Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

@JaxonH @Rambler
We also can't rule out the possibility of Microsoft releasing a portable either. And presumably a Steam Deck 2 is something that will happen in the next couple of years. Not to mention there are potentially others that could be wanting to make a play in some shape or form. What if, for example, Amazon or Facebook are intending on entering the smartphone market... again...

With that said, the speed at which flash is getting faster, cheaper, higher capacity? Especially over the last 5 years or so. I do think Switch 2 is going to be significantly more capable in that regard than most people are expecting. And if the internal storage is that much more capable it only makes sense to support faster external storage also. microSD Express is the most obvious candidate. It makes sense

........ whether it happens or not is another question. This is the same Nintendo who was dragged kicking and screaming to optical media. The same Nintendo who clearly had storage as an afterthought on Wii and Wii U. Lateral thinking with withered technology, that's Nintendo. I'm not sure how microSD Express fits that philosophy

Got the Star Wars Battlefront Collection preloaded and ready to go! Battlefront II was my most wanted Switch port by far, so I was ecstatic when the collection got announced in the Partner Showcase.

@IceClimbers
I just hope it has gyro like Dark Forces

Of course, it could be an endless number of things, but what intrigues me is one particular thing it could be. And given the timing- Switch 2 was just pushed back to Q1 2025, any new storage format launching with the system would have also been scheduled for late 2024. And... whattaya know. This is scheduled for late 2024.

If it were MS I'd expect something far more heavy duty than a 256gb mSD. New Deck is still a few years off and even if it wasn't, they'd stick with normal sd and NVMe expansion since PC games, unlike those on closed console ecosystems, aren't fully developed ground up for one type of storage. So they'd need normal mSD for that. And for faster storage the NVMe expansion is not only nearly 10x faster it can hold over 10x the storage as well. I'm confidently ruling both of those out for this device.

Again, could it be some camcorder? Well sure, but that's not what interests me. What interests me is the possibility it's for Switch 2. Given the launch timing, the need for their next system to utilize faster storage while also offering easy expansion for average consumers, the vague refusal to reveal their parter... it seems to me that's actually the most likely candidaten

Got my Unicorn Overlord Monarch Edition today! Oh I love it! And while SMTV Vengeance is only getting the standard and launch versions (presumably steelbook) I do have the collector edition for the original release. And Ys X Nordic has a collector edition from NISA online store too, got that locked in already, of course.

Unicorn Overlord Monarch Edition Amazon

Legend of Legacy Deluxe Edition Amazon

Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance Launch Edition Amazon

Tokyo Xanadu EX Amazon

Ys X Nordic Amazon

@JaxonH
To be honest, I don't really disagree with any of what you said. I think that if this is being backed by a specific company for a specific product that is not announced and that product is a portable gaming console? Of course Switch 2 would be high on that list. I just think it's potentially a fairly crowded space so there are potentially a whole bunch of devices it could be. If it's even for a portable handheld console at all

I mean you're dismissing Steam Deck here because they'd want to support an established format so they're going to stick with regular microSD and m.2. But it's worth noting that microSD Express is still a microSD card, there's full compatibility across both the cards and the readers. Supporting microSD express would be just a case of supporting a newer standard also. With a potential XBox portable that's even more true because as much as a full m.2 swap is the most robust solution I would think is more intimidating for the average XBox buyer than it would be for the average Steam Deck buyer

Again, I think it could well be Switch 2. I think it could make a lot of sense for Switch 2. But Nintendo is Nintendo, they're not really the kind of company that lives on the bleeding edge. And there are plenty of other companies living in this space who do not have the ghost of Gunpei Yokoi hovering over their boardroom tables

@skywake
Again, it's timing. Steamdeck isn't releasing a new console this year. And it's size. MS and Valve would want 1TB+

I dunno. Nintendo went for haptic feedback, USB-C and decent for the time mobile tech relative to what they have been doing. Plus they had the foresight to have the Switch support microSD up to 2TB back when 512GB was lofty.

So them going for microSD Express? Yeah I can see it. They aren't on the bleeding edge of visuals, but they seem interested in the user experience being top notch.

A whole bunch of MAR10 Day stuff just got announced!

• Mario Movie 2 is in production and will release on April 6th 2026
• Paper Mario TTYD Remake releases on May 23rd
• Luigi's Mansion 2 HD releases on June 27th
• Dr Mario, Mario Golf and Mario Tennis all come to GB NSO on March 12th

Great news all round, especially having the same team return for the second movie. Can't say I'm too excited about the other news but it's good for hardcore Mario fans for sure.

@Fizza Seems promising for an April general Direct then, the 2024 lineup so far is:

• January - Another Code Recollection
• February - Mario vs. Donkey Kong
• March - Princess Peach Showtime
• April - Nothing so far
• May - Endless Ocean Luminous, TTYD
• June - LM2 HD
• July - December - Nothing so far

April and July having nothing Nintendo announced yet as well as the Partner Showcase showing very little with precise release dates beyond April does make it seem like April may be the time for Direct.

Odd TTYD and LM2 are both releasing on Thursdays.

@NintendoByNature Endless Ocean Luminous is also releasing on a Thursday, seems like Princess Peach Showtime is the end of Friday Nintendo releases.

@Grumblevolcano Thursday is the day the eShop updates.

Obviously it's them preparing for digital only

@Grumblevolcano interesting. Maybe they'll be cheap eshop releases then instead 🫠

So the 2nd half of the year is completely empty.

Seems to give credence to the rumors of a Direct in April. It's weird though, as April almost feels too early to be revealing the holiday release in November, but a June Direct would arguably be too late for revealing a July game.

I'm guessing we'll get a Direct Mini in April, and not a full size general Direct.

@IceClimbers 2017, 2019 and 2022 were a situation where the holiday lineup was known before June but actual specific release dates didn't come until June/July. So they could announce a bunch of games for "2024" in April and then give them October/November/December release dates in June/July.

Alternatively they could announce a July game on its own in May and then have a 2021/2023 type setup where a June Direct fills in the gaps for post-July.

@Fizza I don't think I can play at that time, sorry. Pretty soon there's gonna be a Mario Kart 8 Deluxe tournament (it's for North America only) and I've been planning on playing in it. But I can play with you afterward, either tonight or tomorrow, whatever works for you. My apologies once again, but Happy Mario Day nonetheless!

@MarioVillager92 Ah gotcha. I'll be free pretty much all the time from July onwards so we could probably organise it for later in the year! And Happy MAR10 Day to you too!

@Grumblevolcano Endless Ocean is May 2... a week that starts in April. So seems close enough to me to not draw any conclusions given there is another May game. Maybe one of the two was just delayed slightly. Peach is late March so it isn't exactly a huge gap.

Not that I would complain if there were an April direct...

@Fizza Ok cool. Thank you... I hope I do good in the tourney! Been a month or two since I last played. Hope everything's going well with you by the way, I did see that you were gonna be taking exams.