Topic: The Nintendo Switch Rumor and Speculation Thread

One thing that I think people have slept on a bit about the rumoured Switch 2 SoC is the file decompression acceleration that it has. On these forums there's often a lot of talk about cartridge sizes and games being on cart or not. Extra downloads, devs being "cheap". And I think there's a general perception amongst some that this will only get worse with a higher fidelity Switch 2. But between this file compression and the rapidly dropping price of NAND? I'm not sure that'll be true

As an example. If you look at the transition from PS3 to PS4, which is broadly similar to the jump in power we're going to see between Switch and Switch 2, you saw games basically double in size. Higher resolution assets, bigger games. Makes sense. And in isolation the idea of 100GB+ games on Switch 2 is a bit scary. However in the transition from PS4 to PS5 we haven't seen this. If you look at game sizes on PS4 vs PS5? On average games are around 30% smaller.

Of course there are still outliers. There are games on PS5 that are multi 100GB downloads. But that was also the case on PS4 and, broadly, from PS4 to PS5 game sizes are generally a touch smaller on PS5. Like for like. So when you combine those things together? I don't think Switch 2 games will that much bigger at all

When you add the fact that we're 7 years down the road in terms of the prices of NAND? I think it's fair to say that storage will be basically a non-issue on Switch 2. I'm sure there will be some games that will still be a partial game on cart with a download code (2K NBA games I'm looking at you) but I think it'll be far less common than it has been

Saw a video which I won't post here because it certainly flirts with the site rules. But fair to say the video did make a fairly compelling case about where the Switch could already be. Not Switch 2, the Switch.... if it was free from Nintendo's arbitrary resolution and clock limits. We're talking something like 2X the original clocks and upto 4K/60Hz output on the OLED in the OLED dock

I mean sure, none of that is particularly new. Even seeing some of the things they managed to do with this new found freedom. But even so, when you see like.... a decompiled Ocarina of Time running at 4K/60 or Wind Waker running through Dolphin at 1440p or even like. On a Switch. In a video. And also some things I won't mention due to the previously mentioned community rules.....

I think sometimes we are being a bit conservative in terms of how much we're going to get out of backwards compatibility on Switch 2. The rumour from a while ago said there was a BotW demo where it was running at 4K with no loading times? I mean.... yeah, comfortably, don't even need DLSS for that

@skywake I doubt Nintendo will give us a Switch Pro through the Switch 2's backward compatibility, at least not for free. I don't disagree with you that it's eminently possible technically. And I'm not skeptical "because Nintendo". I just don't think they'll leave cash on the table if they think they can charge extra for the boost. Which is a roundabout way of saying I think it will happen, but it'll cost us.

How much would people pay for a patch for faster backward compatibility? I'm guessing ballpark £15/$20 per game, but maybe they'd rather try and resale Switch 2 optimised versions?

@TSR3 Whose side are you on? Shhh.

It’d be really funny if everyone thinks it’s gonna be another switch but Nintendo whips out a regular powerful home console 💀 doubt it won’t have handheld and tv mode though. I think a cool think would be a projector at the back so you can play anywhere, even without a tv! And also AR capabilities would be sick

@OctolingKing13 It still looks like another Switch ...
https://mynintendonews.com/2024/04/27/switch-accessories-manu...

@TSR3 That fake picture doesn't even have the extra button the article itself claims exists.

@FishyS Not saying it's real, just sharing the rumour. But, the pictures seem to be of current JoyCons, with the positions of the rumoured new buttons highlighted. There's no photos of the new JoyCons, just alleged manufacturer leaks

Do we think if Nintendo released a home console it would be more successful than Playstation? Just wanting to read the room because I'm not convinced.

@GrailUK Depends on if they did a handheld release at the same time. If so, I'd buy the handheld, but if there were only a console, I'd go for it.

@GrailUK I think not. Even if you split Switch players 50/50 between handheld and TV play, and got 70 million, it would be less than that partly because the Switches appeal is that it can do both. Besides, it looks like the rest of the games hardware market is following Nintendo's lead and becoming more handheld focused as well. People talk about the death of physical media, but the next decade may see the death of dedicated TV consoles as well

1. The Bluetooth chip of Switch 2 still supports existing Joy-Con and Pro controllers, and still features HD vibration (ALPS dual-axis linear motor).
2. Switch 2 has backwards compatibility with Switch 1 cartridges, but Switch 2 cartridges will be different and won’t fit on a Switch 1.
3. The new joycons are larger and are magnetically attached to the console with an electromagnet. The SL and SR buttons are metallic now, and there’s a new button behind each joycon (location where the button is) and a new button below the home button on the right joycon (location where the button is)
4. The dock still has an USB-C port and will also support 4K image output.
5. The new kickstand also has a damping bracket on the back for improved angle adjustment.
6. The screen is bigger, up to 8 inches and the resolution is upgraded to 1080p.

https://mynintendonews.com/2024/04/27/switch-accessories-manu...

If these are some truth to these this is Great News. I figure they do a New 3DS XL cart factor so you couldn't use on older Switch consoles. And Also heard they are looking at using 3D Nand storage for bigger games and storage. This would help people having to waste valuable sd cart for storage or Internal storage for update or require downloads games.

@SwitchForce Honestly I hope this is real. I believe Pyoro mentioned it, although he can't confirm it with his 'main source' yet. This is what I want from a Switch 2, just a stronger, better version with backwards compatibility. It'd be cool if games like TTYD and TOTK got resolution/framerate upgrades for the next console, but I kind of doubt it.

@PikminMarioKirby It sounded to me like Pyoro only mentioned it because people were pestering them and the answer was 'I don't know'. The general assumption is that Pyoro's only source relates to near-term video drops.

However... 1 is zero surprise, 2 would be extremely little surprise, 4 and 5 are similar to what OLED already does, 6 was potentially leaked last year.... new button and magnets are the only particularly new information here and I'm not really sure what to think about either of those.

@FishyS Thanks for clearing that up, I didn't know the context. Yeah a lot of it is pretty predictable, so it could go either way.

It's both amazing and worrying that many still blindly believes in that "pyroco" individual, despite that he has been dreadfully wrong at lately.

He/she claimed that Switch 2 WILL be revealed in march/april for some months ago... Some of you will for sure defend him/her by saying that Switch 2 has been delayed...

BUT the biggest problem is that Switch 2 or its codename has NEVER been revealed by Nintendo yet, hence the so called "delay" is a complete bogus/hoax/hearsay or whatever you want then.

"Pyorco" usually "leaks" directs just 1-2 days before... It's not that so special actually, it had been a different story if now he/she like leaked in weeks or months in advance like some other non-Nintendo leakers does.

Of course I DO to 100% hope that "Switch 2" will be a HUGE upgrade over Switch like N64 to Gamecube. But don't forget that Nintendo won't gives expensive tech for "free" like Sony or Microsoft does. Not a chance that it (Switch 2) will be more powerful than Steam Deck OLED while costing 1/2 to 1/3 less depending of your country.... and having a huge upgraded screen 800p (Steam Deck) vs 1080p (Switch 2). Come again, get real for once...
There're a reason why phones are so unreal expensive, because smaller 1080p screens costs a lot.

@Keman Pretty sure Pyoro never said Switch 2 would reveal in Mar/April; they weren't even part of the delay or hardware release date conversation except for the delayed Partner Direct. As far as I know, Pyoro has still been 100% correct in all predictions. However, as you say, almost all of their leaks have been about Nintendo trailer video drops or directs within a week of them happening. I would say the emphasis on Pyoro is really more an indication of how little we trust every other supposed leaker who often get things wrong. It's not that we think Pyoro will give us useful info, we just don't generally trust info from any other specific leaker.

Although this particular leak is very consistent with other leaks so I tend to think it is plausible, especially since it is almost entirely very logical and not super impressive sounding.

@Keman Pyoro has never claimed any of this. He's been wrong, like, twice, and has owned up to that both times, and the second time, he even expressed skepticism over the accuracy of what he was hearing. Every single other Pyoro leak has been accurate to an unprecedented extent

@PikaPhantom Don't forget that people hold the whole thing they said about Pokemon Black and White against them- when they literally prefaced the whole thing with "The information could be wrong because it was from a few years back."

I don't tend to believe many Nintendo leakers, but Pyoro is probably the most legit out of the ones I've seen. They actually apologize if they get things wrong, and they make sure to clarify things. It isn't just like SamusHunter, where the person is literally just spouting random predictions and then deleting them when they turn out to be wrong. Pyoro has credibility due to getting things right and taking accountability when they get things wrong.

Yeah, Pyoro has always carefully caveated things they aren't 100% sure about, so I wouldn't count those as wrong because they said they didn't truly know those times.