Nintendo Switch

[frezal]

Who else is getting a Switch at launch?

[Dreamcast]

Doesn't it cost $40 for half of a replacement controller?

[Mecha]

Considering that I just recently got a Wii U, I'll pass lol

[Mouldy]

Here's my current for/against points for the console.

Points against:

The console has 2 months until it's released.
We don't know all the features, specs or much in the way about 3rd party support.
There are only 5 launch titles, only one of them being a strong game.
Reports of bad performance in said game (The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild).
The price of the system is outdone by both the PS4 and Xbone (as you can get a bundle for the same price) as just the Switch alone.
Pay to do online gaming after a certain date).

Points for:

Games coming up look very good.
Simple controller that enables two people to play on launch.
Some games running in 60 FPS.
Portable (of course).
Fairly long battery life time (varying reports).
Good specs (the ones that we know so far).
Not "Wii-something".

The biggest problem I have with this is the price. When I heard about the speculation of the price being under $200, I got extremely excited. That would have been an absolute bargain of a price for this.

Of course, when I heard about its actual price tag, I realised that this console is probably going to under perform in sales.

This doesn't mean I don't like the console, I will probably end up buying one eventually.

[frezal]

Doesn't it cost $40 for half of a replacement controller?

A set of Joy-Con costs $80 USD. These can either be used as one controller, or separately as two. The Dual Shock 4 and the Xbox One controllers both sell at an MSRP of $60 USD and can only be used as a single controller.


Also, keep in mind that the Joy-Con features much more advanced hardware such as 20 hour battery life, advanced motion control, haptic feedback, NFC, and what is essentially a Kinect.

The biggest problem I have with this is the price. When I heard about the speculation of the price being under $200, I got extremely excited. That would have been an absolute bargain of a price for this.

Considering that this is a gaming tablet with some pretty advanced tech, it makes sense that the launch price is $300. For comparison, an iPad Mini 4 sells at an MSRP of $400 USD, and has no controllers, no dock (which in and of itself is much more advanced than it appears), etc. Yes, a PS4 and Xbone can be purchased in cheaper bundles at the present time, but the experience they offer is fundamentally different than what the Switch offers.

[rnifnuf]

My birthday is about two weeks after the Switch launch, but I'm not sure if I want it for then or later. It depends on what games are available at launch; I do not want to get it and then not use it for the six weeks between getting it and getting Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and then getting bored of it before Super Mario Odyssey comes out later in the year. Either way, I will most certainly own a Switch by the end of 2017.

I'm excited to see what games come out for this system and how the Joy-Con controllers are used. I have seen the list of developers that are already working with Nintendo; this may be the end of Nintendo's third-party woes that have been troubling it for years now.

[Badger]

****in Nintendo fanboys will buy whatever sh** Nintendo shovels out.

[Mouldy]

The biggest problem I have with this is the price. When I heard about the speculation of the price being under $200, I got extremely excited. That would have been an absolute bargain of a price for this.

Considering that this is a gaming tablet with some pretty advanced tech, it makes sense that the launch price is $300. For comparison, an iPad Mini 4 sells at an MSRP of $400 USD, and has no controllers, no dock (which in and of itself is much more advanced than it appears), etc. Yes, a PS4 and Xbone can be purchased in cheaper bundles at the present time, but the experience they offer is fundamentally different than what the Switch offers.

There's a big difference in the markets though. Apple still has the highest marketshare in tablets. They are able to sell at that price as they are very aware that their largest demographic, the 25-34 year old range, is able to buy it due to their disposable income. Whereas Nintendo, in the home console market, currently doesn't have a high marketshare and needs more people than some of their fanbase which is currently split on buying the console due to the price of it.

Yes, I certainly will agree with you though, the Switch will offer something much different to current consoles. People looking for a change will go for it and I also think that people from the PC market might buy in. A console like this is perfect to take 60 FPS gaming on the go. Something that PC gamers very much care about.

[Badger]

Considering that this is a gaming tablet with some pretty advanced tech, it makes sense that the launch price is $300. For comparison, an iPad Mini 4 sells at an MSRP of $400 USD, and has no controllers, no dock (which in and of itself is much more advanced than it appears), etc. Yes, a PS4 and Xbone can be purchased in cheaper bundles at the present time, but the experience they offer is fundamentally different than what the Switch offers.

Except the switch is going to be a beyond terrible tablet, with a poor resolution screen and an OS created for gaming. Have you ever tried to browse the web on a Wii or Wii U? Exactly.


There's a reason that Nintendo aren't marketing the switch as an iPad competitor, they fulfil separate use cases, despite both having a tablet form factor.

[kix]

Ill see if ill buy it.. i heared that Sonic Mania will be for switch.. and new Zelda... just hoping  Crash somehow makes an apperance on the Switch..
As for the price.. It is cheap.. In croatia ATM price of PS4 and XBOX One is around 500USD (Stock models) and Switch may price here at 390USD

[Mouldy]

Ill see if ill buy it.. i heared that Sonic Mania will be for switch.. and new Zelda... just hoping  Crash somehow makes an apperance on the Switch..

The only way Crash will make an appearance is via Skylanders. Other than that, you're outta' luck.

[kix]

Ill see if ill buy it.. i heared that Sonic Mania will be for switch.. and new Zelda... just hoping  Crash somehow makes an apperance on the Switch..

The only way Crash will make an appearance is via Skylanders. Other than that, you're outta' luck.

CURSE that PS only game!!!!

[Enigm@]

no because i already have this:

which, when i bought it with a 128 gb sd card, costs 230 buckaroos, and i can play all the snes, genesis, turbografx16, amiga, n64 and bunch of other stuff on the go. It might be comparing apples to oranges, but i really only like older games, no new games really appeal to me, none of the games for the nintendo switch appeal to me, which is i won't buy it.

[RpJk]

Gonna get before the end of the year. Getting it for Xenoblade 2, next Tales of game and Fire Emblem Warriors. Once exact release date of at least two of them announced then Ill buy.

[wakkydude]

A set of Joy-Con costs $80 USD. These can either be used as one controller, or separately as two. The Dual Shock 4 and the Xbox One controllers both sell at an MSRP of $60 USD and can only be used as a single controller.

if you ever tried to use the wiimote on its side for virtually anything you'd realise this is an awful idea, very few games are actually seriously playable and controllable like that. an even smaller controller, some of which have the analogue stick in the middle, is definitely not going to cut it.

also three hour battery life for zelda LEL

[TheRoboteer]

The Switch looks like a bit of a joke to be honest. The fact they're charging £300 for an underclocked Tegra X1 when you can get an Xbox One S or PS4 Pro for about £50 more is a joke. The controller looks like an ergonomic nightmare, and the fact that it's only launching with 4 games is ridiculous. Doesn't matter though, because Nintendo could literally just release Mario and a 'new' Pokemon every year and they'd rake in the cash

I don't know if you've heard too, but not only are Nintendo going to start charging for their atrociously gimped online service, but the features that they are actually advertising are that you can voice chat using a phone (Because that's totally convenient, right?) and you get a NES or SNES game every month that you don't even get to keep.

[RedAce]

While this does look a bit interesting, I probably won't be able to get one until maybe the end of 2017.  At that time, we might have more games that seem worth purchasing that are exclusive to the system.

[090901]

Tbh I don't think comparing the current price of the Xbone and PS4 is all that fair as they have been out on the market for a few years and the prices for them have dropped a good amount.

[frezal]

Except the switch is going to be a beyond terrible tablet,

Gaming tablet.

with a poor resolution screen

720p isn't a poor resolution for this size of screen. The PPI is around 230, which for most people's eyesight, is damn good. Hell, it's better than a Retina MacBook.

and an OS created for gaming.

It's almost as if this is a game console.

Have you ever tried to browse the web on a Wii or Wii U?

Upon release, the Wii's browser was great. The WiiU's is the best browser available on any console.

There's a reason that Nintendo aren't marketing the switch as an iPad competitor, they fulfil separate use cases, despite both having a tablet form factor.

And there's a reason why Nintendo also isn't marketing it as an Xbone or PS4 competitor: they offer entirely different experiences.

if you ever tried to use the wiimote on its side for virtually anything you'd realise this is an awful idea, very few games are actually seriously playable and controllable like that. an even smaller controller, some of which have the analogue stick in the middle, is definitely not going to cut it.

I have used a Wiimote sideways, and while it's not the best experience, it works. The Joy-Con are shaped in a way that look a bit more comfortable to hold, even though the controls might get a little cramped. (An issue I've had with every Dual Shock with the exception of the 4.)

also three hour battery life for zelda LEL

3 hours for a console Zelda is very reasonable, though I can't think of any situation where I would not only have time to play Zelda for three hours straight and also be nowhere near an outlet. It's possible that a cross-country flight might lack an outlet, but I could always plug the Switch into my MacBook for a charge, if need be.

but i really only like older games

Which is why you steal them?

I don't know if you've heard too, but not only are Nintendo going to start charging for their atrociously gimped online service, but the features that they are actually advertising are that you can voice chat using a phone (Because that's totally convenient, right?) and you get a NES or SNES game every month that you don't even get to keep.

We don't even know if their service is gimped as we don't know what it consists of, what it looks like, or how much it costs. While it would be a neat perk to keep the monthly classic, it's not something that bothers me. I have no problem paying money for something that brings me joy. Besides, I rarely download anything from Games with Gold, and I don't feel slighted when they feature a game I already own. It's a nice bonus, not a feature.

[Badger]

Except the switch is going to be a beyond terrible tablet,

Gaming tablet.

Totally wrong. The defining feature of a tablet is a large touchscreen, which is a beyond awful interface for gaming, which is why the switch has "proper" controllers. It's a large handheld in tablet form-factor. It has none of the functionality of a 'real' tablet, like an iPad.

720p isn't a poor resolution for this size of screen. The PPI is around 230, which for most people's eyesight, is damn good. Hell, it's better than a Retina MacBook.

720p is laughable for a tablet. Hell, it's laughable for a phone. You can't compare a laptop screen's PPI to a tablet screen's PPI, this thing is going to be closer to your face than a laptop screen. By your metric, this crappy 720p screen is going to be nicer too look at than my 4k monitor @ 157ppi.

It's almost as if this is a game console.

Which is what I'm saying, it's going to result in a horrid user experience for people wanting to use it like an iPad. Which would be fine, except idiots are going to buy this thing expecting an iPad and Wii U in one. It's not going to work as a web browsing device.

Upon release, the Wii's browser was great. The WiiU's is the best browser available on any console.

idk if you ever tried to use the wii browser for an extended period of time. I did, and it was like pulling teeth. Totally painful. Extremely limited functionally and compatibility, and slow. I haven't had experience with the Wii U browser, but saying that its the best console browser means nothing. They're all awful to the point of uselessness. Nobody's going to use this thing over a polished phone/tablet browser. Again, the switch is going to be an awful multimedia and web browsing device compared to a phone or tablet.

And there's a reason why Nintendo also isn't marketing it as an Xbone or PS4 competitor: they offer entirely different experiences.

And the switch is going to be an objectively worse experience from a hardware standpoint, I don't see how you can argue this. In addition, the incredibly anemic hardware is going to scare off 3rd party devs, so enjoy only being able to play 1st party games.

I have used a Wiimote sideways, and while it's not the best experience, it works. The Joy-Con are shaped in a way that look a bit more comfortable to hold, even though the controls might get a little cramped. (An issue I've had with every Dual Shock with the exception of the 4.)

"These awful tiny controllers are totally fine, because my hands are too big for normal sized controllers anyway!"

Which is why you steal them?

Who says that he doesn't own legal copies? And who cares if he does? Don't try to take the moral highground purely because it fits your narrative.