Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

Yeah that OLED model seems pretty real to me. The system would be entering manufacturing right about now in the lead up to a May launch.

Switch 2 is a Holiday 2023/Spring 2024 release I think.

@JaxonH is this real? this seens a very convicing fake to me(this leaks came form a chinese forums, never trust china) with advanced 3D printer, anymore can do a themed Switch OLED for Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom, to fool everyone

@Grumblevolcano
There is a design on the back.

There's white thin lines making a pattern

@Grumblevolcano
The image quality makes it hard to see, but there's clearly a design on the back of the Switch using the matte/gloss approach Splatoon 3 Switch used.

You can also see faint gold lines as part of the pattern on the back of the dock.

The images just didn't pick them up that well.

Counter point, there was a limited edition Pokemon Black/White themed DSi. Pokemon Black/White released in early March 2011, the 3DS released in late March. Then of course Black/White 2 released well after the 3DS, don't remember if they had a limited edition console. Might have

Going even further, the New 2DS XL released after the Switch, the Gameboy Micro was announced after the DS was already available and the Wii Mini was released after the Wii U. So there's certainly a history of cross-gen hardware overlaps. And, to be a broken record, I think with the Switch there will be a far greater overlap than usual

With that said, the leak looks mundane enough to be believable. It's really a pretty uninspiring design so it's probably real. And if real it probably does trash the "new hardware with TotK" theory. But I don't think it does anything to rule out 2023 more generally. I'm still of the view that late 2023 is the most probable time for something to happen

@skywake
While it wouldn't be unprecedented, none of those examples involved a cross-gen release. I would think if Switch 2 was coming with Zelda, they'd do a Zelda special edition for the new hardware rather than the old, given it would naturally be a dual release.

Given 3DS launched in Feb/March, and New 3DS, and Switch, I'm inclined to think the next hardware will also launch in a similar time frame. Which is why Zelda's release seemed even more plausible as it did roughly line up with historical trends.

@JaxonH
That depends a bit on what "cross-gen" even is. People are wedded to this idea of console generations almost as much as they are obsessed with patterns and precedents. Just because it was done a particular way last time doesn't mean it'll be like that again

No reason why you couldn't make TotK launch with no sign of new hardware and even as part of a hardware bundle with the OLED. Then later announce that there will be new hardware and TotK will be one of the games to take advantage of it. No re-release, no multiple versions. Just hey, day 1, game is getting patched or just generally will run better on the new hardware

And yeah, 3DS and New 3DS and Switch all had March releases. Except New 3DS didn't have a Q1 release in Japan and Australia. And generally I think we can all agree the usual time to release hardware is around November. The 3DS and Switch are rare exceptions to that rule

@skywake I think Nintendo is gonna be more like Sony if they ever take that route with games being updated for new hardware. Make people pay for the upgrade. I can’t see them being the type of company to give something away like that for free.

@FragRed

@skywake @JaxonH why dont you think of the possibilty of Metroid Prime 4 be a cross-gen game?(release both on Switch and it sucessor), Metroid Prime 4 is more likely to release on Switch sucessor then Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom.

@Giancarlothomaz I think the cross gen strategy tends to be 'plans change' scenario along development. Usually that involves the current hardware underperforming and a case of jumping ship, but Metroid Prime 4 development starting from scratch could well have delayed it into next console timeline. But I dare say they will appease Switch fans by releasing it on this console as a swan song. So yeah, Metroid Prime 4 could be some sort of cross gen thing. But who knows? The only thing I know for certain is not me!

I could see the successor being announced around E3 time at the earliest for release in 2024 but I doubt they want anything that could slow sales after TotK comes out. I’m getting that oled (the gold joycons look oddly designed enough that it feels legit. Some of the recent joycon designs have been out there. ) so I am already done for next year.

@Giancarlothomaz
My argument, as it has been here for over 2 years now, is that the concept of the console generation is functionally dead. That there won't be cross generation games because there won't be a "next generation". At least not in the medium term. There will just be some games that aren't compatible with the old hardware

I expect TotK, Prime and Pikmin won't be on that list i.e. they will all be playable on current hardware. But that doesn't mean they'll run best on the current hardware

The Switch is too successful and the architecture is too stable for a hard library reset to make business sense

@skywake
Of course those things are always possible. Never denying what's possible. But I'm a statistics, probabilities and trends guy. If I see a trend, or something happens 4 out of 5 times, I'm placing my chips on the 80% likelihood, not the 20%

one more Metroid franchise rumor no one will believe(i tired of this rumors)

@skywake Nintendo has done twice the cross-gen strategy in they consoles, what make you think now with the imminent launch of Switch sucessor in 2024/2025, they will ditch this strategy?, Nintendo ending the Switch generation and begining it sucessor generation with Metroid Prime 4, it make perfectly business sense, they need a game that could show the changes between Switch and it sucessor(more on it graphical/techinal power, Metroid Prime 4 could be the ideal candidate for that), also Nintendo will not keep Switch in the market forever, one day they will have to release it sucessor, they are looking for the best way to make a smooth transition for them, to avoid another Wii U situation, for Nintendo is crucial is they made the smootly/best transition they could do for Switch to it sucessor.

Have a happy new year, everyone.

@MsJubilee Happy New Year to you!

@Giancarlothomaz
When you say "cross-gen release" what you mean is a game like Twilight Princess or Breath of the Wild where you get two versions of the same game on the shelf. Yes? On release day you have to decide whether you're buying into the new platform or not. In the case of TP it was for widescreen and controller/storage compatibility, in the case of BotW it was because the game was on a cartridge instead of a disc and also entirely incompatible hardware

In comparison look at late generation Pokemon games during platform transitions. The Gameboy and DS lines were heavily backwards compatible and were always very successful. So what happened there? Well Gold and Silver were "type 2" Gameboy games i.e. they were enhanced for GBC features. Crystal was GBC only but, in most territories, released after the GBA. Then when we got to the DS -> 3DS transition we had Black/White and Black/White 2 release after the 3DS, the latter a good year and a half after

Now with the Switch -> New hardware transition there are only a few things we can super confident about. We can be pretty damn sure it'll be the same form factor & control scheme and given that form factor we know it'll continue to use cartridges. We can be very confident that it'll be again using a Tegra SoC and with a huge library of Switch games and a GB/DS sized user base it would be monumentally stupid not to have backwards compatibility

So no, I don't think there is any real reason to have "cross platform" releases for this transition in the vein of Twilight Princess or Breath of the Wild. I think the hardware is a far, far more compelling buy if on day 1 you can say "here's a HDR patch for Metroid Dread" or "TotK now runs at 60fps with DLSS upscaling 1080p to 4K" or at the very least "all Switch games are compatible and you can use VRR". Certainly a more compelling than "if you want performance mode here's a more different version of TotK, that'll be another $80AU thanks"

@skywake yes that the definition i looking for cross-gen games and i imagine Nintendo could do for the Switch sucessor, they could do this or not, only Shuntaro Furukawa and important Nintendo employees such as Shiya Takahashi know how they gonna deal with the transition with Switch sucessor, at the lastest on TGA 2023 we gonna have our answers about the Switch sucessor if the console release in 2024.