Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

@JaxonH
Your's certainly makes my collection look pretty small. I probably have a similar number of Wii games as you, maybe half the number of Wii U and DS games. 3DS and Switch but.... oof...

@Giancarlothomaz
Was probably waiting for a QTE to break the ceiling with a cutscene 😉

Oh, did you see how he was jumping and shooting horizontally like it's 1987 lol? You'd think he was playing Mega Man.

@skywake
Even half that amount is still a pretty sizeable number. I try to only buy good games I have interest in (no interest in buying a game just to have on the shelf- there are certainly games I've bought and never played, but all of them were games that I was curious about or had at least some interest in). The question is where the line gets drawn. Do you only buy the top 10%? That would amount to around 1,000 games. Top 5%? That would be the top 500 games. Given how many games I have, I'd estimate the line was drawn around the top 5% mark.

But the lower you move that threshold the more purified your collection becomes. The top 2% (200 games) or top 1% (100 games) will have a higher average score (not necessarily MC though probably that too, but I mean personal scores you ascribe).

Nothing wrong with keeping it pure. There's probably a good 50 games or so, the bottom of the barrel of my collection, that I feel I could sell and wouldn't really miss.

I have a Switch Lite. I am tempted by Switch OLED but since Switch is over 4 years old and was outdated back then, I expect its successor to be released in 2022. What do you think (honestly) about the upcoming Switch Advance (I like that name). 2022...?

I don't see it.

We know a new Switch will eventually release. But at the bare minimum I think we're looking at 2 more years

2017- Switch v1
2019- Switch v2 + Lite
2021- Switch OLED
2023- ???

If it's another revision, it'll release fall 2023 and last another 2 yrs until Switch 2 in 2025. If it's the next system, I expect a fall 2023 announcement (just like what they did with Switch) and a March 2024 release.

I think expecting a new system next year is wishful thinking more than evidence based. Not only would a 2022 release mean a 5 yr cycle which is extremely short and bordering on Wii U cycle length, when Nintendo specifically stated they want to increase lifespan of the Switch, it also contradicts the 2 yr revision lifespan pattern we've observed to date.

But, who knows. That's my take. I'm sure I'm not changing anyone's mind anyways- ppl will think what they want regardless.

@JaxonH Switch launched in March 2017, a holiday 2022 release would be closer to 6 years than 5 years and GB is the only Nintendo system where a successor has launched more than 6 years after a system came out.

I think it'll come down to BotW 2, whenever that launches being when the new hardware launches. If it stays on track for 2022 then holiday release for both, if it needs extra time then around March 2023 for both.

If I had to bet, I wouldn't bet on 2022. While I don't think any single factor affects Nintendo's ultimate decision of when to go next-gen, the Switch launched almost right in the middle of the PS4/XB1 cycle, and this seemed to work as well as it could in terms of giving it the market attention. When Wii U came out people were already anticipating the PS4 which came a year later, immediately relegating Nintendo's 'next-gen' console to 'last-gen' status in a lot of eyes. 2022 is still inside the PS5's growth phase when Sony will be pushing. Wait another year or so and PS5 buzz will have steadied (I know console sales continue to climb into yr. 4 typically, but the buzz phase comes before that).

And the Switch has been selling too well for them to commit to jumping in 2022.

Many interesting replies. @Grumblevolcano That's right, late 2022 would be six years later and I also think that the date might be related to BotW2 somehow, even if the game has a "Switch" version as well, like Twilight Princess and Breath of the Wild before it.

@gcunit, Yep, Wii U was the first home console of last generation but one year later consoles that were a generation ahead were released. Nintendo released three different consoles last generation, wow.

@Grumblevolcano
3DS lasted more than 6 years and that was the last portable, and Nintendo said they wanted to extend. So take 6 years and extend it and you're looking at 7-8 yrs. 2024 earliest, maybe March 2025.

@gcunit
Precisely. Switch will still be topping 20 million units next year. It's one thing to strike before disinterest ensues, its another to strike prematurely.

after have seen the port of dying light being so great now I have more hope for the port of kingdom Come: Deliverance (pretty sure all of you have forgot about this game coming on switch) and will be handle by SABER INTERACTIVE they are good in porting staff to Switch

@JaxonH Both the 3DS and Wii U's successor is the Switch which launched March 2017 (6 years after 3DS launch). Successor launched with the old system still being supported for some time (similar thing happened with GBA -> DS and DS -> 3DS). I do think the crossgen window this time would be both systems get the same 1st party games for a certain amount of time and then the Switch dropped rather than Switch getting games that aren't playable on the successor.

At least if, as I expect, any Switch successor is fully BC, it would make it much easier to trade-in the Switch towards it ...

Metroid Dread Battery Test (Max Brightness)
Switch Lite: 4.5 hrs
Switch v2: 5.25 hrs
Switch OLED: 6.2 hrs

@JaxonH That's interesting. How old/used are each of those Switch units? Is it possible to blame the differences on lost battery capacity due to age or usage?

@mjharper
All 3 brand new.

@JaxonH
I actually think we're looking at March 2023 for the successor to the Switch, which hopefully keeps the same hybrid concept and lets people bring over all their games and accessories. It would mean only 1 year and 4 months for the OLED as the 'premium' Switch but it would also be in line with what the Wii's cycle was. And fact is, the next-gen Switch does need to get here sooner than later. What I see happening is the new gen hardware hits March 2023, standard Switch and OLED both get price cuts, Lite gets dropped.

@Gamer83 There'd be no reason to drop the Lite, which they're probably going to keep as their budget option going forward, and it's likely much cheaper to manufacture. If they're going to drop anything, it'll be the non-OLED Switch.

I do also think we'll see a more powerful model launch in 2023, though, with BotW2 promoted heavily as a cross-gen launch title for the system.

@Gamer83
I won't rule anything out. Anything's possible with Nintendo. March 2023 is a little sooner than I'm expecting, but it's not so soon I can rule it out entirely like I can with a 2022 release.

I do think they'll want to launch next gen with a Zelda, if possible. It worked for Switch and they'll obviously want to repeat that. And that fact does lend itself to a "delay Zelda to March 2023 to align with and help push Switch 2". Can't deny the logic in that.

On the other hand, rushing out a new system simply because of Zelda's timing may not be worth it in a cost/benefit analysis. They could easily launch with Metroid Prime 4 and a new 3D Mario in the launch window (appeal to core fans and casuals alike) so as to not need to rush the timing to match Zelda. And, a reveal trailer for the next Zelda after BotW 2 could still get ppl excited for the hardware. Perhaps not to the same extent, but that's what Metroid and Mario are for.

I think it may also depend on momentum over the next two yrs. If Switch is still pushing 20+ million a yr, they may not be so quick to abandon that for a new generation. Especially with their stated intent to stretch this generation out. At the same time they won't want to wait too long, as they made that mistake with Wii, failing to launch a Wii HD until interest had plummeted. So they'll want to stretch it as far as it can go, without stretching it so far demand falls off a cliff.

I believe something is happening in 2023- be it a new revision, the next generation, or even just a reveal announcement for the next generation.

Late 2022-early 2023 seems quite likely. I wonder what will happen to backwards compatibility, it's Nintendo so anything can happen. As @Ralizah, I think that the 2017/2019 model will be replaced by the OLED model (2021) and that Switch Lite will be marketed as a budget option at least until the Switch Advance (to say a name) is released.

EDIT: So, my conclusion is that I should keep my Lite until late 2022-early 2023 and skip the OLED model.

You can now redeem eShop credit on the web. Had no idea. Did you guys know about this? I didn't know about this.

https://ec.nintendo.com/redeem/#/

@BlueOcean In general, Nintendo has historically been pretty good about backwards-compatibility when the devices can support it. All of their handhelds besides the Game Boy (which, by definition, couldn't be BC, since it was their first mass produced handheld gaming system) and DSi have supported BC at least one generation back. The consoles have obviously been less solid, as they've gone through more format changes, but the Wii supported GC, and the Wii U supported Wii.

So the only way I can see them not supporting BC with Switch titles is if they change formats again, which seems unlikely, as discs haven't historically been a great fit for portable gaming devices.