Somehow I hope that this year Nintendo will announce the Nintendo Switch Lite (OLED Model) which would be great for those who prefer only handheld gaming.
@Magician
Not just Japan, but portable gamers in general.
Battery life is crucial. Without battery, the portability is worthless. Non-handheld gamers will often ooh and ahh at the specs of PC handhelds, and it's like sure, those things are beasts, but when you're only hitting 90 minute playtimes, what's the point, ya know?
If we can see PS4/X1/Steamdeck power with the Switch 2, and maintain battery life roughly on par with Switch v2/OLED, that's pretty much a dream scenario.
Psalms 22:16 (1,000 yrs before Christ)
They pierced My hands and feet
Isaiah 53:5 (700 yrs before Christ)
He was pierced for our transgressions
If we can see PS4/X1/Steamdeck power with the Switch 2, and maintain battery life roughly on par with Switch v2/OLED, that's pretty much a dream scenario.
With the Mario Kart Season Pass running until the end of 2023, does that reduce the likelihood of the new Switch coming in that time period?
I'm still guessing the 6 month window from September 2023 to March 2024 is the likely timeframe for release, if I'm right, I think Q1 2024 is now most likely...
@MarioBrickLayer I was thinking the same thing. I also think Switch Sports is going to give the current hardware a lot of 'mid-life' momentum as well. There's millions of potential new first time sales off the back of that title!
@MarioBrickLayer To be honest I think Nintendo may do the same thing they did for Smash so like at E3 2023 or September 2023 Direct a second Booster Course DLC pack gets announced and then Mario Kart 8 Deluxe by the end of 2025 is essentially Mario Kart Ultimate so Mario Kart 9 ends up being a drastic change to the franchise like if you compare Forza Motorsport to Forza Horizon.
One of answers stood out to me...
"Q7 I have a question about hardware manufacturing costs. It appears that costs are rising slightly
due to the current semiconductor shortage, but what degree of impact does that have on gross
profit? Also, going forward, will you increase production volume to secure the required volume
of hardware even if costs rise, or do you decide production volume while taking costs into
account to a certain degree?
A7 Furukawa:
Nintendo Switch was launched several years ago, and we have continued to work to reduce
costs, but the recent component shortages are leading to increased costs. And even though
the rise is gradual, it has been impacting our gross profit. Looking at the full year, we anticipate
that impact to be minor this fiscal year, but if costs continue at current levels through next fiscal
year as well, then we would expect hardware profitability to decrease correspondingly
compared to this fiscal year. In addition, as has already been mentioned, Nintendo Switch –
OLED Model has a lower profit margin than Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite. Unless
the situation changes dramatically, we do not foresee profitability improving next fiscal year
and beyond. That said, these cost increases do not affect our production plans, and we will
continue to produce the volume required to meet demand."
That to me says they've not changed any of their hardware plans so far due to the semiconductor shortages, and aren't planning to change them in the future either.
Most importantly, the Nintendo Switch 2, or as it will be called, will have backward compatibility. Nintendo will surely announce the next console next year with the release of 2024.
@TSR3
It not changing their plans means nothing to us given we don't know their plans
@DevilMayCry
A secret to everyone that one. Also why I think people reading into Mario Kart DLC are wasting their time. Making software forward compatible is the obvious play if technically possible, which I believe it would be. I don't think we're getting a Mario Kart 9 anytime soon and that doesn't mean I think there's no new hardware
@skywake Initially like others I was surprised with the timeline for the MK8 DLC, but on reflection I can't see how it has any direct impact on hardware at all. I'd always been sceptical of those who seemed to argue that chip shortages meant a freeze on any new hardware, which is why I picked up on Nintendo's answer about hardware manufacturing. Sure we don't know what Nintendo's plans are, but we can be sure they aren't hibernating until the COVID winter thaws.
Looking at another of their answers , it seems like they're thinking of a Switch successor, rather than just another revision ...
"There are currently nearly 100 million annual playing users, and going forward, it is important
to consider how we can maintain and expand on that number. This will also be essential when
we consider our plan for the next hardware platform"
... this also supports @DevilMayCry comment about backward compatibility
@TSR3
It's a bit of a nothing statement really, could mean a lot of things. They could mean it in the same way they said similar things during the tail end of the Wii/DS era. That they like having that size of a userbase and want to try and capture that size of an audience again.
There is also potentially some wiggle room on what they could mean by "next hardware platform". Is XBox Series a new hardware platform for Microsoft? Is Steam Deck a new hardware platform for Valve? Was the iPad a new hardware platform for Apple? I don't think "new hardware platform" necessarily rules out console revision. I've been singing from this songbook on here for a while but I really don't think there's much value at all to the distinction
I still think the most sensible move is to release a major hardware revision while maintaining significant compatibility with existing software. Under that scenario I'd expect most current Switch titles to get not much improvement on the new hardware but for some to be patched for HDR, higher framerates, higher resolution etc. Games with dynamic resolution or inconsistent framerates, which is common, would see improvement without patching. But there would be new games which are built with new hardware in mind but still compatible with existing consoles
Some playlists: Top All Time Songs, Top Last Year
An opinion is only respectable if it can be defended. Respect people, not opinions
@NinChocolate
I tend to agree although me being me I'm not particularly fond of the idea that branding not concrete technical reality is what people mean in this discussion. I mean it most certainly is what people mean.... but I don't have to like it and will continue to be annoyed by it
Some playlists: Top All Time Songs, Top Last Year
An opinion is only respectable if it can be defended. Respect people, not opinions
@Tamer This further confirms the original rumour by Mochizuki, before the OLED announcement.
We are definitely getting a Switch Pro/2 eventually, but in my opinion this is just the Pro that got scrapped due to the chip shortage and got turned into the OLED.
As much as I would love a more powerful model to release, I don't think it is coming any time soon. At least we know that whatever comes next, it will most likely support DLSS, which is amazing news.
Chip shortage has no end in sight, and even seems as if it'll get worse before it gets better (see Ukraine which supplies 70% of the world's neon, which, you guessed it, is needed in the manufacturing of microchips).
It seems evident to me the Pro model was scrapped due to current circumstances, and the OLED was released in its stead. I don't think Bloomberg was making things up- they seemed very confident in what they were reporting, and this leak with 2019 data essentially confirms it.
At this point I think we're beyond the window of opportunity for an upgraded model. I expect Switch 2 in 2024, with Orin chip and DLSS capabilities. Exciting stuff!
But until then, we've got a historic lineup on our hands to indulge in.
Psalms 22:16 (1,000 yrs before Christ)
They pierced My hands and feet
Isaiah 53:5 (700 yrs before Christ)
He was pierced for our transgressions
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