@Pipulitoch "Tech geeks" is just a framing device here though. Plenty of people will just not be experienced enough to realize that they are indeed looking at a subpar reproduction of their favorite content.
That is just the old ignorace-is-bliss argument in action. Yeah, if you never seen an OLED or good Mini-LED/FALD whatever, the SW2 screen will look "fine". It is not a point in favor of the screen though, as that argument holds true for flat-out everything. I'll save myself exploring bud light and beer jokes here, but that is kinda the same story.
@DylanMcGrann Totally agree on your point about it being a boon that the system established these standards at the start of the generation (1st and foremost HDR and 120 hz, but also VRR).
Yeah, portable mode will not see much if any benefit from it now (except potentially VRR of course), but these are forward looking technologies for both, future iterations of the portable (a SWOLED2 or even a SW3) as well as TV-output in general.
@MTMike87 Just to be fair, this is not about "smoothness", but motion resolution. In fact, I would argue less motion resolution can actually add to a subjective sense of "smoothness" as it is basically a sort of hardware motion blur. So in that sense you might have a point, but that is not the issue brought up here.
I figured the perceived smeariness was mostly due to the necessary upscaling to 1080p. Seems I have been wrong.
Still, I feel the lack of any meaningful contrast is much more bothersome to me as it also sucks out the vividness of slow paced or even mostly static games like FE and Baten Kaitos as well. For a Nintendo platform this is hardly a great fit in my book. I mean, Nintendo is not into the whole grey-meets-brown school of thought of "proper" color grading for videogames, right?
I've seen many comments along the lines of not being bothered by the lack of "deep blacks". I find that frankly irritating, as this screen obviously does not display anything that could be mistaken for even black-adjacent ... like, just what is even the thinking here?
Having a measured static contrast ratio of about 1300:1 (according to the link) sounds about right to my eyes and would not have been something anyone would have been impressed by when the Switch 1 launched. The last Non-OLED-TV I used was a Plasma TV and it had about twice the static contrast ratio. That TV was purchased almost 15 years ago. I think that is pretty insane Oo
I grant you that this was pretty much the high end of what was possible in the consumer market back then, but again, that was 1.5 decades ago.
Ah well, I mostly played docked anyways, but it does take away some of the value of the device for me as the downgrade once undocked is pretty staggering. There is after all an entire plane of existence between that contrast ratio and ...to infinity and beyond!
Kinda reflects what John said on the DF review, no? Despite Nintendo by all accounts having prepared for this launch for quite some time, there is not exactly an abundance of dev kits going around. Whether this is Nintendo being cautious or something else ... who knows, but it does mean we might not see the floodgates open for some time post launch - once again.
@Solid_Python To my knowledge RE Requiem is slated as a current-gen game only, that is for PC, PS5 and Series X/S. That does not mean an eventual port to Switch 2 is out of the question, but it's certainly not a given right now.
@Dman10 Definitely! That is just the name of game - not much any company could do about that. Just like people will complain after any given Direct, even the most content rich imaginable, someone will complain about the absence of X, Y and Z!
Wow ... TMNT and TLA!? That is two of my favourite franchise ever. Gotta say, slightly tempted now - anything that let's me play as Michelangelo kinda has my number
I wish they had just come out and said: look these cartridges are $15 a pop. We'll eat $5 and pass on $10 to you: that is $80 physical and $70 digital.
The ball would have been with the other publishers then ...
I'm kinda glad I only a physical game every couple of years, so this really does not bother me that much, but it is kinda disheartening how all this discourse turned toxic in the typical expedited fashion
Silly me has been excited for Pragmata for half a decade now. With the recent re-reveal, it went up pretty much straight to my top anticipated list for 2026. Plus, Capcom has really been cooking lately with both experimental designs like Kunitsu-Gami or classic remakes like RE4R. Onimusha also looks absolutely fire and we still need a remaster for part 3 at least.
The pro controller 2 is nice, but I did return mine after realizing that my Mayflash Magic-NS adapter from way back then still works fine with both the Switch 2 and a DualSense Edge (with TMR sticks). Couldn't really comfortably reach the GR and GL buttons on the Pro 2 anyways and the ergonomics seem better than before, but still not really competitive with the Edge.
On the other hand: you can turn on the Switch 2 with the Pro 2 and the sticks are really way smmooootthhh Good controller then, but not essential with better options available.
@Kingy Good points. I can only add, that I feel this design must have been intentional. I did notice that a) Smart Steering was on for default for instance (as for a previews from what I read), b) they literally added a major feature that basically forces you to go drive on rails and c) (as you said:) 200 cc is missing in action.
Maybe it is one big coincidence, but taking your points about the tracks - and I won't argue there is a overabundance of driving a lot of straight lines on wide roads - it seems they wanted to de-emphasize racing in favor of chaotic item battles.
I mean, the goal was obviously do not just to a reskin of MK8 Deluxe, which I think most of us would agree had the Kart Racing formula pretty much nailed down and perfect. That is supported by the shoehorned in open-world, that just exists as a separate mode with nothing justifying the tons of resources it must have eaten up.
I think there is hope in terms of updates: not necessarily in way of fixing the shortcomings you laid out, but rather given the whole design shift - assuming I am not wrong about this - a purpose. As I said, I can see appeal in a more "action"-centric Kart racer, I really do, but it needs to be a holistic approach then.
PS: To point out something positive, I do really like the water physics though. To the point I hope some future tracks will lean into that and give us a game-with-the-game waver race experience (or they re-use the tech for wave race, but that seems unlikely with all the racing content already present and Kirby in the pipeline). Also, it is really nice to FINALLY get a Mario Kart game in HDR
@Kingy To be fair, the actual tracks are totally fine even by the high MK standards and most people or some people - well certainly myself - always thought of MK more like a chaos-driven party game than a serious racer. My favorite mode growing up on the N64 was battle mode all day long anyways. From that point of view, yeah, I really kinda like Knock-Out-Tour as it absolutely leans into that perception of Mario Kart and kinda brings the battling and racing together in a more intense and balanced manner.
I totally agree on your points about the open-world though and I can also see how folks who were actually in MK for the, well, racing primarily might not gel super well with the changes made.
In an odd way, I think that is not too much of a bother as MK8 Deluxe is still very much there on the Switch 2 with it nigh boundless supply of tracks. Also, I think MK World will likely evolve quite a bit over the next couple of years. Curious to see where they will take it given the feedback and telemetry they are no doubt collecting.
I was bored to tears after about 5 minutes and 2 P-Switches. Honestly though, that is not a big deal as I generally do not cope well with 95% of open-world designs and thus this was completely expected.
What I found pretty interesting is the fact, that I couldn't see any design-inherent reason to "bother" (from my PoV) with it at all. It's almost like the designers did not trust their own creation enough to make it in any sense "mandatory" or fomo-adjacent. It is a really odd thing to behold and experience then.
It's there, it's technically fine, it must have been TONS of work, but there is really very little to do in it and no extrinsic motivation attached to do anything at all with it for the player. I don't seen I've ever quite seen this particular combination before.
What bothers we personally, is the wasted potential. Like why are there no battles in the open-world? That could have been exciting using the terrain and all. Why are there no boss fights of sorts? I think Mario Kart - as a goofy KART racer - had oh so many opportunities here to give purpose to it's world. Albeit, the world has - afaik - absolutely zero inherent purpose. It is just there ... kinda, well, accessible from a menu no less.
It all seems like an afterthought to say the least, which is odd given it is part of the title. I never dreamed of saying this before, but ... I do hope they take a live-service'esque shot on this. Imagine you could do like Coop-PvE missions in the world, with carts getting all sorts of abilities to fight, to heal or to tank. I think that could be something truly unique and utterly fun.
I hope the Direct is designed to really sell the game to Non-DK fans. I'm not much of a platformer-player myself, but ever since the SNES days, I had a particular weak spot for DK games. I also always really liked physics-based or even driven gameplay, something woefully absent over the last decade, and thus feel this game should appeal to me.
At the same time my general sense is that outside of these particular circumstances to to speak, most folks seem pretty, well, un-hyped about the game. If they are doing this instead of a normal June Direct, it better be worth it! (Which is not to say, that there could not be a normal direct close by, which I think is 100% necessary given that we still do not have a Release Date for MP4 for instance).
1. No, they don't. HDR is not "one" thing. It's not just about metadata, nor is it just about contrast. But there is no point on me writing a Wikipedia article here. Forcing an output into an HDR container and using a specifically trained ML-model to sophisticatedly extrapolating additional video information are not the same. Just as doing an integer upscale of an image is not the same as DLSS. The very statement is inane without end to be frank.
2. You don't need to. They are all basically on PC.
I mean ... I appreciate the flex, but you would be unhappy if there was nothing but 30fps-locked games, using a 4090 and all that.
3. No, you don't. We are talking - as you well know and I have stated above nevertheless- about a 7,9" channel, Nintendo would have bought by the millions. $1000+ is about as reasonable a number as 20 good HDR games.
6. It IS easier. Most things that are wrong, tend to be easier for the replace complexity with simplicity. Not sure what to add here other than, two things sound similarly but are fundamentally different.
And yes, they are very much different in process AND result. Conflating process and result does not help either to be rather blunt Oo
I don't care if it is an OLED or a miniLED. Both can provide very good contrasts. That is just a distinction between maximizing either contrast or brightness. I would have been totally okay with a miniLED.
One could argue that my main gripe might be that Nintendo is clearly nickle'n'diming us. They could have easily gone with SKU's at launch: a premium model, that offers a proper HDR experience in portable mode, for those who value it, and a base model, for those ... well who don't care or can't tell either way. I know I know ... Nintendo always does this, but normally they don't do it at $450 price point! We can cope all day long here, it is not exactly a move I can applaud.
1. No, I pointed out that Switch 2 currently does neither. AutoHDR and RTX HDR are indeed similar ML-based approaches to each other, but neither Switch nor PS5 use any of them. AutoHDR is a Xbox/Win-11+ System-Level feature and RTX HDR is proprietary Nvidia-Solution, that - like I said - could conceivably be used by Switch 2. You are conflating forcing a systems video-output into a HDR container with ML-based HDR post processing. They are not the same at all.
2. We all have been burned ever since the PS4 Pro launched. So what? Pretty much every Sony 1st party game has been excellent in HDR, with some still being absolute reference level titles to this day. I don't see your point. You might as well argue that any game should be 30-fps locked, since we all have been burned so much before with woobly 60fps performance modes on games. I'm not gonna bother with such defeatist mindset. To each their own though.
4. I respect you arguing with numbers only to then argue that one should not argue with numbers. That does take guts. Fine: I'm not hung up on THE number. Your argument is wrong by orders of magnitude. Orders of magnitude matter.
5. I'm not gonna jump on that $800 figure, as you just argued we should not get hung up on numbers. It is wrong though. For that price you can get a pretty high end 30" OLED monitor. We are talking about a simple 7,9" panel, not to mention that Nintendo does not pay end-consumer prices and has economies of scale on their side with the numbers of Switch 2 systems expected to be sold (15-20 Million by the end of this fiscal year alone).
6. Okay? I believe you, but I am not a telepath. You brought it up out of nowhere and since you were constantly conflating "Auto HDR" with force output, I was honestly not convinced you were not also conflating VRR stutter, a very specific issue with PS5 until shortly, and VRR flicker, which is all about certain display technologies and has nothing at all do with the console.
As for moving away from LCD, you are making it sound like "LCD = LCD". If Nintendo had used a Minileds, or a good FALD display, they could have achieved much much better results as well, without ever going OLED. Just saying, OLED was not the only way to go to make HDR pop. It would have been the best in my book, obviously, but not the only one. An edgelit LCD though ... that was never going to make HDR work for anyone. But now we are back to the beginning: it is serviceable, but given that it is 2025 and we are coming from an OLED-based Swtich refresh, it is a huge step back and thus a disappoint.
The only way not to see it that way is from my point of view to ignore the last 8'ish years entirely and compare it purely to the launch Switch. Then yes, it is better looking and has an enhanced feature set. Other than, I cannot in good conscience sing it's praises in any respect whatsoever.
6. VRR stutter is not the same as VRR flicker. Flicker is about .... luminescence, which I already argued at length is very obvious to the human eye indeed. If you think people are even remotely uniformly aware or affected by VRR stutter on PS5, which was fixed btw in the last system update, I would simply point you to the comments section on the respective videos on this for Digital Foundry or other channels.
7. We agree that the PS5 VRR support is severly lacking compared to Xbox. How is that relevant here? The PS5 does not support LFC, but it does support VRR via HDMI. The Switch 2 does not.
8. I have zero idea why you would stop noticing rich colors and contrast after 10 minutes. I mean, if that were true, how would any TV or display manufacturer even survive? Oo You get USED to it, certainly, but that only means you will notice it once its gone. I actually made that very point initially, as someone who was fortunate enough to have moved beyond LCD screens a couple of years ago. Anything that cannot display a true black reference points then quickly starts to stick out like a sore thumb. If you are not used to it ... well, we call that blissful ignorance for a reason.
I mean, I bought a Switch 2, I do enjoy it, I think the screen is a big improvement over the OG screen (which was horrific to be fair), but given the fact that we have a) a Switch OLED and b) that is 2025 and OLED prices have come down significantly since the launch of the OG Switch, the resulting image is a disappointment and a step back. It is not in any sense of the word true HDR, as far as the end user experiences go.
I will end on a positive note though: HDR support was the number one thing I wanted from Nintendo, as in my experience, it is the biggest improvement to visual entertainment in over a decade. It just brings things much much closer to the sensory experience of real life (which does not end with 500 nits but rather 10.000 nits by the way) and thus just tickles our primate brain, which once upon the time used to worship that bright glowing ball in the sky and used to dream about the sparkly dots in the pitch black night sky, in all the right ways.
I never DREAMED they would actually do it, even though a game like Splatoon begs and screams and cries out for HDR support every day of its existence, but they did. The only did it half way for now, but we all know the OLED model will come and it works fine on my TV or any modern OLED/QDOLED/MINILED/FALD or future MICROLED.
It is future proofing in away, and the full potential will come with the next generation. It is what it is. I'm disappointed, sure, but also optimistic. There is no going back for Nintendo now in that respect.
I appreciate the discussion and your point of view. Cheers.
1. I don't want to be rude, but you have no understand of what you are talking about. The Switch is definitely not using RTX HDR (which incurs about a 10% performance penalty). What it does, is the same thing the PS5 does: it wraps the SDR output into an SDR container. Think of it as a static mapping from a small dnamic space into a small part of a much bigger dynamic space. RTX HDR is fundamentally different and can produce very good results, often times outclassing middling native HDR implementations. For RTX HDR you can set contrast, saturation, middle gray and max luminance on the fly and gauge the results in real time. For most games it is extremely effective.
2. There is a patch on the way for Fast Fusion, but the resolution is besides the point. Native HDR is not incurring any relevant performance overhead so these two things are simply connected at all on a technical level.
3. You make it sound like a foregone conclusion: that in 2025 most HDR implementations simply HAVE to be bad. That is nonsensical. Why would that be the case? And why would that be any more okay than games running a wobbly 20 fps!? It is up to the platform holder to provide the software and hardware environments to enable devs to make competent products and it is on the devs to make dilligent use of it. If Nintendo sets a never before seen standard, that is ALL our system can technically process HDR ... then that is good thing, because we never had this before ever. To argue that this means nothing beggars the mind.
4. "20 games with actual good HDR" ... dude what are you saying? The Switch had like 16.000 games. That would be something like 0.001% of games. That is just ... what!? The Switch already has games with good and very good HDR implementations right now, as we speak. Judging by Nintendo's first party quality since basically ever and the PS5/XSX library of quality HDR games (neither of which can boast a guarantee that any piece of software running on it will ever be connected to a HDR capable display device) that number seems like sheer trolling. Sorry to say.
5. Nobody said you have to remove the VRR. OLED and QDOLED have been running VRR for years ... the fact remains that developers cannot rely on VRR as their docked profile will not use it - period.
I take your point about developers doing a poor job of good HDR implementations. Ironically, the Switch is running an Ampere-based architecture with plenty of OS overhead from what I understand. It should be able to just run a kind of system level RTX HDR mode (esp. when the resources for Gamechat are not in use ...) to address this issue entirely.
You are missing the point though: even if there is a good HDR implementation, and those definitely exist even on Switch, as seen in Fast Fusion straight at launch, you will not reap its' rewards in portable mode. That's just how it is for now - sadly.
As for your second point: I strongly disagree. There is a reason most users never even noticed that VRR stutter on PS5. Joe Average does not take note of this stuff. Some do, some look for it specifically, but most are just oblivious. Everyone and their nana though can distinguish between a high contrast image with proper blacks and a "washed out" image aka low contrast image with improper black levels. Social media regularly throws whole tantrums about, let's say, challenging lighting in popular TV shows (an infamous House of Dragon episode comes to mind).
As for my point about luminescence: I was just pointing out how human eyes work, what they are sensitive to and what not. Chroma information like using RGB 4:4:4 costs tons of bandwidth, but provides extremely negligible benefits to the perceived image. The same is absolutely not true for brightness and contrast. People are instantly able to describe any such image as "punchier", "deeper", "more natural" (even if it is overexposed or whatever) etc. Again, I would point to the simple fact of economics: what do you see on any electronics store showroom floor? TV's with brightness and contrast bumped to 100 in "store mode". It quite literally draws in the eye and opens wallets.
I think the issue is that the screen simply can't produce a meaningful HDR presentation. The black-levels are not there, the peak brightness is not there, hence the contrast is not there. Simple as that. Everything looks muted in HDR, as it has to given the technical limitations. This will make many devs think twice about even implementing HDR.
That in turn is a shame, because stuff like Fast Fusion really looks stunning on an OLED TV. It's also frustrating, since I've been done with any kind of LCD for the better part of five years now. Feels like going back to my first own Sony LCD TV 20 years ago. It had reference black levels for a consumer TV ... well, for the time that is.
The Switch 2 screen does not even favorably compare to my ancient Panasonic VT40 Plasma TV from around 2012, certainly not in perceived black levels or motion clarity.
Getting VR and 120 hz, stuff barely any game will take advantage off, because VR is not available in Docked (and even then, not everyone can be expected to have a VRR TV yet) and because, well, CPU limitations. Yeah, sure 40 FPS is much nicer than 30 FPS, but that is a niche consideration.
Contrast is what YOU always see when you use the Switch 2 in portable. It should have been the higher priority by far. Contrast and changes in luminescence is just what our eyes perceive most intensely ...
Ah well, there will be a Switch 2 OLED eventually, but it's still frustrating that by then, millions of people will think that HDR Is a pointless tech gimmick that makes everything look worse. Which it certainly does on the internal screen
Kinda excited about this. My interest in the multiplayer waned pretty quickly, but I did very much enjoy the "campaigns". So much so, that I wished there was ... just way more of it, not just terms of missions count and such, but also sheer depth. The mechanics and the overall design as well as atmosphere of Splatoon were always expertly crafted, so ... why not capitalize on this for a proper extended meaty single-player experience?
If Raiders is that and if it comes with the mouse controls (the main reason I fell off the MP, playing competitively with a controller is just not for me any more, sadly), I'm 100% here for it. Virtually a guaranteed win. Given this is basically Nintendo's only "third person shooter" thingy, and mouse being this gens "gimmick" (I think it has way more potential than any of their prior "gimmicks" though ...), mouse support should be an absolute no-brainer. This and Metroid seem tailor made for it after all.
I wonder what this means for the chances of the WiiU version being ported over. I still kinda feel it is going to happen, as Nintendo will most likely want to continue to bolster their release schedule with new content, remaster content and updated content (Switch 2 version and free patches).
Given that the WiiU remaster well is about to bottom out on them, I'd say Wii/GC are next anyways, so redoing WW and also TP would make all the sense in the world.
Frankly though, I am more worried about FE:PoR. I spend the entire Switch gen holding out for a HD Collection, was sure it was going to happen when Baten Kaitos was announced, and then ... nothing. Given there is no Wii Emulator yet (sure to come next) and thus no FE:RD in sight, teasing people with PoR and the ever popular Ike might not actually be a bad idea.
@Magenof From what I've seen, it's 40'ish. I kinda needed to run it at DLSS performance to get it to 4k60 on 3080M on PC, so ... great game though and I'd say very playable at 30 or 40 VRR.
Maybe Switch can help Capcom out with this one. They really made a unique and innovative little gem here, but barely any one took notice so far.
I have on preordered and currently en route. Disappointed to hear about the flimsy feel of it, as it definitely was not cheap. I am not too concerned about protection though. First, this is mainly about making it comfortable to hold during occasional portable play, which it currently is 100% not and secondly to protect the screen: to that end I ordered the version WITH the travel cover.
Not sure why anyone would expect protection otherwise from what is clearly just a grip case. I'm curios to see if I'll ever use the magsafe, but who knows, seems like a nice-to-have thing honestly.
First thing I did after System Transfer: grab Fast Fusion from the e-shop!
Not gonna lie, it made my heart truly sing to see this looking AND playing all gloriously in HDR on my LG OLED right there on the day of the launch of a new Nintendo system. Feels like a small event, about 15 years in the making, ever since the days of Fast Racing League on the Wii back in 2011.
I hope that this will finally be the Generation where Nintendo decides to throw money at Shin'en to have them make a new F-Zero. The only thing that Fusion is missing is the sense of character and personality that F-Zero undeniably has. If they can scale up their budget for more tracks and bring an IP and characters like F-Zero in, add that special little something that make Nintendo games tick with the help of Nintendo ... that would be their final 90->100 level up. Fingers crossed on my end that BigN sees reason after one and half decades
@Axecon I definitely also prefer the ergonomics of the Dual Sense. Couple months ago, I even splurged on an Edge controller, upgraded it with TMR sticks (+140% tension for the right stick) and I now consider it a 95% perfect controller.
The only downside is the limited battery life, which for me means I have to charge it after every use really and that the face buttons could be just a tiny bit less mushy.
I bought a SW2 Pro controller, but I'm kinda thinking I should get an adapter and use the Edge instead. A bit of a hassle switching between the SW2 and PS5P constantly though ...
"And in motion? Woof! I need to play around with more launch titles and really get the 60-120fps experience (and HDR hasn't hit me over the head yet - more experimentation needed), but 20 minutes of Cyberpunk was enough to put my doubts to rest with regards to screen quality. It's lovely."
Until the inevitable OLED refresh, the HDR is not going to do anything for anyone anywhere ever in portable mode. The screen is just so bad in respect to peak brightness and contrast, that I can rarely believe it. ANOTHER instance where millions of people will have a horrible time first experiencing HDR. I really thought that in 2025 we'd be beyond that ...
I feel, that given the marketing and price point, the screen is unacceptable and borderline offensive. Even my almost nine year old niece, used to IPhone and IPad screens exclusively, was like ... "this looks funny". I actually bought a unit for her, but seeing the screen I decided to sell it on. She does not have access to an OLED TV (or any TV for that matter), so ... just no, unacceptable, her luminance sensitive young eyes deserve a worlds better.
Wow, I did not see this level of HDR-support coming at all. Actually, I only dreamed of this and did not foresee any actual support. That is pretty darn cool. I love this new direction for Nintendo. Basically all their first-party games have been screaming for HDR support for a decade now.
I am now very hopeful and optimistic, that Nintendo will continue with this and also free other games from their SDR-prison. Hoping for Metroid Prime and Dread, Astral Chain, Fire Emblem games, Bayonetta 1-3, Xenoblade X (!!!), Splatoon obviously and also Luigi's Mansion.
All 1st-party games would benefit immensely from HDR-support though and given that HDR is performance agnostic, there is no good technically reason not to have it!
Sidenote: Nintendo apparently updated the wording already for 3D Worle to ... "Frame rate: improved for smoother movement on Nintendo Switch 2 (including Bowser's Fury). HDR support**"
Here is to hoping that this will mean the entire games will be output in HDR, as it would be weird - even by Nintendo standards - to limit this to the addon only.
I'm actually much more excited for the launch now that I was before, since I have not even played all these games listed here yet (certainly not to completion).
Not gonna lie, if they bring these kind of backported updates to most of their backcatalogue, then this alone is worth the price of admissions alone. Since until now we had to use PC-based means to get HDR (and increased FPS and internal Resolution).
Just finished Stellar Blade this weekend, so naturally this seems right up my alley for obvious reasons Game looks fire, reminds of classic like Equilibrium and John Wick. Looking forward to it.
Great to see it coming to Switch 2 as well. Not sure it'd be the version I'll pick, probably going with the PS5P version when the time comes tbh, but still great to have options. Here is to hoping the 3rd party support for SW2 will continue on this strongly!
I'd love to know whether this will have mouse support or not. I'd love to have analogue control of the character and mouse speed and precision for skill aiming. That would make it my preferred version, assuming visuals and performance hold up, which I expect them to.
@Ulysses Nintendo was clearly humoring Sakurai. The man obviously loves to direct ... trailers. And he is pretty good at it, too. He got the about 100% of their CGi trailer budget from what I can tell. He got to cut his teeth at Smash character trails only to now finally graduate to the big league of Kirby
Is it possible that most of the Switch 2 userbase was just that? Switch 2 users?
Because I've been exposed to $60-$70 games with $20-$50 DLCs - not counting "Deluxe", "Super Deluxe" and "Hyper Deluxe Versions" or any microtransactions - for at least a decade now.
And yes, a significant chunk of that DLC is just part of the game repackaged.
Not saying this is great and all, obviously not, but if you want Nintendo to get into this particulary game of selling your 5 different version of a release + DLCs (plural) + microtransactions ... then ... carry on, I guess. I hope you find bliss there.
Such a weird thing to do. Even just from an aesthetic standpoint this is one of the weakest, non-Nintendo-feely things they put out there in a good long while. Well, this and Drag x Drive, but at least that looks like it is mechanically sound and somewhat interesting.
Thankfully, they more than made up for this with the other first party stuff (even though there is actually shockingly little announced right). I'm just gonna ignore this release and not gonna let it spoil what looks to be like a console launch worlds apart from pretty much anything I ever saw for a Nintendo console.
Mario Kart, Donkey Kong, Metroid Prime and Fast Fusion are no brainers for me.
Kirby Forgotten Land and Air Riders ... maybe. Never managed to get into a Kirby game, but who knows. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is another maybe. Dynasty Warriors Origins is really impressive, even though I would really prefer the Zelda or Fire Emblem setting.
The rest is just way inferior ports of game, I've already had. Might pick up Elden Ring on sale one day, just because it is Elden Ring on a Nintendo Portable
I'm not sure what happened to ARMs. I actually kinda loved that game and I usually never play fighting games. I figured some of the characters like Min Min were also popular, no? I'm definitely going to boot it up again on the Switch 2 one day. Hopefully Nintendo will do something with the IP on the Switch 2.
This looks just to drab for my taste. Not hating on it, but only Nintendo could look at something like "mouse" - what do to with it!? and come up with this game. Personally, I would have preferred something a bit less ... creative like a proper Nintendo RTS game. Make it Zelda'themed Command & Conquer or something like that. No need to reinvent the wheel here, seeing as you are already quite far afield with launching a portable gaming console with native mouse support ... Still love their quirkness though! ^^
I really hope that Marvel Cosmic Invasion and Silk Song get HDR support. Probably a long shot, but I'd prefer to have these games on the Switch instead of the PC. In fact, I really wish Nintendo would have offered us a systemlevel option for RTX HDR of some fashion. Performance should not* be a concern for many of these 2D games and the benefits are just mindblowing every time.
PO'ed the Attack Vector yesterday. Looks like a good Switch 2 take on my trusty old Skull & Co. Gripcase from way back in the day (yeah, it's been a while). No way I am gonna use that handcramp machine without one. I hope the magnetic traveler covers well though. Depending on the charge, I might also try to add one of these additional magsafe batteries from a 3rd-party, but I think it should handle 1:20h or so of commuting just fine. Looking forward to it. Glad this will be available right out of the gate. I remember for the Switch 1, the Skull & Co. first went through a whole kickstarter thing to get started back then ...
@Ulysses That is a fair point! But as long as we do not know how much these packs are (and forgoing the fact that many people will just get them from Nintendo Online anyways, I guess), it is still a bit of a reach, at least as far as any new content goes. It might just be a matter of expectation, if you will, but I thought about these announced upgrades for Kirby for instance, primarily as nice bonus, so to speak.
To be fair though, if they really ask $20 or so for the Zelda "upgrades", I am willing to change my tune. Even on PS4, these upgrades went for like $10 and depending on the game, brought some significant enhancements, so new actual CONTENT was not really it then back either. Like, the DC for Death Stranding was 100% worth it in my book, but it was not "content DLC" either.
As for TOTK, well I guess, that does probably make any additional expansion content somewhat unlikely, I hear that, but ... personally, I cannot really muster much emotion for that. The game is fine as is. I think I rather see them move on to green pastures with their ressources.
I do agree though, that of course, if you look at it like that, it is a wasted opportunity and yes, I am also less then enthused by their (revived WiiU-esque) 2nd screen shenanigans. That seems pointless to me, particularly for a game that has about a trillion guides out there by now.
If they bring this to Splatoon, I'm might finally be able to get into that game properly. Analogue movement + mouse aim is what it is all about. I hope and pray that this will have a knock-on effect on other platforms like PC. Probably a pipe dream, but I dare dream still.
Love to see Shin'en here, as they always bring their German engineering wizardry to the table for some amazing results.
I'd be surprised if they wouldn't also go for a 1080p120 mode here, as that would 100% make sense for a game like FAST. Love to see that HDR support as well. I hope it becomes the definitive norm for Switch 2 titles. Nintendo need to put their foot down on this, something Sony never managed to do in the PS4 era most of all!
@Ulysses Not for nothing, but we ought to keep our expectations in check here. Had you told me two days ago, that Nintendo would go back and actually add official HDR support, 1440p and 60 fps support to BotW, I would have been delighted. Both by the fact, that they bothered to do that and the fact, that Switch 2 would by implication be able to handle it.
Anything like virtualized geometry to deal with the LOD issues would have needed extensive engine changes, I presume, so not really an easy "fix".
Yes, more could have been done, but the Switch 2 is still very much a limited system and not everyone is Retro Studios, not even at Nintendo. Not to mention that Metroid was almost 100% a cross-gen design from the ground up since the day development got rebooted!
But yeah, in theory ...something like RTGI ... that WOULD have been transformative for sure ...
@montrayjak Agreed, and I would add that thanks to HDR (RTX Remix), we can also now compensate for brightness loss one incurres and, if one chooses to, we actually can actually go above and beyond what CRT could ever do. It's really quite something.
That said, while probably not technically out of the question, I would not get my hopes on the Switch 2 side of things. At least for now, as this generation feels weirdly like Nintendo might actually be once again open to embrace ... current technologies.
I'm still reeling from the fact, they decided to go with a 120hz, VRR and HDR capable screen (even though none-OLED). If you had asked me before, I would have daydreamed about HDR support (given it comes at basically zero costs to performance and Nintendo games are all about bright colors, it always was a no-brainer ...), but would have laughed at the notion of 120hz or VRR ... few things seem entirely off the table right now.
@Friendly Yeah, I hear ya. I always have these stretches of time where I just fall off a particular system as well. Anyways, I think the beauty of the art form of games is just its' breadth in terms of available experience: something for everyone, as you say, no matter your preferences or age. You can go from 10 hours tutorial experience like Crusader Kings (can't wait to see Paradox maybe bringing their library to the now mouse-powered Switch 2 ) to something pick up and play like Mario Kart in just a moment.
I just hope that the Switch 2 will be able to deliver decent performance on these 3rd party titles. I am slightly worried that we have not seen any signs of DLSS in the presentation. Just for reference: I played the PS4 version of Elden Ring on PS5, because it was the only real option that was performant, stutter free and having generally okay frame pacing. I am ... curious to see what the experience will be like on the Switch 2 - to say the very least.
It would be a shame if it was a playable, but subpar experience (not just talking visuals like resolution here).
I can highly recommend Astrobot (basically feels like a supercharged PS2 era Sony game) and FFVIIR for sure. Personally, I love FFVII combat. I hits the spot between an action-game'y feel and presentation without being as demanding as genuine action title (just wish they would make the CPU-controlled party members more useful to be honest, but that is a small nitpick). Definitely worth picking up on Switch 2, if you have not played it. It's a blast.
I'm actually okay with this. We had the $60-game-4-ever-debate already multiple times. I was never feasible and given the huge jump in technical quality I am expecting here, this seems reasonable.
I also absolutely appreciate the reduced prices for digital games! It always bugged me quite a bit that they basically pretended these digital games incurred the same kind of production and shipping costs as their physical counterparts ... which obviously, the do not. This seems alot more fair and reasonable to me.
Finally, the fact that we can now lend out digital games and the fact that many (at least 1st party!) multiplayer games will most likely support game share tells me that Nintendo is very well aware of their value proposition here. Since 2x$60 bucks to play Mario Kart with my niece is still way more money than 1x$80 (not to mention it is only $50 as a pack-in title) ...
Gaming is an expensive hobby and inflation is a very real thing, as anyone adult knows.
@Friendly That is a weird question. Despite Sony's epic generational misstep, they still pretty much make the best single-player, story-driven games out there.
Ghost of Yotei and Wolverine are going to be excellent. So unless, you have both, a good deal of patience plus spoiler-resilience as well as a beefy PC, I think a PS5 still makes a great deal of sense for anyone interested in these types of games. I actually surrendered this week and "switched" my PS5 for a Pro, and for FFVII Rebirth and Stellar Blade in particular, it was absolutely transformative. Mostly, I just want to have the best experience possible, when Death Stranding 2 rolls around later this year - which, as things are going, will probably end up on the Switch 2 as well someday!
@OldGamer999 Just to be fair, I've been playing with mouse on my couch since forever. I don't know why people assume you need to sit at a desk to use a mouse. Plenty of sensors out there track just fine on fabric and worst case scenario, you get a hard surface mouse pad for a couple of bucks for that specific purpose.
The funny thing is, I mostly never abandoned PC gaming, because they only way I can enjoy a good FPS game is with a mouse. Playing something like Doom on console is a severe comprise, no matter the graphical fidelity. At least I for one find myself unable to use even a fraction of the look speed I would use on PC, thus really breaking the games' cathartic dance of gratuitous violence into a sluggish shooting gallery.
On the flipside, I find analog sticks superior to WASD for movement in most games. The Switch 2 seems really well poised to be the only platform to offer the best of both words potentially: seamless blend of analog movement and precise mouse aiming, depening on the sensors and such of course. Very curious where this will lead.
9,9/10 for me: Disappointed about the expected lack of an OLED version at launch and I really wanted a new proper Fire Emblem, but I cannot be mad at them when for the first time (afaik) in a Direct they highlight the GOAT: Path of Radiance.
Other than that, I'm pretty amazed that I'm actually super excited for a new Mario Kart and Donkey Kong game, not to mention that I am just floored by the fact, that they made an exclusive game with Hidetaka Miyazaki. I figured Elden Ring was already a big get for them, but that goes above and beyond even my wildest guesses.
The 3rd party support here seems outstanding, even though for me, I already have most of these games on more powerful hardware, it is still amazing to see so much more people getting access to them and in a portable format as well. It is going to be very hard to pass on double-dipping on some evergreen-could-play-forever games like Elden Ring (at a discount though ^^).
But yeah, I was really sold by all that destructibility and just the animation work on Donkey Kong. As someone who does not care much fore Mario in general, this super huge, as I really was just expecting something boring (to me) like Mario Odyssey 2. The first 3D Donkey Kong since my childhood, looking like a Pixar movie no less with all the interactive smashy'ness I always wanted from DK, but only got in my imagination, and all of that in gloriously colorful HDR: YES, please!
@YoshiF2 I kinda feel the same way. The pendulum really swung far with BotW, but at the same time it felt like a necessary evolution of the formula for me. Now though ... the pendulum seemed to have swung way farther still and - unlike in 2017 - I find myself utterly jaded with the very notion of sandbox games.
I don't want it. I'm horrified by the thought of a 200 hour'ish Zelda "experience". This really seems perfect for Minecraft fans. It seems equally unbearable for OoT fans, which is where my loyalty lies.
I hope we get to the point where games for both sides are going to get made. For the time being, this is a pass for me. I just still feel way too exhausted from my time with BotW to want any more any time soon or really ever.
Just to be clear, I am not lamenting the quality of the game. It's just a bad case of used-to-be-but-not-longer-is-for-me.
Comments 2,303
Re: "One Of The Slowest Modern LCDs I've Ever Seen" - Digital Foundry's John Linneman On Switch 2's Display
@Pipulitoch
"Tech geeks" is just a framing device here though. Plenty of people will just not be experienced enough to realize that they are indeed looking at a subpar reproduction of their favorite content.
That is just the old ignorace-is-bliss argument in action. Yeah, if you never seen an OLED or good Mini-LED/FALD whatever, the SW2 screen will look "fine". It is not a point in favor of the screen though, as that argument holds true for flat-out everything. I'll save myself exploring bud light and beer jokes here, but that is kinda the same story.
Re: "One Of The Slowest Modern LCDs I've Ever Seen" - Digital Foundry's John Linneman On Switch 2's Display
@DylanMcGrann Totally agree on your point about it being a boon that the system established these standards at the start of the generation (1st and foremost HDR and 120 hz, but also VRR).
Yeah, portable mode will not see much if any benefit from it now (except potentially VRR of course), but these are forward looking technologies for both, future iterations of the portable (a SWOLED2 or even a SW3) as well as TV-output in general.
Re: "One Of The Slowest Modern LCDs I've Ever Seen" - Digital Foundry's John Linneman On Switch 2's Display
@MTMike87 Just to be fair, this is not about "smoothness", but motion resolution. In fact, I would argue less motion resolution can actually add to a subjective sense of "smoothness" as it is basically a sort of hardware motion blur. So in that sense you might have a point, but that is not the issue brought up here.
Re: "One Of The Slowest Modern LCDs I've Ever Seen" - Digital Foundry's John Linneman On Switch 2's Display
I figured the perceived smeariness was mostly due to the necessary upscaling to 1080p. Seems I have been wrong.
Still, I feel the lack of any meaningful contrast is much more bothersome to me as it also sucks out the vividness of slow paced or even mostly static games like FE and Baten Kaitos as well. For a Nintendo platform this is hardly a great fit in my book. I mean, Nintendo is not into the whole grey-meets-brown school of thought of "proper" color grading for videogames, right?
I've seen many comments along the lines of not being bothered by the lack of "deep blacks". I find that frankly irritating, as this screen obviously does not display anything that could be mistaken for even black-adjacent ... like, just what is even the thinking here?
Having a measured static contrast ratio of about 1300:1 (according to the link) sounds about right to my eyes and would not have been something anyone would have been impressed by when the Switch 1 launched. The last Non-OLED-TV I used was a Plasma TV and it had about twice the static contrast ratio. That TV was purchased almost 15 years ago. I think that is pretty insane Oo
I grant you that this was pretty much the high end of what was possible in the consumer market back then, but again, that was 1.5 decades ago.
Ah well, I mostly played docked anyways, but it does take away some of the value of the device for me as the downgrade once undocked is pretty staggering. There is after all an entire plane of existence between that contrast ratio and ...to infinity and beyond!
Re: Nintendo Prioritising Switch 2 Dev Kits For Indies Needing "Extra Oomph", Say Devs
Kinda reflects what John said on the DF review, no?
Despite Nintendo by all accounts having prepared for this launch for quite some time, there is not exactly an abundance of dev kits going around. Whether this is Nintendo being cautious or something else ... who knows, but it does mean we might not see the floodgates open for some time post launch - once again.
@Solid_Python To my knowledge RE Requiem is slated as a current-gen game only, that is for PC, PS5 and Series X/S. That does not mean an eventual port to Switch 2 is out of the question, but it's certainly not a given right now.
Re: Forget Switch 2 Game Key-Cards - "Full On-The-Cart Physical Releases" Are What People Want, Says Publisher Lost In Cult
@Dman10 Definitely! That is just the name of game - not much any company could do about that. Just like people will complain after any given Direct, even the most content rich imaginable, someone will complain about the absence of X, Y and Z!
Re: Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Officially Reveals Nickelodeon Collaboration
Wow ... TMNT and TLA!? That is two of my favourite franchise ever. Gotta say, slightly tempted now - anything that let's me play as Michelangelo kinda has my number
Re: Forget Switch 2 Game Key-Cards - "Full On-The-Cart Physical Releases" Are What People Want, Says Publisher Lost In Cult
I wish they had just come out and said: look these cartridges are $15 a pop. We'll eat $5 and pass on $10 to you: that is $80 physical and $70 digital.
The ball would have been with the other publishers then ...
I'm kinda glad I only a physical game every couple of years, so this really does not bother me that much, but it is kinda disheartening how all this discourse turned toxic in the typical expedited fashion
Re: Capcom Spotlight Announced For Next Week, Here's A Teaser Trailer
Silly me has been excited for Pragmata for half a decade now. With the recent re-reveal, it went up pretty much straight to my top anticipated list for 2026. Plus, Capcom has really been cooking lately with both experimental designs like Kunitsu-Gami or classic remakes like RE4R. Onimusha also looks absolutely fire and we still need a remaster for part 3 at least.
I expect good things here actually
Re: Switch 2's HDR Looking Washed Out On Your TV? Here's The Fix
@Polvasti Yet, they did fail in copy&paste either Xbox's or Playstation's calibration process.
Re: Switch 2's HDR Looking Washed Out On Your TV? Here's The Fix
For anyone without an HGiG-compliant Display, there is btw a helpful table on reddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/nintendo/comments/1lcvszw/i_measured_nintendo_switch_2s_hdr_settings_no/
Re: Best Nintendo Switch 2 Controllers
The pro controller 2 is nice, but I did return mine after realizing that my Mayflash Magic-NS adapter from way back then still works fine with both the Switch 2 and a DualSense Edge (with TMR sticks). Couldn't really comfortably reach the GR and GL buttons on the Pro 2 anyways and the ergonomics seem better than before, but still not really competitive with the Edge.
On the other hand: you can turn on the Switch 2 with the Pro 2 and the sticks are really way smmooootthhh Good controller then, but not essential with better options available.
Re: Talking Point: How Are You Finding Mario Kart's Open World?
@Kingy Good points. I can only add, that I feel this design must have been intentional. I did notice that a) Smart Steering was on for default for instance (as for a previews from what I read), b) they literally added a major feature that basically forces you to go drive on rails and c) (as you said:) 200 cc is missing in action.
Maybe it is one big coincidence, but taking your points about the tracks - and I won't argue there is a overabundance of driving a lot of straight lines on wide roads - it seems they wanted to de-emphasize racing in favor of chaotic item battles.
I mean, the goal was obviously do not just to a reskin of MK8 Deluxe, which I think most of us would agree had the Kart Racing formula pretty much nailed down and perfect. That is supported by the shoehorned in open-world, that just exists as a separate mode with nothing justifying the tons of resources it must have eaten up.
I think there is hope in terms of updates: not necessarily in way of fixing the shortcomings you laid out, but rather given the whole design shift - assuming I am not wrong about this - a purpose. As I said, I can see appeal in a more "action"-centric Kart racer, I really do, but it needs to be a holistic approach then.
PS: To point out something positive, I do really like the water physics though. To the point I hope some future tracks will lean into that and give us a game-with-the-game waver race experience (or they re-use the tech for wave race, but that seems unlikely with all the racing content already present and Kirby in the pipeline). Also, it is really nice to FINALLY get a Mario Kart game in HDR
Re: Talking Point: How Are You Finding Mario Kart's Open World?
@Kingy To be fair, the actual tracks are totally fine even by the high MK standards and most people or some people - well certainly myself - always thought of MK more like a chaos-driven party game than a serious racer. My favorite mode growing up on the N64 was battle mode all day long anyways. From that point of view, yeah, I really kinda like Knock-Out-Tour as it absolutely leans into that perception of Mario Kart and kinda brings the battling and racing together in a more intense and balanced manner.
I totally agree on your points about the open-world though and I can also see how folks who were actually in MK for the, well, racing primarily might not gel super well with the changes made.
In an odd way, I think that is not too much of a bother as MK8 Deluxe is still very much there on the Switch 2 with it nigh boundless supply of tracks. Also, I think MK World will likely evolve quite a bit over the next couple of years. Curious to see where they will take it given the feedback and telemetry they are no doubt collecting.
Re: Talking Point: How Are You Finding Mario Kart's Open World?
I was bored to tears after about 5 minutes and 2 P-Switches. Honestly though, that is not a big deal as I generally do not cope well with 95% of open-world designs and thus this was completely expected.
What I found pretty interesting is the fact, that I couldn't see any design-inherent reason to "bother" (from my PoV) with it at all. It's almost like the designers did not trust their own creation enough to make it in any sense "mandatory" or fomo-adjacent. It is a really odd thing to behold and experience then.
It's there, it's technically fine, it must have been TONS of work, but there is really very little to do in it and no extrinsic motivation attached to do anything at all with it for the player. I don't seen I've ever quite seen this particular combination before.
What bothers we personally, is the wasted potential. Like why are there no battles in the open-world? That could have been exciting using the terrain and all. Why are there no boss fights of sorts? I think Mario Kart - as a goofy KART racer - had oh so many opportunities here to give purpose to it's world. Albeit, the world has - afaik - absolutely zero inherent purpose. It is just there ... kinda, well, accessible from a menu no less.
It all seems like an afterthought to say the least, which is odd given it is part of the title. I never dreamed of saying this before, but ... I do hope they take a live-service'esque shot on this. Imagine you could do like Coop-PvE missions in the world, with carts getting all sorts of abilities to fight, to heal or to tank. I think that could be something truly unique and utterly fun.
Re: Donkey Kong Bananza Direct Revealed For Wednesday, 18th June 2025
I hope the Direct is designed to really sell the game to Non-DK fans. I'm not much of a platformer-player myself, but ever since the SNES days, I had a particular weak spot for DK games. I also always really liked physics-based or even driven gameplay, something woefully absent over the last decade, and thus feel this game should appeal to me.
At the same time my general sense is that outside of these particular circumstances to to speak, most folks seem pretty, well, un-hyped about the game. If they are doing this instead of a normal June Direct, it better be worth it! (Which is not to say, that there could not be a normal direct close by, which I think is 100% necessary given that we still do not have a Release Date for MP4 for instance).
Re: Poll: Are You Happy With Switch 2's Screen? Because Some People Certainly Aren't
@AverageGamer
1. No, they don't. HDR is not "one" thing. It's not just about metadata, nor is it just about contrast. But there is no point on me writing a Wikipedia article here. Forcing an output into an HDR container and using a specifically trained ML-model to sophisticatedly extrapolating additional video information are not the same. Just as doing an integer upscale of an image is not the same as DLSS. The very statement is inane without end to be frank.
2. You don't need to. They are all basically on PC.
I mean ... I appreciate the flex, but you would be unhappy if there was nothing but 30fps-locked games, using a 4090 and all that.
3. No, you don't. We are talking - as you well know and I have stated above nevertheless- about a 7,9" channel, Nintendo would have bought by the millions. $1000+ is about as reasonable a number as 20 good HDR games.
6. It IS easier. Most things that are wrong, tend to be easier for the replace complexity with simplicity. Not sure what to add here other than, two things sound similarly but are fundamentally different.
And yes, they are very much different in process AND result. Conflating process and result does not help either to be rather blunt Oo
I don't care if it is an OLED or a miniLED. Both can provide very good contrasts. That is just a distinction between maximizing either contrast or brightness. I would have been totally okay with a miniLED.
One could argue that my main gripe might be that Nintendo is clearly nickle'n'diming us. They could have easily gone with SKU's at launch: a premium model, that offers a proper HDR experience in portable mode, for those who value it, and a base model, for those ... well who don't care or can't tell either way. I know I know ... Nintendo always does this, but normally they don't do it at $450 price point! We can cope all day long here, it is not exactly a move I can applaud.
Re: Poll: Are You Happy With Switch 2's Screen? Because Some People Certainly Aren't
@AverageGamer
1. No, I pointed out that Switch 2 currently does neither. AutoHDR and RTX HDR are indeed similar ML-based approaches to each other, but neither Switch nor PS5 use any of them. AutoHDR is a Xbox/Win-11+ System-Level feature and RTX HDR is proprietary Nvidia-Solution, that - like I said - could conceivably be used by Switch 2. You are conflating forcing a systems video-output into a HDR container with ML-based HDR post processing. They are not the same at all.
2. We all have been burned ever since the PS4 Pro launched. So what? Pretty much every Sony 1st party game has been excellent in HDR, with some still being absolute reference level titles to this day. I don't see your point. You might as well argue that any game should be 30-fps locked, since we all have been burned so much before with woobly 60fps performance modes on games. I'm not gonna bother with such defeatist mindset. To each their own though.
4. I respect you arguing with numbers only to then argue that one should not argue with numbers. That does take guts. Fine: I'm not hung up on THE number. Your argument is wrong by orders of magnitude. Orders of magnitude matter.
5. I'm not gonna jump on that $800 figure, as you just argued we should not get hung up on numbers. It is wrong though. For that price you can get a pretty high end 30" OLED monitor. We are talking about a simple 7,9" panel, not to mention that Nintendo does not pay end-consumer prices and has economies of scale on their side with the numbers of Switch 2 systems expected to be sold (15-20 Million by the end of this fiscal year alone).
6. Okay? I believe you, but I am not a telepath. You brought it up out of nowhere and since you were constantly conflating "Auto HDR" with force output, I was honestly not convinced you were not also conflating VRR stutter, a very specific issue with PS5 until shortly, and VRR flicker, which is all about certain display technologies and has nothing at all do with the console.
As for moving away from LCD, you are making it sound like "LCD = LCD". If Nintendo had used a Minileds, or a good FALD display, they could have achieved much much better results as well, without ever going OLED. Just saying, OLED was not the only way to go to make HDR pop. It would have been the best in my book, obviously, but not the only one. An edgelit LCD though ... that was never going to make HDR work for anyone. But now we are back to the beginning: it is serviceable, but given that it is 2025 and we are coming from an OLED-based Swtich refresh, it is a huge step back and thus a disappoint.
The only way not to see it that way is from my point of view to ignore the last 8'ish years entirely and compare it purely to the launch Switch. Then yes, it is better looking and has an enhanced feature set. Other than, I cannot in good conscience sing it's praises in any respect whatsoever.
Re: Poll: Are You Happy With Switch 2's Screen? Because Some People Certainly Aren't
@AverageGamer'
6. VRR stutter is not the same as VRR flicker. Flicker is about .... luminescence, which I already argued at length is very obvious to the human eye indeed. If you think people are even remotely uniformly aware or affected by VRR stutter on PS5, which was fixed btw in the last system update, I would simply point you to the comments section on the respective videos on this for Digital Foundry or other channels.
7. We agree that the PS5 VRR support is severly lacking compared to Xbox. How is that relevant here? The PS5 does not support LFC, but it does support VRR via HDMI. The Switch 2 does not.
8. I have zero idea why you would stop noticing rich colors and contrast after 10 minutes. I mean, if that were true, how would any TV or display manufacturer even survive? Oo You get USED to it, certainly, but that only means you will notice it once its gone. I actually made that very point initially, as someone who was fortunate enough to have moved beyond LCD screens a couple of years ago. Anything that cannot display a true black reference points then quickly starts to stick out like a sore thumb. If you are not used to it ... well, we call that blissful ignorance for a reason.
I mean, I bought a Switch 2, I do enjoy it, I think the screen is a big improvement over the OG screen (which was horrific to be fair), but given the fact that we have a) a Switch OLED and b) that is 2025 and OLED prices have come down significantly since the launch of the OG Switch, the resulting image is a disappointment and a step back. It is not in any sense of the word true HDR, as far as the end user experiences go.
I will end on a positive note though: HDR support was the number one thing I wanted from Nintendo, as in my experience, it is the biggest improvement to visual entertainment in over a decade. It just brings things much much closer to the sensory experience of real life (which does not end with 500 nits but rather 10.000 nits by the way) and thus just tickles our primate brain, which once upon the time used to worship that bright glowing ball in the sky and used to dream about the sparkly dots in the pitch black night sky, in all the right ways.
I never DREAMED they would actually do it, even though a game like Splatoon begs and screams and cries out for HDR support every day of its existence, but they did. The only did it half way for now, but we all know the OLED model will come and it works fine on my TV or any modern OLED/QDOLED/MINILED/FALD or future MICROLED.
It is future proofing in away, and the full potential will come with the next generation. It is what it is. I'm disappointed, sure, but also optimistic. There is no going back for Nintendo now in that respect.
I appreciate the discussion and your point of view. Cheers.
Re: Poll: Are You Happy With Switch 2's Screen? Because Some People Certainly Aren't
@AverageGamer
1. I don't want to be rude, but you have no understand of what you are talking about. The Switch is definitely not using RTX HDR (which incurs about a 10% performance penalty). What it does, is the same thing the PS5 does: it wraps the SDR output into an SDR container. Think of it as a static mapping from a small dnamic space into a small part of a much bigger dynamic space. RTX HDR is fundamentally different and can produce very good results, often times outclassing middling native HDR implementations. For RTX HDR you can set contrast, saturation, middle gray and max luminance on the fly and gauge the results in real time. For most games it is extremely effective.
2. There is a patch on the way for Fast Fusion, but the resolution is besides the point. Native HDR is not incurring any relevant performance overhead so these two things are simply connected at all on a technical level.
3. You make it sound like a foregone conclusion: that in 2025 most HDR implementations simply HAVE to be bad. That is nonsensical. Why would that be the case? And why would that be any more okay than games running a wobbly 20 fps!? It is up to the platform holder to provide the software and hardware environments to enable devs to make competent products and it is on the devs to make dilligent use of it. If Nintendo sets a never before seen standard, that is ALL our system can technically process HDR ... then that is good thing, because we never had this before ever. To argue that this means nothing beggars the mind.
4. "20 games with actual good HDR" ... dude what are you saying? The Switch had like 16.000 games. That would be something like 0.001% of games. That is just ... what!? The Switch already has games with good and very good HDR implementations right now, as we speak. Judging by Nintendo's first party quality since basically ever and the PS5/XSX library of quality HDR games (neither of which can boast a guarantee that any piece of software running on it will ever be connected to a HDR capable display device) that number seems like sheer trolling. Sorry to say.
5. Nobody said you have to remove the VRR. OLED and QDOLED have been running VRR for years ... the fact remains that developers cannot rely on VRR as their docked profile will not use it - period.
Re: Poll: Are You Happy With Switch 2's Screen? Because Some People Certainly Aren't
@AverageGamer
I take your point about developers doing a poor job of good HDR implementations. Ironically, the Switch is running an Ampere-based architecture with plenty of OS overhead from what I understand. It should be able to just run a kind of system level RTX HDR mode (esp. when the resources for Gamechat are not in use ...) to address this issue entirely.
You are missing the point though: even if there is a good HDR implementation, and those definitely exist even on Switch, as seen in Fast Fusion straight at launch, you will not reap its' rewards in portable mode. That's just how it is for now - sadly.
As for your second point: I strongly disagree. There is a reason most users never even noticed that VRR stutter on PS5. Joe Average does not take note of this stuff. Some do, some look for it specifically, but most are just oblivious. Everyone and their nana though can distinguish between a high contrast image with proper blacks and a "washed out" image aka low contrast image with improper black levels. Social media regularly throws whole tantrums about, let's say, challenging lighting in popular TV shows (an infamous House of Dragon episode comes to mind).
As for my point about luminescence: I was just pointing out how human eyes work, what they are sensitive to and what not. Chroma information like using RGB 4:4:4 costs tons of bandwidth, but provides extremely negligible benefits to the perceived image. The same is absolutely not true for brightness and contrast. People are instantly able to describe any such image as "punchier", "deeper", "more natural" (even if it is overexposed or whatever) etc. Again, I would point to the simple fact of economics: what do you see on any electronics store showroom floor? TV's with brightness and contrast bumped to 100 in "store mode". It quite literally draws in the eye and opens wallets.
Re: Poll: Are You Happy With Switch 2's Screen? Because Some People Certainly Aren't
I think the issue is that the screen simply can't produce a meaningful HDR presentation. The black-levels are not there, the peak brightness is not there, hence the contrast is not there. Simple as that. Everything looks muted in HDR, as it has to given the technical limitations. This will make many devs think twice about even implementing HDR.
That in turn is a shame, because stuff like Fast Fusion really looks stunning on an OLED TV. It's also frustrating, since I've been done with any kind of LCD for the better part of five years now. Feels like going back to my first own Sony LCD TV 20 years ago. It had reference black levels for a consumer TV ... well, for the time that is.
The Switch 2 screen does not even favorably compare to my ancient Panasonic VT40 Plasma TV from around 2012, certainly not in perceived black levels or motion clarity.
Getting VR and 120 hz, stuff barely any game will take advantage off, because VR is not available in Docked (and even then, not everyone can be expected to have a VRR TV yet) and because, well, CPU limitations. Yeah, sure 40 FPS is much nicer than 30 FPS, but that is a niche consideration.
Contrast is what YOU always see when you use the Switch 2 in portable. It should have been the higher priority by far. Contrast and changes in luminescence is just what our eyes perceive most intensely ...
Ah well, there will be a Switch 2 OLED eventually, but it's still frustrating that by then, millions of people will think that HDR Is a pointless tech gimmick that makes everything look worse. Which it certainly does on the internal screen
Re: Splatoon Raiders, A New Splatoon Spin-Off, Is Confirmed For Switch 2
Kinda excited about this. My interest in the multiplayer waned pretty quickly, but I did very much enjoy the "campaigns". So much so, that I wished there was ... just way more of it, not just terms of missions count and such, but also sheer depth. The mechanics and the overall design as well as atmosphere of Splatoon were always expertly crafted, so ... why not capitalize on this for a proper extended meaty single-player experience?
If Raiders is that and if it comes with the mouse controls (the main reason I fell off the MP, playing competitively with a controller is just not for me any more, sadly), I'm 100% here for it. Virtually a guaranteed win. Given this is basically Nintendo's only "third person shooter" thingy, and mouse being this gens "gimmick" (I think it has way more potential than any of their prior "gimmicks" though ...), mouse support should be an absolute no-brainer. This and Metroid seem tailor made for it after all.
Re: Review: The Legend Of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GameCube) - A Timeless Treasure
I wonder what this means for the chances of the WiiU version being ported over. I still kinda feel it is going to happen, as Nintendo will most likely want to continue to bolster their release schedule with new content, remaster content and updated content (Switch 2 version and free patches).
Given that the WiiU remaster well is about to bottom out on them, I'd say Wii/GC are next anyways, so redoing WW and also TP would make all the sense in the world.
Frankly though, I am more worried about FE:PoR. I spend the entire Switch gen holding out for a HD Collection, was sure it was going to happen when Baten Kaitos was announced, and then ... nothing. Given there is no Wii Emulator yet (sure to come next) and thus no FE:RD in sight, teasing people with PoR and the ever popular Ike might not actually be a bad idea.
We shall see ...
Re: Review: Kunitsu-Gami: Path Of The Goddess (Switch 2) - Tower Defence With A Twist In Capcom's Gorgeous, Yokai-Slaying Hybrid
@Magenof From what I've seen, it's 40'ish. I kinda needed to run it at DLSS performance to get it to 4k60 on 3080M on PC, so ... great game though and I'd say very playable at 30 or 40 VRR.
Maybe Switch can help Capcom out with this one. They really made a unique and innovative little gem here, but barely any one took notice so far.
Re: Review: Genki Attack Vector - A Modular Switch 2 Case Which Opts For Comfort Over Protection
I have on preordered and currently en route. Disappointed to hear about the flimsy feel of it, as it definitely was not cheap. I am not too concerned about protection though. First, this is mainly about making it comfortable to hold during occasional portable play, which it currently is 100% not and secondly to protect the screen: to that end I ordered the version WITH the travel cover.
Not sure why anyone would expect protection otherwise from what is clearly just a grip case. I'm curios to see if I'll ever use the magsafe, but who knows, seems like a nice-to-have thing honestly.
Re: Review: Fast Fusion (Switch 2) - The Most Accomplished Entry Yet, And A Visual Showcase
First thing I did after System Transfer: grab Fast Fusion from the e-shop!
Not gonna lie, it made my heart truly sing to see this looking AND playing all gloriously in HDR on my LG OLED right there on the day of the launch of a new Nintendo system. Feels like a small event, about 15 years in the making, ever since the days of Fast Racing League on the Wii back in 2011.
I hope that this will finally be the Generation where Nintendo decides to throw money at Shin'en to have them make a new F-Zero. The only thing that Fusion is missing is the sense of character and personality that F-Zero undeniably has. If they can scale up their budget for more tracks and bring an IP and characters like F-Zero in, add that special little something that make Nintendo games tick with the help of Nintendo ... that would be their final 90->100 level up. Fingers crossed on my end that BigN sees reason after one and half decades
Re: Review: Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller - A New Benchmark In Comfort And Design
@Axecon I definitely also prefer the ergonomics of the Dual Sense. Couple months ago, I even splurged on an Edge controller, upgraded it with TMR sticks (+140% tension for the right stick) and I now consider it a 95% perfect controller.
The only downside is the limited battery life, which for me means I have to charge it after every use really and that the face buttons could be just a tiny bit less mushy.
I bought a SW2 Pro controller, but I'm kinda thinking I should get an adapter and use the Edge instead. A bit of a hassle switching between the SW2 and PS5P constantly though ...
Re: Hardware Review (In Progress): Nintendo Switch 2 - A Faster, Slicker, Sexier Switch
"And in motion? Woof! I need to play around with more launch titles and really get the 60-120fps experience (and HDR hasn't hit me over the head yet - more experimentation needed), but 20 minutes of Cyberpunk was enough to put my doubts to rest with regards to screen quality. It's lovely."
Until the inevitable OLED refresh, the HDR is not going to do anything for anyone anywhere ever in portable mode. The screen is just so bad in respect to peak brightness and contrast, that I can rarely believe it. ANOTHER instance where millions of people will have a horrible time first experiencing HDR. I really thought that in 2025 we'd be beyond that ...
I feel, that given the marketing and price point, the screen is unacceptable and borderline offensive. Even my almost nine year old niece, used to IPhone and IPad screens exclusively, was like ... "this looks funny". I actually bought a unit for her, but seeing the screen I decided to sell it on. She does not have access to an OLED TV (or any TV for that matter), so ... just no, unacceptable, her luminance sensitive young eyes deserve a worlds better.
Re: 12 Switch Games Are Getting Free Switch 2 Upgrades, Here's What You Can Expect
Wow, I did not see this level of HDR-support coming at all. Actually, I only dreamed of this and did not foresee any actual support. That is pretty darn cool. I love this new direction for Nintendo. Basically all their first-party games have been screaming for HDR support for a decade now.
I am now very hopeful and optimistic, that Nintendo will continue with this and also free other games from their SDR-prison. Hoping for Metroid Prime and Dread, Astral Chain, Fire Emblem games, Bayonetta 1-3, Xenoblade X (!!!), Splatoon obviously and also Luigi's Mansion.
All 1st-party games would benefit immensely from HDR-support though and given that HDR is performance agnostic, there is no good technically reason not to have it!
Sidenote: Nintendo apparently updated the wording already for 3D Worle to ...
"Frame rate: improved for smoother movement on Nintendo Switch 2 (including Bowser's Fury).
HDR support**"
Here is to hoping that this will mean the entire games will be output in HDR, as it would be weird - even by Nintendo standards - to limit this to the addon only.
I'm actually much more excited for the launch now that I was before, since I have not even played all these games listed here yet (certainly not to completion).
Not gonna lie, if they bring these kind of backported updates to most of their backcatalogue, then this alone is worth the price of admissions alone. Since until now we had to use PC-based means to get HDR (and increased FPS and internal Resolution).
Re: 'Spine' Brings Gun-Fu To Switch 2
Just finished Stellar Blade this weekend, so naturally this seems right up my alley for obvious reasons Game looks fire, reminds of classic like Equilibrium and John Wick. Looking forward to it.
Great to see it coming to Switch 2 as well. Not sure it'd be the version I'll pick, probably going with the PS5P version when the time comes tbh, but still great to have options. Here is to hoping the 3rd party support for SW2 will continue on this strongly!
Re: Hades II Will Officially Launch On Switch 2 & Switch Ahead Of Other Consoles
I'd love to know whether this will have mouse support or not. I'd love to have analogue control of the character and mouse speed and precision for skill aiming. That would make it my preferred version, assuming visuals and performance hold up, which I expect them to.
Re: Masahiro Sakurai Provides Brief Development Update On His New Switch 2 Game
@Ulysses Nintendo was clearly humoring Sakurai. The man obviously loves to direct ... trailers. And he is pretty good at it, too. He got the about 100% of their CGi trailer budget from what I can tell. He got to cut his teeth at Smash character trails only to now finally graduate to the big league of Kirby
Re: "Don't Let Nintendo Ruin The Entire Industry" - Is $80 For Mario Kart World A Bridge Too Far?
Is it possible that most of the Switch 2 userbase was just that? Switch 2 users?
Because I've been exposed to $60-$70 games with $20-$50 DLCs - not counting "Deluxe", "Super Deluxe" and "Hyper Deluxe Versions" or any microtransactions - for at least a decade now.
And yes, a significant chunk of that DLC is just part of the game repackaged.
Not saying this is great and all, obviously not, but if you want Nintendo to get into this particulary game of selling your 5 different version of a release + DLCs (plural) + microtransactions ... then ... carry on, I guess. I hope you find bliss there.
Re: Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour Price Has Been Confirmed
Such a weird thing to do. Even just from an aesthetic standpoint this is one of the weakest, non-Nintendo-feely things they put out there in a good long while. Well, this and Drag x Drive, but at least that looks like it is mechanically sound and somewhat interesting.
Thankfully, they more than made up for this with the other first party stuff (even though there is actually shockingly little announced right). I'm just gonna ignore this release and not gonna let it spoil what looks to be like a console launch worlds apart from pretty much anything I ever saw for a Nintendo console.
Re: Community: Which Switch 2 Games Are You Wishlisting?
Mario Kart, Donkey Kong, Metroid Prime and Fast Fusion are no brainers for me.
Kirby Forgotten Land and Air Riders ... maybe. Never managed to get into a Kirby game, but who knows. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is another maybe. Dynasty Warriors Origins is really impressive, even though I would really prefer the Zelda or Fire Emblem setting.
The rest is just way inferior ports of game, I've already had. Might pick up Elden Ring on sale one day, just because it is Elden Ring on a Nintendo Portable
Re: Hands On: 'Drag x Drive' Is Fantastic, But Is It Destined To Be Switch 2's ARMS?
I'm not sure what happened to ARMs. I actually kinda loved that game and I usually never play fighting games. I figured some of the characters like Min Min were also popular, no? I'm definitely going to boot it up again on the Switch 2 one day. Hopefully Nintendo will do something with the IP on the Switch 2.
This looks just to drab for my taste. Not hating on it, but only Nintendo could look at something like "mouse" - what do to with it!? and come up with this game. Personally, I would have preferred something a bit less ... creative like a proper Nintendo RTS game. Make it Zelda'themed Command & Conquer or something like that. No need to reinvent the wheel here, seeing as you are already quite far afield with launching a portable gaming console with native mouse support ... Still love their quirkness though! ^^
Re: 35 Upcoming Nintendo Switch Games To Look Forward To In 2025
I really hope that Marvel Cosmic Invasion and Silk Song get HDR support. Probably a long shot, but I'd prefer to have these games on the Switch instead of the PC. In fact, I really wish Nintendo would have offered us a systemlevel option for RTX HDR of some fashion. Performance should not* be a concern for many of these 2D games and the benefits are just mindblowing every time.
Re: Genki Unleashes Some Slick New Switch 2 Accessories
PO'ed the Attack Vector yesterday. Looks like a good Switch 2 take on my trusty old Skull & Co. Gripcase from way back in the day (yeah, it's been a while). No way I am gonna use that handcramp machine without one. I hope the magnetic traveler covers well though. Depending on the charge, I might also try to add one of these additional magsafe batteries from a 3rd-party, but I think it should handle 1:20h or so of commuting just fine. Looking forward to it. Glad this will be available right out of the gate. I remember for the Switch 1, the Skull & Co. first went through a whole kickstarter thing to get started back then ...
Re: Hands On: I Didn't Think I Could Love BOTW Or TOTK More, Then I Played Them On Switch 2
@Ulysses That is a fair point! But as long as we do not know how much these packs are (and forgoing the fact that many people will just get them from Nintendo Online anyways, I guess), it is still a bit of a reach, at least as far as any new content goes. It might just be a matter of expectation, if you will, but I thought about these announced upgrades for Kirby for instance, primarily as nice bonus, so to speak.
To be fair though, if they really ask $20 or so for the Zelda "upgrades", I am willing to change my tune. Even on PS4, these upgrades went for like $10 and depending on the game, brought some significant enhancements, so new actual CONTENT was not really it then back either. Like, the DC for Death Stranding was 100% worth it in my book, but it was not "content DLC" either.
As for TOTK, well I guess, that does probably make any additional expansion content somewhat unlikely, I hear that, but ... personally, I cannot really muster much emotion for that. The game is fine as is. I think I rather see them move on to green pastures with their ressources.
I do agree though, that of course, if you look at it like that, it is a wasted opportunity and yes, I am also less then enthused by their (revived WiiU-esque) 2nd screen shenanigans. That seems pointless to me, particularly for a game that has about a trillion guides out there by now.
Re: Please Make Sure You're Wearing Trousers When Using Switch 2's Mouse Controls
If they bring this to Splatoon, I'm might finally be able to get into that game properly. Analogue movement + mouse aim is what it is all about. I hope and pray that this will have a knock-on effect on other platforms like PC. Probably a pipe dream, but I dare dream still.
Re: Fast Fusion Brings Everyone's Favourite WipEout Rival To Switch 2
Love to see Shin'en here, as they always bring their German engineering wizardry to the table for some amazing results.
I'd be surprised if they wouldn't also go for a 1080p120 mode here, as that would 100% make sense for a game like FAST. Love to see that HDR support as well. I hope it becomes the definitive norm for Switch 2 titles. Nintendo need to put their foot down on this, something Sony never managed to do in the PS4 era most of all!
Re: Hands On: I Didn't Think I Could Love BOTW Or TOTK More, Then I Played Them On Switch 2
@Ulysses Not for nothing, but we ought to keep our expectations in check here. Had you told me two days ago, that Nintendo would go back and actually add official HDR support, 1440p and 60 fps support to BotW, I would have been delighted. Both by the fact, that they bothered to do that and the fact, that Switch 2 would by implication be able to handle it.
Anything like virtualized geometry to deal with the LOD issues would have needed extensive engine changes, I presume, so not really an easy "fix".
Yes, more could have been done, but the Switch 2 is still very much a limited system and not everyone is Retro Studios, not even at Nintendo. Not to mention that Metroid was almost 100% a cross-gen design from the ground up since the day development got rebooted!
But yeah, in theory ...something like RTGI ... that WOULD have been transformative for sure ...
Re: GameCube Games On Switch 2 Will Support An Optional CRT Filter
@montrayjak Agreed, and I would add that thanks to HDR (RTX Remix), we can also now compensate for brightness loss one incurres and, if one chooses to, we actually can actually go above and beyond what CRT could ever do. It's really quite something.
That said, while probably not technically out of the question, I would not get my hopes on the Switch 2 side of things. At least for now, as this generation feels weirdly like Nintendo might actually be once again open to embrace ... current technologies.
I'm still reeling from the fact, they decided to go with a 120hz, VRR and HDR capable screen (even though none-OLED). If you had asked me before, I would have daydreamed about HDR support (given it comes at basically zero costs to performance and Nintendo games are all about bright colors, it always was a no-brainer ...), but would have laughed at the notion of 120hz or VRR ... few things seem entirely off the table right now.
Brave new world!
Re: FromSoftware's 'The Duskbloods' Looks Like Bloodborne 2, Coming To Nintendo Switch 2 In 2026
@Friendly Yeah, I hear ya. I always have these stretches of time where I just fall off a particular system as well. Anyways, I think the beauty of the art form of games is just its' breadth in terms of available experience: something for everyone, as you say, no matter your preferences or age. You can go from 10 hours tutorial experience like Crusader Kings (can't wait to see Paradox maybe bringing their library to the now mouse-powered Switch 2 ) to something pick up and play like Mario Kart in just a moment.
I just hope that the Switch 2 will be able to deliver decent performance on these 3rd party titles. I am slightly worried that we have not seen any signs of DLSS in the presentation. Just for reference: I played the PS4 version of Elden Ring on PS5, because it was the only real option that was performant, stutter free and having generally okay frame pacing. I am ... curious to see what the experience will be like on the Switch 2 - to say the very least.
It would be a shame if it was a playable, but subpar experience (not just talking visuals like resolution here).
I can highly recommend Astrobot (basically feels like a supercharged PS2 era Sony game) and FFVIIR for sure. Personally, I love FFVII combat. I hits the spot between an action-game'y feel and presentation without being as demanding as genuine action title (just wish they would make the CPU-controlled party members more useful to be honest, but that is a small nitpick). Definitely worth picking up on Switch 2, if you have not played it. It's a blast.
Re: Switch 2 Games Cost A Bit More Than You're Probably Expecting
I'm actually okay with this. We had the $60-game-4-ever-debate already multiple times. I was never feasible and given the huge jump in technical quality I am expecting here, this seems reasonable.
I also absolutely appreciate the reduced prices for digital games! It always bugged me quite a bit that they basically pretended these digital games incurred the same kind of production and shipping costs as their physical counterparts ... which obviously, the do not. This seems alot more fair and reasonable to me.
Finally, the fact that we can now lend out digital games and the fact that many (at least 1st party!) multiplayer games will most likely support game share tells me that Nintendo is very well aware of their value proposition here. Since 2x$60 bucks to play Mario Kart with my niece is still way more money than 1x$80 (not to mention it is only $50 as a pack-in title) ...
Gaming is an expensive hobby and inflation is a very real thing, as anyone adult knows.
Re: FromSoftware's 'The Duskbloods' Looks Like Bloodborne 2, Coming To Nintendo Switch 2 In 2026
@Friendly That is a weird question. Despite Sony's epic generational misstep, they still pretty much make the best single-player, story-driven games out there.
Ghost of Yotei and Wolverine are going to be excellent. So unless, you have both, a good deal of patience plus spoiler-resilience as well as a beefy PC, I think a PS5 still makes a great deal of sense for anyone interested in these types of games. I actually surrendered this week and "switched" my PS5 for a Pro, and for FFVII Rebirth and Stellar Blade in particular, it was absolutely transformative. Mostly, I just want to have the best experience possible, when Death Stranding 2 rolls around later this year - which, as things are going, will probably end up on the Switch 2 as well someday!
Re: Poll: So, How Would You Rate The Nintendo Switch 2 Direct?
@OldGamer999 Just to be fair, I've been playing with mouse on my couch since forever. I don't know why people assume you need to sit at a desk to use a mouse. Plenty of sensors out there track just fine on fabric and worst case scenario, you get a hard surface mouse pad for a couple of bucks for that specific purpose.
The funny thing is, I mostly never abandoned PC gaming, because they only way I can enjoy a good FPS game is with a mouse. Playing something like Doom on console is a severe comprise, no matter the graphical fidelity. At least I for one find myself unable to use even a fraction of the look speed I would use on PC, thus really breaking the games' cathartic dance of gratuitous violence into a sluggish shooting gallery.
On the flipside, I find analog sticks superior to WASD for movement in most games. The Switch 2 seems really well poised to be the only platform to offer the best of both words potentially: seamless blend of analog movement and precise mouse aiming, depening on the sensors and such of course. Very curious where this will lead.
Re: Poll: So, How Would You Rate The Nintendo Switch 2 Direct?
9,9/10 for me:
Disappointed about the expected lack of an OLED version at launch and I really wanted a new proper Fire Emblem, but I cannot be mad at them when for the first time (afaik) in a Direct they highlight the GOAT: Path of Radiance.
Other than that, I'm pretty amazed that I'm actually super excited for a new Mario Kart and Donkey Kong game, not to mention that I am just floored by the fact, that they made an exclusive game with
Hidetaka Miyazaki. I figured Elden Ring was already a big get for them, but that goes above and beyond even my wildest guesses.
The 3rd party support here seems outstanding, even though for me, I already have most of these games on more powerful hardware, it is still amazing to see so much more people getting access to them and in a portable format as well. It is going to be very hard to pass on double-dipping on some evergreen-could-play-forever games like Elden Ring (at a discount though ^^).
But yeah, I was really sold by all that destructibility and just the animation work on Donkey Kong. As someone who does not care much fore Mario in general, this super huge, as I really was just expecting something boring (to me) like Mario Odyssey 2. The first 3D Donkey Kong since my childhood, looking like a Pixar movie no less with all the interactive smashy'ness I always wanted from DK, but only got in my imagination, and all of that in gloriously colorful HDR: YES, please!
Re: Hands On: Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Indulges Your Idiocy In The Very Best Way
@YoshiF2 I kinda feel the same way. The pendulum really swung far with BotW, but at the same time it felt like a necessary evolution of the formula for me. Now though ... the pendulum seemed to have swung way farther still and - unlike in 2017 - I find myself utterly jaded with the very notion of sandbox games.
I don't want it. I'm horrified by the thought of a 200 hour'ish Zelda "experience". This really seems perfect for Minecraft fans. It seems equally unbearable for OoT fans, which is where my loyalty lies.
I hope we get to the point where games for both sides are going to get made. For the time being, this is a pass for me. I just still feel way too exhausted from my time with BotW to want any more any time soon or really ever.
Just to be clear, I am not lamenting the quality of the game. It's just a bad case of used-to-be-but-not-longer-is-for-me.