Topic: The Nintendo Switch Rumor and Speculation Thread

@skywake Personally, I don't really want a switch 2 right now. I just don't want to have to buy an upgrade to play games like they're meant to be played. Especially a 400 dollar upgrade, when there's other devices I'm saving up for. I want to be able to get a PS5 one day, so I can enjoy even more games. I don't want to have to buy a brand new version of the same console I own just to enjoy things like BotW 2 the way they're meant to be played, with them barely running on the standard Switch.

@HotGoomba I just don’t think it’s a given based on how much Nintendo likes to make money off re releases. It should be. But I don’t know if it’s going to be.

@Megaglip sure they can. But I bet if there’s a switch 2 and it’s not backward compatible but they release the original botw for it there will be people that who owned it previously who will re buy a second time simply to have all their favourite games on the same system.

Really the only difference between a successor and a revision is hard incompatibility with the previous generation. As in code developed for the previous generation has to be emulated or run in a container. Or the discs/cartridges of the new system are rejected (either physically or in software) when played in the new system.

If your idea of a Switch 2 is a system where you can take BotW or BotW2 and drop the cartridge in it? Play it as if it was the original Switch with no restrictions, possibly even with some improved performance. You're describing the Switch Pro, not a Switch successor.

It's what the XBox X, PS4 Pro and New 3DS were and even what XBox Series and to a degree the PS5 is. But different to the backwards compatibility offered by consoles like the Wii U, Wii, 3DS, DS, XBox One etc.

The 3Ds would like to have a word with you, as it can run DS games by just inserting the game card, and offers better performance.

@skywake you literally just described how the 3DS emulates DS games.

DS games on the 3DS run in a DS compatibility mode and don't get any performance benefit from being on a 3DS. If anything you were generally better off running DS games on an original DS because of the change in resolution. Also 3DS cartridges are physically incompatible with the DS, even very light 3DS games could not be played on the DS. There was virtually no co-existence period, when the 3DS launched Nintendo's big portable release were almost exclusively not on DS.

Compare that to the New 3DS where yes there were New 3DS exclusives. But also any 3DS game running on the New 3DS had the potential to perform better on the New 3DS. Some did dramatically. Or even the Gameboy Color in most people's minds was more revision than successor. In that case GBC games had physical incompatibility with the Gameboy, which screams successor. But you were pretty much always better off playing GB games on a GBC. Pokemon was the biggest deal, only Crystal was GBC exclusive.

I mean what's the difference in your mind between successor and revision? It seems the definition isn't particularly clear cut. Frankly I don't see any reason why Nintendo would drop Tegra and I don't see any reason why they would stop putting out OG Switch compatible games. If that's the case whatever they release would not be a Switch 2 but rather a Switch Pro. And if that's the case, there's not much to lose from going sooner rather than waiting another 2-3 years.

@skywake The 3Ds was a successor, but you make it out like I was claiming it was a revision, which I wasn't. I was just commenting on how you said a Successor can't boost the look of older games, when things like the PS5 outright exist and do just that. Sure, maybe the 3Ds doesn't boost the performance, but the game still can be played on the system.

Yeah, I'm not saying you're claiming the 3DS wasn't a successor. We both agree it was. What I'm saying is that something like DS backwards compatibility on the 3DS is not the same as what we saw between New 3DS/3DS or PS4/PS4 Pro. I see no reason for Nintendo to only support the Switch in that way. The Switch won't be dumped as quickly as the DS was, or indeed most consoles before this last generation.

Here's a mind blowing thought for you, what if I told you that the PS5 is only a "successor" in your mind because of a name. I'd argue that both it and the XBox Series are more hardware revision than hardware successors. The marketing isn't really pushing that line but what you're literally getting isn't really a successor. Which is a good thing.

As I've been saying for multiple pages in this thread, the gaming industry has moved on from the idea of replacing platforms. Platforms now exist beyond the lifecycle of a particular console. And this is a fantastic thing for consumers. I expect Nintendo will be doing the same. The Wii U and 3DS will be the last consoles that were actually superseded directly for a long time. I hope we never see a "Switch 2", Switch Pros, Switch Pro Pros, Switch Minis and Switch Pockets all the way for the next decade

Truth. I don't have all the insight that I would like into this industry, but even if I did, I doubt that I could predict Nintendo's more unorthodox moves. Even now, I don't think they quite consider themselves a video game company (and that proves both good and ill).

I sense many of the comments in this forum are in good fun. But. What happens when people's assumptions are disproven, their expectations "betrayed"? When people start to string together increasingly unfounded imaginings - well, it doesn't lead to fun, I'll say...

Hell ya why have a Switch Pro or whatever the next thing is called when the Switch and Switch Lite are still as hot as a habanero pepper and still doing awesome.??? I hope it doesn't happen for another 5 years yet. like 2026 at least.

Now that you mention it - this is a pertinent question. I have somehow assumed that the BOTW sequel was bound to be released late this year. Yet I was also sure that SS HD would have its time to breathe. If the sequel doesn't appear this year, I will not be impatient, but intrigued - just how difficult is it to make a game like that, with so many assets being reused? It might point to strained development resources inside the company.

However, if there is no date given for the sequel on Tuesday, some people will not be intrigued, but instead rather upset. And I'm not looking forward to that...

@COVIDberry
I for one won't be disappointed if we don't see BotW 2. I don't have any particular expectations or predictions for games, whatever they do will be a surprise to me. I just wouldn't be surprised by a Switch Pro and at this stage I'm not sure many would be. Probably a good reason not to announce the Pro at E3!

@COVIDberry Folk who get rather upset over not being able to wait for a game to be developed (especially during a pandemic) are not worth listening to. Harsh...but fair.

Switch successor is 3 years away minimum. I don't think we will have a pro model but if we do, it'll be announced this month for sure.

What is the difference between a Switch successor and a Switch Pro model? (honest question)

Saying a game looks too good to run on Switch is something we have done before.

Remember Monster Hunter Rise? Turns out if a game targets just the Switch, you get a good resolution.

Heck Mario + Rabbids the first time was a 900p game. With improvements to Snowdrop over the past 4 years and more understanding of the hardware than a game that released 5 months after the hardware would have, I can see them pushing what can be done.

@GrailUK
Maybe from the chip inside, the backward compatibility, the machine design, materials used, functionality, important features, etc.
I would like to see the Switch successor have better game box cover design and color scheme as Switch has the worst game cover design compared with Wii / Wii U / 3DS great have better cover design (That red spine, generic fonts, Switch logo on top left, box size ratio were killing me). It should have at least like PS VITA game cover design.

Wasn't that Rabbids footage pre-alpha? I don't think we can speculate too much based on that.

@Anti-Matter A shelf full of red spines is the single worst thing about the Switch. Why can't we have different cases (like the PAL SNES games). Shelves used to look awesome!