my fingers, but it could happen. But a new Nintendo system is more likely at this point.

@Atomic77 I’d love to see a Switch Lite (OLED model) come out. Nintendo could surprise drop one next year, but I think it’s more likely to come out last. Kinda like how the 2DS XL came out after the Switch launched.

Not sure how much of a rush Nintendo would be to make an OLED Switch Lite. The Switch Lite exists to be a budget model and OLED panels, while they've dropped in price, are still a premium component. Maybe down the line we'll see it when they finally release a more powerful SKU at the top end. Switch Lite gets the OLED screen but at a significantly lower spec and without the ability to dock. Because if the screen is 720p you don't need the additional power

Well the OLED that they just released on 10/8/21 must really be doing well because they have sold out in alot of places.

It is seeming like the OLED dock with its 4k-capable output is going to be the base for what will eventually be the next Switch, which to me just means the one that will use the next gen of Tegra processor.

I don't think Nintendo is even going to bother distinguishing between the "Switch 2" and the "Switch Pro" in terms of labeling - they are just going to upgrade the Switch and keep calling it the Switch, phasing out the existing model by letting the shelves naturally clear. I think games will largely remain playable on both SKUs for the next few years, but eventually Nintendo will have to start urging people to upgrade if they want to play some of the latest, more demanding games.

So yea, I think the Switch is going to become very PC-esque in terms of ditching the delineated generations. If you stick with the older hardware, you won't be able to do 4k on your TV, and eventually you won't be able to run some of the more demanding games, but that will be years away.

I have heard a few things that after this OLED Nintendo does not have any plans to do any upgrades to the Switch. I guess we will wait and see.

On that note, I just saw a new Xbox ad on TV yesterday (I'm in the US), and Microsoft simply used the terminology "Get it on the new Xbox."

No "Series X" or "Series S," just "new Xbox." I kind of envision Nintendo doing the same with the Switch.

Im in the US as well but I haven't really seen all that much in video game ads lately except for online.

Latest Nate The Hate podcast ...

TL:DR

• Nintendo/Zynga responses to Bloomberg story carefully worded non-denials. Dev kits are out there with developers
• A change from the Maxwell GPU in Tegra X1 means backward compatibility issues, with different options possible to solve
• Speculation about upgrade model (not 'Switch Pro' revision anymore) launch being as early as late 2022

PS what I don't get is what SoC these dev kits are running, if they've been out since last year, but GPU version is an issue for compatibility. Are we still looking at a Xavier based SoC? Or something Ampere based, but pre-Orin??

hmm maybe there doing some kind of update in the future with the switch oled.

Real talk.

If we see a more powerful Switch, I'm worried carts won't be able to accomodate the size of the games and Nintendo will step closer to being digital (granted, like the rest of the industry.)

@GrailUK Switch carts are supposedly able to go up to 64GB, and none have been released so far (that I'm aware of) that are that large. But they are also seemingly very expensive at that size. I'd expect them to get cheaper as time goes on but that's not happened yet. I guess Nintendo's format is not standard enough to benefit from reducing storage prices? Nate and MVG also discussed this in their podcast and one thing that stuck out was that if DLSS is used to get to 4K, then the assets can still stay at HD def as they do now. So games for a Switch 4K shouldn't need to get much bigger than they are now.

@Atomic77 Nate and MVG discussed the OLED dock being future proof on the podcast as well. They seemed to think the HDMI 2.0 port was chosen just because it was the cheapest available, and that recycling a previous models accessories isn't the sort of thing Nintendo would do.

@TSR3 The only problem I have with that is it sounds very under utilisation of the system. If it has increased specs yet DLSS is doing most of the lifting, then why does it need to have more specs? (Sorry if a dumb question.)

@GrailUK not that simple. yes, it wouldn't need much more juice specs wise but the current chip is not compatible with dlss as it is too old