Nintendo Switch Mega Thread

General Discussion
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I doubt that I’m the only one that will be interested in this one…I REALLY want a new Zelda game…a good one.

Reveal video:

Speculation and Easter egg videos:

Some info - not a lot yet, but some:

Nintendo Blog - Posted on October 20, 2016 by Ashish Karandikar

The development encompassed 500 man-years of effort across every facet of creating a new gaming platform: algorithms, computer architecture, system design, system software, APIs, game engines and peripherals. They all had to be rethought and redesigned for Nintendo to deliver the best experience for gamers, whether they’re in the living room or on the move.

Nintendo Switch is powered by the performance of the custom Tegra processor. The high-efficiency scalable processor includes an NVIDIA GPU based on the same architecture as the world’s top-performing GeForce gaming graphics cards.

The Nintendo Switch’s gaming experience is also supported by fully custom software, including a revamped physics engine, new libraries, advanced game tools and libraries. NVIDIA additionally created new gaming APIs to fully harness this performance. The newest API, NVN, was built specifically to bring lightweight, fast gaming to the masses.Gameplay is further enhanced by hardware-accelerated video playback and custom software for audio effects and rendering.

We’ve optimized the full suite of hardware and software for gaming and mobile use cases. This includes custom operating system integration with the GPU to increase both performance and efficiency.NVIDIA gaming technology is integrated into all aspects of the new Nintendo Switch home gaming system, which promises to deliver a great experience to gamers.

Nintendo Switch Development Partners Include Skyrim, Resident Evil, Dark Souls Devs, and More

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Here’s the full list of Nintendo Switch Partners, as detailed in an official press release:

  • 505 Games
  • Level-5
  • Activision Publishing
  • Marvelous
  • Arc System Works
  • Maximum Games
  • Atlus
  • Nippon Ichi Software
  • Audiokinetic
  • Parity Bit
  • Autodesk
  • PlatinumGames
  • Bandai Namco
  • RAD Game Tools
  • Bethesda
  • RecoChoku
  • Capcom
  • Sega
  • Codemasters
  • Silicon Studio Corporation
  • CRI Middleware
  • Spike Chunsoft
  • DeNA
  • Square Enix
  • Electronic Arts
  • Starbreeze Studios
  • Epic Games
  • Take-Two Interactive Software
  • Firelight Technologies
  • Telltale Games
  • FromSoftware
  • THQ Nordic
  • Frozenbyte
  • Tokyo RPG Factory
  • GameTrust
  • TT Games
  • Grasshopper Manufacture
  • Ubisoft
  • Gungho Online Entertainment
  • Ubitus
  • Hamster Corporation
  • Unity Technologies
  • Havok
  • Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
  • Inti Creates
  • Web Technology Corp
  • Koei Tecmo
  • Konami Digital Entertainment

As rumored prior to the official unveiling, the Switch is a home console and handheld hybrid. Players will be able to detach the analogue stick and face button parts of the Switch controller then attach them to a tablet-like device that is removed from the base unit. This allows games to be played on the go. The Switch will use cartridges instead of discs.

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It appears to be confirmed that the Switch will be run on a newer version of the Tegra chip from NVidia that’s built to run on their new Pascal technology that powers the Geforce 10 cards. Digital Foundry said back in the summer that those chips outperform the last gen, but may fall just short of PS4/XB1 capabilities. Now, whether any of that has changed since summer and the Geforce 10 cards have come out remains to be seen, but they have confirmed the latest Tegra will be powering this console/handheld hybrid.

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Never even heard of SHIELD until I read this article

Nintendo has revealed its new console, the Switch (which was codenamed the NX prior to its public debut). The thing that makes Switch different from any other console out there by a major game maker is its ability to quickly transition from home console to portable, thanks to a tablet format for the primary gaming hardware, and modular a modular ‘Joy-Con’ controller design.

Is the Switch a viable product? Well we won’t get the full picture until closer to its release in March 2017, but early signs are good – there seems to be plenty of interest in press covering the unveiling, and in social media response from fans. The Switch also has some predecessors we can look at for signs of what it might be like to use one, and gain those provide lots of reason to take heart.

The Switch uses a custom-designed Nvidia Tegra processor, which is the same powerful mobile processor that the company has used to power its own SHIELD line of mobile gaming hardware. SHIELD devices have always used Android as their OS, and have focused on game experiences that are either mobile-first or PC (and some console) ports to mobile platforms, but the idea of a device that’s just as comfortable at home or on the go is shared between the SHIELD lineup and the Switch.

Nvidia has done the hard work of learning a lot of lessons about what gamers want in a hybrid home/away gaming device, and the SHIELD lineup’s various permutations reflect that, including the original SHIELD portable, which is essentially an Android phone (without cellular capability) grafted onto a hardware controller, the SHIELD tablet, which is closest in concept to the Switch, and the SHIELD set-top box, which remains Android TV’s standout star.

All through the course of its evolution, SHIELD has been well-executed and delivered on the promise of a device that can fill in the mobile gaps for PC and more core console gamers looking for an on-the-go experience. And now, the Nintendo Switch looks poised to take lessons learned from those more niche successes and bring them to a larger audience.

The Switch’s seamless living room/portable transition looks like the next logical step for what SHIELD was trying to accomplish, and the Tegra tech behind the console also looks like it will better be able to achieve true console-level gaming play instead of an upscaled mobile experience. Plus, Nintendo will have a huge advantage over Nvidia’s own hardware thanks to its ecosystem and experience building top-to-bottom user experiences that are focused on gaming specifically throughout the OS.

To be clear, the relationship here seems like a pretty straightforward supplier/supplied arrangement between Nvidia and Nintendo – but SHIELD has always felt like a promise of something greater, and Nintendo’s substantiation of the hybrid mobile gaming vision could be exactly that.

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Yeah, I’ve seen a few comparisons on the NeoGAF thread, but held off on it myself until it was known if the screen is a touch screen or not.

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I don’t think it is otherwise I would think the demo video would of shown a sign of that. But I hope it is if it allows for other tools. I have a lot of questions for this system.
One thing I believe right now is I could enjoy it for some good single player experience mostly.

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I don’t think they meant it’s a Shield necessarily, but that it’s the next step for that type of system since it has the next gen GPU that the Shield is built around.

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The problems besides low horse power for Wii and Wii U (as well as poor online services) is game developers had to change some things just to be compatible with the hardware. They couldn’t just straight port things over.
If the Switch stays to what we see in video, very similar in style to XBox and PS4, than I hope it’ll get more 3rd party support as well.

Does it really need all the bells and whistles to be a good game console?

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Probably not, but it does need 3rd party support. And if this console is way different to program on than the others, they’ll bail like they did on the WiiU.

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I dont know about a tegra chip being a selling point. I know The shield had a tegra chip but didnt you also have to actively stream the game on a PC that could run it first

My Nexus 7 had a tegra 3 and it wasnt that great on its own

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But usually with Nintendo’s main hardware/software I would say it’s quality. They usually really good about making sure things work properly which I can’t say the same for Microsoft and Sony. The only area I’ve seen Nintendo products not do well are online services. I don’t know about Wii U but the Wii’s online features were horrible.

I like how in that video he made it sound like Nintendo would be able to compete with Microsoft and Sony. I very much doubt Nintendo can touch those companies useless they make some big strides in certain areas.

I’m also afraid cartridge can hurt 3rd party support, depending on the cost of the cartridges. That hurt Nintendo on the N64 because discs were cheap compared to catridge back then.

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The Tegra X1 shown last year ran Doom 3 BFG Edition at 1080p at a solid 60 fps. The Switch is supposedly an upgraded version of the X1, so it may be able to meet or at least be close to the launch versions of PS4 and XB1. I doubt it will be close to the 4K editions.

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I’m always down for some Zelda

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