Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

@parallaxscroll
1. Nothing I've seen lines up with your numbers and frankly they don't make sense. I believe you are getting single precision and double precision figures mixed up. Five seconds of googling and I found an article that completely goes against your figures

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-08-30-how-powerful-is-...

2. I wasn't comparing the Wii U to the 360 and I wasn't talking about CPU performance
3. If what you are saying was correct? Then I'd be seriously impressed at how well its launch day ports ran
4. If what you are saying was correct? Then there's even more reason for the NX to close the gap

https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2016/05/third_party_develope...

So, still kinda a rumor, but looks like the NX is not a handheld. MH is a handheld.

@DefHalan Nope. MH doesn't exist. That was Morgan Stanley merely picturing a scenario.

@skywake Are you sure that is a 'drop the mic' pic? It sure looks awfully close to a 'this is a robbery' pic.

@skywake Yeh man - hate to poop on the party you're having with yourself but that mic of yours looks awfully like a loada paper.

@parallaxscroll and @skywake: both of you have nice, neat and contradictory GFLOPS figures. You cannot both be right. Folks have asked where you got these numbers, but one thing you two have in common is that you vaguely mention the Internet, but don't actually cite your sources. Maybe you should put your cards on the table and let your avid readers decide whose sources are more credible.

skywake has the advantage. It's easy to find sources for his numbers, and they're not anywhere near parallaxscroll's.

http://www.techpowerup.com/gpudb/1903/wii-u-gpu

http://www.techradar.com/us/news/gaming/consoles/ps4-vs-xbox-...

@IceClimbers yet sadly I don't think nx can wait any longer imo.

@cwong15
I did link to a site that listed the GFLOPS of all sorts of platforms. A site which I had verified by doing a bit more searching and cross-referencing via other websites. From what I could tell all of their figures (or at least the important ones) lined up. They also made sense relative to each other and in the context of how the games themselves perform. I didn't link to the source originally purely because I saw no reason to not believe the numbers and anyone who disagreed could do a search and come up with the same.

Think about it rationally for a second. I'm saying the Wii U's GPU is quite a bit less powerful than the PS4 which we know is the case. In doing so I also inadvertently claimed that the Wii U is about 1.5x more powerful than the XBox 360. A claim which actually makes sense given that most ports at the very least matched the 360 version. And also lines up with what developers have said about developing for Wii U. So I don't think there's much reason to dispute the figures I posted.

It was one of the better images came up on Google image search. I assumed the dude was dropping two mics AND throwing his papers in the air at the same time. Not sure what else it's supposed to look like.

They sure are. Though it just so happens to be a scenario that makes a lot of sense. That the NX is indeed a home console and that there is something else entirely that's going to do the portable stuff. I really wished this rumour was true because it would have stopped people running wild with their hybrid theories. At least a bit.

https://shield.nvidia.com/android-tv
This is probably the best example of what my Micro-Console idea could be, except rather than streaming from your computer, you stream from your Home Console. I also think some of the specs are a bit high, like 4K resoultion, Nintendo could trim some of that off to try to bring down the price.

Add in the ability to play VC from the Micro Console (without having to stream from the Home Console) and maybe some eShop titles and you got a decent little box that can change the way you play and let you game from almost anywhere in your house lol

@DefHalan
The Shield console is more of a Wii U clone than a micro-console. In terms of the hardware itself at least. It's not so much a micro-console as it is a console that doesn't have that much developer support. The lack of which is slightly made up for by its ability to stream games and playback media.

Basically the issue is pricing:
~$50US: Effectively just a streaming box (Steam Link, Chromecast)
~$150US: It'd basically be something between the Vita and Wii U spec (PSTV, Apple TV)
~$250US: What the Wii was to the Gamecube. It'd be the Wii U's Wii (Shield console)
~$350US: A "PS4 clone"

I mean a micro-console is a neat idea I just don't see what the point is by itself. As a portable that has HDMI out at $100 or something I kinda get it. As a streaming box that requires you have a console I definitely get it. But in the absence of either a portable or a home console? What's the point of getting one?

For what you'd get at that price I think most people would wonder why the Wii U is being retired. I think most people would rather spend a bit more and get something that actually moves things forward. To start at least. Down the road if this thing does well then people might consider a Steam Link style streaming box. And once the portable is going maybe they can bundle that in there also not unlike the PSTV. But as something launching in 2017? .... I'm not sold on the idea

@skywake Yeah, I have stopped calling my Micro Console idea the NX. Mainly because my Micro Console idea was never a replacement for the Wii U, it was a companion device to a new console and handheld. The evidence is pointing towards a Wii U replacement. But people keep asking about the idea since I have it in my signature... should probably update that, but it makes for a good conversation starter lol

@DefHalan
If such a product did happen I'd personally rather it be portable. Something like the Wii U GamePad but with the ability to play some of the more basic content. They could probably cram a fairly basic ARM processor into it and sell it for $80US or so. Enough to allow you to play NES, SNES, GB and GBC VC content away from the NX.

But the main point of it would be for off-TV play via the NX. As an optional extra that you don't have to have to play NX games. But possibly something that NX games can support if developers want to. Most probably in addition to having the same functionality in their next portable. Maybe while also supporting the Wii U GamePad itself

@skywake I would find that to be more confusing. I don't see a reason for Nintendo to have two handheld consoles. The Nintendo Handheld Console could function like that and still be the handheld console. As someone with multiple streaming devices, so I don't have to unplug and replug in when I want to go to a different room and keep watching, I can see the benefit of a Micro Console like the one I describe. Also as someone with brothers where we ended up fighting for the home console pretty regularly, so I can see the benefit of having cheaper console in different rooms that would allow people to play certain games from the library or Stream games from the Home Console. It is addressing those types of audiences. It really won't be addressing people that have no need for consoles in multiple rooms. That is why it would be cobsidered a companion device and not be mandatory or any games, just give extra features to the main consoles. I totally understand why some wouldn't care about this, but I think it could also be pretty important for others and change the way a family games.

@DefHalan
I agree that building the streaming functionality into the portable itself would make more sense. I'm just saying that if they are going to create a kind of "third pillar" that emphasises game-streaming I think it'd make more sense as a portable system.

Mostly because a portable device for streaming is more versatile. If you are in a household with multiple-TVs and someone is using the main one? You can stream to a portable. If both TVs are being used or if you only have one TV and someone is using it? You can stream to the portable. If you want to play a game while watching the TV or if you want to play a game without turning on the TV? ... you get the idea

But a streaming box with HDMI? It's a handy idea but it covers a far more niche use-case. Basically it's only really handy in one scenario. If you want to play games on a TV/monitor other than the one your device is connected to. That's what the Steam Link is useful for because your PC isn't usually connected to your TV. It usually lives in a bedroom or study with its own screen.

@skywake
But with the Portable, you are limited to the hardware of the portable. You can't connect it to a big screen or surround sound. You are limited by the hardware Nintendo puts in it. With a Streaming Box you can put the console where you primarily want to game and have Streaming boxes in other rooms to satisfy when you cannot use your room or if you have a family or whatever. The Nintendo Micro Console also has Netflix/Hulu/Amazon Instant Video, so Nintendo becomes the gaming focused device that can also stream your favorite Video Subscriptions. The Nintendo Micro Console is more than just a gaming streaming device. It offers a lot more uses that another GamePad (going through Wi-Fi instead of its own wireless signal) just wouldn't be able to offer especially for people who have more that 1 gamer in their house. I am not expecting you to want the device or anything. You have already explained why you won't be interested, I just think a Micro Console could actually find success on its own as a companion device compared to a GamePad 2.0

I hope that wasn't too confusing lol

Not necessarily. In this comparison of two entirely hypothetical not-NX devices I just assumed that the internal hardware would be the same. Or at least could be the same. The only difference is that one has a battery pack and a screen and the other does not.

Because that's basically what NVidia has done with their Shield. All three product tiers have HDMI out and support 4K resolutions. Though the Android TV being newer supports 4K at 60Hz. They're all at the same RRP. The main difference between them is the power of the GPU but that's mostly because they were released at different times. And between the three? If I had an NVidia GPU I'd probably get the oldest one purely because of the form-factor. It's the one that's most like the Wii U GamePad in form.

I mean why make just a device that does a specific thing when they could make a different one that does both?

edit:
That said, it's a bit of a non-point anyway. I don't think they're going to create any kind of third pillar just for streaming. I wouldn't be surprised if we get game streaming to their next portable like Sony does from PS4 to Vita. Almost no effort on their part to implement something like that. I also wouldn't be surprised if they also support streaming to PC. Again, like Sony and Microsoft have done. And if they did the later? Well you already have your micro-console which conveniently also streams PS4, XBOne and Steam games....

@skywake I was talking about screen and sound hardware. The hardware in the system might be the same, really depends on what the GamePad 2.0 features without the main console would be. I just don't see the need for an even cheaper handheld console with removed features when the main handheld is already the cheaper alternative to other portable gaming (smart phones) Just not sure if the market for that is as big as the market for Streaming Boxes and households that could use multiple consoles.

@DefHalan
Instead of an entirely different product though imagine this:

Portable System + Dock (power + HDMI) = Portable, GamePad "2.0" AND Micro-console in one

There's new rumours on the Microsoft front. Slim XB1 in 2016 and more powerful XB1 in 2017.