Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

@rallydefault
Two reasons: the architectural similarities and the fact that Nintendo has both the infrastructure and account system to be able to do this. Anything before 3DS/Wii U there wasn't the infrastructure to make this even remotely possible. And for Wii U/3DS to Switch obviously we dramatically switch architecture. Arguably they could have used the optical drive of the Wii U to verify Wii purchases but the gap between SD and HD was.... significantly more than a simple patch away....

With Switch everything is fairly locked down. Yes there is piracy which can make it look like you have the cartridge but it's possible to identify specific cartridges and impose restrictions on accounts. And with game fidelity where it is and the architectural similarities? It makes sense that they'd allow "Switch games" to open up on "Switch 2"

We're not, or at least I'm not, talking full asset reworks here. When I say "enhanced" what I mean is when you boot into TotK on Switch 2 it runs at 4K/30 or 1440/60 rather than 900/30. Possibly having HDR turn on or now outputting Dolby Atmos rather than 5.1PCM. Stuff along those lines. Same game, same assets just running better

It's less about it being "cross gen", it's more about a large sub-section of games not really needing the additional hardware to be playable. If backwards compatibility is transparent there will be a lot of games that could, and should, run on both. But just because it can run on both doesn't mean it has to run like a Switch game on Switch 2

.....all speculation at this point obviously but I don't really see any downside to doing it this way

Persona 5 Royal on Switch OLED in HANDHELD MODE running with overclocked CPU, GPU and RAM, with a native res mod that locks it to 720p handheld (and 1080p docked), and even a 60fps cheat though I disabled that cause I felt I was pushing it hard enough locking native res without dropping a single frame. But it was running 60 despite all that pretty well, with a few drops into the 40s when running past busy crowds turning the camera.

And we have DOOM Eternal on Switch OLED in HANDHELD MODE running with overclocked CPU, GPU and RAM, with a resolution mod that increases the minimum dynamic res thresholds for handheld and docked, and increases the maximum dynamic res thresholds for handheld and docked. There's a 60fps cheat as well but I'd rather take all the resolution I can get with a butter smooth 30.

Next is Monster Hunter Rise mod for native 720p locked in handheld and 900p docked (it can't quite hold 30fps with 1080p even maxing overclocks, so someone edited the file to cap docked at 900p instead- good call).

@skywake
Interestingly enough, I just posted about running Switch games with an overclocked CPU (1785 docked, 1581 handheld, stock is 1020 docked/handheld), GPU (921 docked, 614 handheld, stock is 768 docked and 307/384 handheld), and MEM (1600 docked/handheld, stock is 1600 docked/boost and 1331 handheld).

Obviously that's nowhere near what a Switch 2 would offer, but it does highlight what can be improved out of the box, and what would require an update.

For games with dynamic resolution scaling, Switch 2 would lock it at its maximum threshold. But if the threshold is low (such as Doom Eternal which uses a 0.68 multiplier on native res docked, aka 720p) then all the power in the world won't raise it above that cap. So any game with dynamic res would benefit. How much would depend on the game itself. Monster Hunter Rise and Persona 5 Royal are locked at 540p handheld (MH might be slightly higher but it's around that range). It takes a mod to raise the cap to native res. Super simple and easy- just a config file with the settings in it, but those are the games which would nonetheless require the developers to push out an update to take advantage of max resolution... and framerate, which I'll address next.

Switch 2 would lock any game running at 60fps to 60fps without drops. It would also run games with uncapped framerates at 60fps without drops (I think the system itself prevents higher framerates than 60). But games capped at 30 would remain at 30, unless the devs pushed an update to raise the cap. Again, super simple and easy to do. But will they do it? Some will. Many won't.

Even so, at the very least it would be a 100% guaranteed automatic fix for framerate drops across the board for every Switch title. It wouldn't run 30fps games any higher, but it would ensure they don't drop a single frame. And that alone is a huge win. Add to it maxing out resolution for any game with dynamic scaling, and you've got a fairly compelling out of the box bonus.

I just paid $120 to get increased res and framerates on Switch games. And yes, I can use mods to raise resolution and framerate caps while Switch 2 would require game updates, however, Switch 2 would be able to do 60fps and max resolution for certain games with caps that allow it, whereas a modded Switch is typically going to have to choose between max resolution or 60fps. Going for both proves a bit too much in most cases.

So ya, if Switch 2 is BC, it makes our entire library of Switch games playable at their best coded framerates and best coded resolutions, all the time. Not one single Switch game would ever drop below 30fps. And not one Switch game would ever drop below 540p in handheld or 720p docked (since I don't think there's any games with a maximum res lower than those numbers).

That alone would be worth every penny imo, even if it didn't play Switch 2 games.

@JaxonH Personally I don't care much about frame rate, but super long loading screens loading new areas in games has slowly started to drive me insane. I would love it if Switch 2 fixed that issue for some older games.

@JaxonH
Pretty much and as a side note that also kinda explains what my expectations are for "enhanced versions". I'm not expecting asset reworks. I'm expecting some developers to do stuff like make
_resolutionCap = 720;

Instead read:
_resolutionCap = IsSwitch2() ? 1440 : 720;

That sort of tier change

@FishyS
That's one of the best understated benefits of a modded Switch. Doubled GPU and 50% more CPU drastically speed up loading times.

Doom Eternal used to take forever to load to 100% on a fresh load in, now it zoomed by like woah...

@skywake
I don't think that's asking too much. But it seems some dev teams just never touch their game again once released. Let's hope at least Nintendo does, and worst case scenario we still get the baseline benefits outlined above.

It's a W nomatter how the cookie crumbles.

I'll look forward to the bizarre bugs that sort of simple change occasionally makes that then has to be repatched (I'm looking at you Pokemon Violet). 😝

@FishyS
Pokemon Scarlet/Violet are so beyond hope. Nothing less than a full remaster on Switch 2 will suffice.

Even if the framerate is fixed and resolution remains stable, the game has pop-in draw distance of like 10 feet in-game. You'll be riding along and suddenly... poof! A cluster of 3 pokemon appear out of thin air right in front of you.

And they have animation framerate for objects tied to distance, which normally is fine (even Monster Hunter World employs this technique), the problem is the distance is far too short and the frames far too few. You'll see a windmill turning at literally, I kid you not, 3 frames per second (not hyperbole, it actually turns at 3fps beyond a certain distance). And it's not some tiny, distant far off object where you won't notice. It's only 50 feet away!

But the pop-in is the biggest issue for me. I can't play when you can't see the pokemon until they're right under your nose. It's so distracting and takes me out of the experience.

@FishyS
Nah, it'll be fine, just fix it on prod

@Grumblevolcano
Oh yea, I fully expect Switch 1 to still be getting new exclusive games for another year or so. I'm just talking about specific cross-gen games and Switch 1 games getting enhanced.
@skywake
Ok, yea, the account system being in place these days makes sense for that argument, I can see that.

1.5 TB micro SD lightning deal on Amazon for $119.99

https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-1-5TB-microSDXC-Memory-Adapter...

I just realised why I'm not winning at fortnite this season. Weapons are difficult to upgrade, so it's harder to get an opponent

Noticed this video scrolling by and although the video itself is neither here nor there, I had never thought of the idea of a 3D Yoshi game and now I really want one. 😆

@JaxonH That's pretty cool. But of course, how's that fan and battery coping?

@Haruki_NLI Based on the above details, it looks like it runs pretty quiet and coolly if there's tons of headroom. I mean overclocked VRAM is clearly the least thermally demanding when compared to CPU and GPU overclocks, as well as having the lowest power requirements. I'd be very surprised if a VRAM overclock alone cut battery time by more than 5-10%.

It seems like a real game changer and makes me anticipate the next console even more keenly. Particularly when backwards compatibility seems everything but assured for 'Switch 2' at this point.

I'm now convinced Switch 2 is gonna absolutely smoke the Steamdeck in performance and battery life. Or at the very least, offer equal performance with nearly double the battery life.

It seems console optimization cannot be overstated. Seeing the 16nm Mariko chip produce results so incredible (and tbh, even the 20nm Erika is impressive), just imagine what an 8nm Ampere chip with 4TF capability will be able to do? Of course it won't actually perform at that number because it too will be downclocked to some extent to extend battery, but it'll easily land in the PS4/PS4pro ballpark for handheld/docked. Which... after seeing these results from a system that lands in the PS3 ballpark, ya. Switch 2 is gonna impress a lot more than ppl expect, I think.