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Businesses Nintendo Hardware Technology

Nintendo Plans New Version of Switch Next Year (wsj.com) 98

Posted by BeauHD from the new-and-improved dept.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Nintendo is planning to release a new version of its Switch gaming console next year (Warning: source may be paywalled; alternative source) "to maintain the sales momentum of the device," which is "no longer delivering the favorable surprises that marked the machine's first year on the market." From the report: Nintendo is still debating what new hardware and software features to include in the upgrade and weighing the cost of the features, people with knowledge of the discussions said. One option is improving the display, they said. The current Switch uses a lower-end liquid-crystal display without some technologies that are standard in more recent smartphone LCDs. Updating the display with these technologies would make it brighter, thinner and more energy-efficient. The updated Switch isn't expected to adopt the organic light-emitting diode or OLED panels used in Apple's iPhone X series. Nintendo is looking to release the new Switch in the latter half of 2019, perhaps as soon as summer, the people said. [...] The upgraded Switch would likely share many features with the current version and be compatible with existing Switch game software.
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Nintendo Plans New Version of Switch Next Year More

Nintendo Plans New Version of Switch Next Year

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  • Portable Docked Mode (Score:4, Interesting)

    by mentil ( 1748130 ) on Thursday October 04, 2018 @04:51AM (#57423196)

    I'm betting this'll use 7nm chips, and Nintendo is mulling whether they should just improve the battery life, or improve the performance. Right now, when in portable mode, the SoC is underclocked in order to improve battery life, but it renders at 720p (for the 720p screen) and framerate is noticeably worse in many games (Doom and Xenoblade at least). It'd be tempting to have it run at the docked clock speed while in portable mode, slap a 1080p screen on there, and give owners the same experience in docked and portable mode.
    It's also worth noting that a new Switch revision is expected to fix the hardware bugs responsible for it being hacked, so there is that.

    I'm still wondering where the 3rd party games are, considering how well the systems have sold. Hope it didn't Vita itself with high development costs.

    • I only use the Switch undocked when I travel so the better battery life will benifit me better. But I know what you mean about Xenoblade.

      • Maybe they should have an option. Play at 1080p at full speed when battery life isn't an issue, such as commuting to work, or have the device run the game at 720p with an underclocked processor for when you may be away from an outlet for a longer period of time.

    • p>I'm still wondering where the 3rd party games are, considering how well the systems have sold. Hope it didn't Vita itself with high development costs.

      I wonder how much of it is 3rd parties just being burned too many times in the past? On the other hand... the console is filled with indy titles that all seem to be reporting better sales than all other platforms (and in some cases, more than all others combined).

      Also... No big surprise about a new version of the console/handheld.

    • Re:Portable Docked Mode (Score:4, Interesting)

      by markdavis ( 642305 ) on Thursday October 04, 2018 @07:42AM (#57423604)

      >"It'd be tempting to have it run at the docked clock speed while in portable mode"

      There is an easy solution to that. Give the user a CHOICE. I know, it isn't fashionable to let users decide. But a single setting option would allow the user to pick do they want higher performance or longer battery life. Cost $0.

      My wish? A non-portable Switch version. There are people who have no interest in portable or having a screen and just want a console to play at home on the big screen who would be tempted to buy if it were much cheaper. Add a non-portable version to the lineup at half the price (no dock, no screen, no batteries, no charging circuits, no space limitations, etc).

      • I would certainly buy a non-portable Switch at half the price.

        • How well does the switch work if the screen is smashed? I'm starting to wonder if I should go shopping to find somebody who smashed the screen and wants to unload the device for cheap. Assuming you could still us it docked, it might be a decent idea. Maybe refurbishers could find a way to make case and repack the broken Switch units into something affordable.

      • >"It'd be tempting to have it run at the docked clock speed while in portable mode"

        There is an easy solution to that. Give the user a CHOICE. I know, it isn't fashionable to let users decide. But a single setting option would allow the user to pick do they want higher performance or longer battery life. Cost $0.

        Unfortunately it is neither simple nor free. Batteries are limited in how much current they can deliver. If you overdraw the battery will exhaust in a almost exponential fashion and you even risk a system crash if the battery can't deliver. That's why Apple was throttling it's phones with spent batteries.

    • Right now, when in portable mode, the SoC is underclocked in order to improve battery life, but it renders at 720p (for the 720p screen) and framerate is noticeably worse in many games (Doom and Xenoblade at least).

      That is not universal and highly dependent on the game. Specifically the new release of Cities Skylines quickly becomes unplayable while docked, but actually performs okay in portable mode thanks to the reduced graphics requirements.

    • > I'm still wondering where the 3rd party games are

      You mean these? Here's just the list for the next couple of months of releases (with the 1st party games removed by me):
      https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-10-04-nintendo-switch-games-list-2018-release-dates

      October 2018:
      Mega Man 11 (Capcom, October 2nd)
      Child of Light (Ubisoft, October 11th)
      Darkest Dungeon: The Color of Madness DLC (Red Hook Studios, October 11th)
      The Missing (Swery + White Owls, October 11th)
      The Swindle (Size Five Games, October 11th

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by mentil ( 1748130 )

        Almost all of those are indie games, and/or ports of older games. I meant exclusive titles. The Vita also has plenty of indie game ports.

    • Hope it didn't Vita itself with high development costs.

      Reports are that Switch Dev Kits are $500 or less [digitaltrends.com]. This is why there's so many indie games on it, like Axiom Verge or Celeste. A bunch of AAA devs took a wait-and-see attitude and when sales took off they started working on Switch games. Meanwhile the indies could afford $500 dev kits and got their less complicated games running on it quickly.

  • Just bought one! (Score:3)

    by Andy Smith ( 55346 ) on Thursday October 04, 2018 @05:10AM (#57423230)

    This is the tiniest bit annoying because Iâ(TM)ve only just bought a Switch a few months ago. At the time every forecast was saying at least 2020 before the next iteration. But do I mind? No, not really. The entertainment value Iâ(TM)ve had from the Switch has been superb, and Iâ(TM)ll probably buy the new one as soon as it comes out.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Calydor ( 739835 )

      Is there really any difference if this new version comes out in time for Christmas sales of 2019 or early in 2020? You get to use the one you have until then instead of just sitting there, forever waiting for the FINAL console that is better than any other ever, past or future.

  • It's to curb piracy (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    The current Switches are all unpatchable due to Nvidia's Tegra. The only way to fix that hw-level vulnerability is new hw.

    • Re: It's to curb piracy (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Ding ding ding!

    • Which they're already doing. Switch production has already been adjusted to eliminate the flaw using the iPatch system.

      https://arstechnica.com/gaming... [arstechnica.com]

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by xack ( 5304745 )
      Nintendo will probably make a "must have" game require the "new" switch eventually.
    • Comment removed based on user account deletion

      • We have a Switch, and I think it's great. But in my family (sample size of one) this is my observation: The kids only use the Switch when they have friends over and want to play the multiplayer games. They'd rather play on their tablets or their Chromebooks. In my 9-year-old's case, he likes Minecraft and will play it on the Switch, but he's much happier with the full Java version that he plays on the Linux partition of his Chromebook.

        I think Nintendo has the unfortunate position of being the "for kids" con

  • 1. real bluetooth headset support
    2. secondary USB on top so it can charge while playing on the kickstand
    3. Cellular Network support (yes, a SIM card, either physical or eSIM)
    4. Last but not least, better materials on the tablet section casing
    5. More brightness on the screen. It doesn't need to be better or worse, or have more pixels, or be OLED. All it needs is a bit of more backlight

    • I'd very strongly be in support of #2. As far as headset... I'd like the option of using a wired one. Rather not have delay on the audio like most Bluetooth still seems to deal with somewhat.

      Would also like for them to offer a better / portable dock. I'd rather not unhook mine to take it to visit and play with family. Also it would be nice to have a smaller one to toss into for TV play when traveling.

      • Well, unless they really REALLY cheaped out on the first Switch, I'm sure they used a combo stereo+microphone mini jack on the switch, and they could very well solve the wired mic comms situation with a software update. But I might be wrong.

        Bluetooth latency is almost guaranteed when the device is already using BT for 2+ controllers, using battery and likely connected to a 2.4Ghz WiFi. This is a problem not even laptops and smartphones got to solve with a single BT device connected, and will be hard to fix.

  • I didn't know Nintendo was still a thing?

  • Bye, Nintendo! (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    Once I thought you, Nintendo, were a fun company. Had hours of fun with the Wii; Wii Sports helped me get back on my feet once.

    Then you started blocking Homebrew, and I learned of all the other things you were doing and had done.

    I want to own my hardware. I may not actually install Homebrew, and I'm not into pirating. But if I can't hack into my computer, it isn't my computer.

    Sorry, Nintendo, thanks for the time, and good riddance.

    • But if I can't hack into my computer, it isn't my computer.

      Sorry, Nintendo, thanks for the time, and good riddance.

      Welcome to PC. You'll come to enjoy being your own master.

      Wanna race?

  • Just more games would be nice. Having played a lot of the stuff on Wii U already and many of the third party games on PS4 months or even years before they show up on Switch, I just want more original content.

  • Comment removed based on user account deletion

    • Not sure what kind of drugs you're doing, but by the time PS1 came out 3dfx and Nvidia Riva TNT were out and high end PC's like mine could smoke the blocky 3D of the PS1 along with it's long load times from the CD

      • Not just that but the PS1's resolution is poop, it's got no pixels. Even the least of PC 3d cards (NEC PowerVR) could do more polys than a PS1 at VGA resolution.

      • The PS 1 came out at the end of 1994. The original playstation cost $300. At that point in time you would spend more just buying a soundblaster and CD-ROM than you would on a PlayStation. Add in the cost of a 3D video card, and you are looking at a high price to play video games. A computer capable of playing games at the playstation level would easily cost over $2000.

      • Comment removed based on user account deletion

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by ledow ( 319597 )

      I haven't owned a console from-new since I was a child. The last one I actually ever had was the original Wii.

      It's always been PC precisely because of the reasons you state AND that a PC can emulate all my old games perfectly well, thanks.

      And not just that, but a PC can do everything else. One machine for entertainment, games, work, remote-working, travelling on a plane, etc.

      Steam is the "console experience" of the modern age.

      I'll give you some exceptions, though:

      - XBox wireless controllers. Best thing f

    • Nothing suggests any new games will require the newer Switch to work. It would be suicide for them to do so. That hasn't happened either with the refreshes of the PS4 or the Xbox: AFAIK all games work in the older model of each console (obviously with worse performance). So your point about supporting AAA games for a shorter time seems not to be true.
      Yes, the current generation consoles have an standard architecture and their hardware isn't as special as it used to be in older consoles but they're still ea

  • According to The Wall Street Journal, Nintendo is planning to release a new version of its Switch gaming console next year (Warning: source may be paywalled).

    It's the WSJ. ALWAYS assume it's paywalled. In fact, never link to those fucking assholes again.

  • How about some new games that aren't Pokemon? I love my Switch, but Nintendo really seems to have shot their wad in year one. I don't see anything of the quality of Zelda, Mario Odyssey, Mario Kart 8 or even Arms coming anytime soon. I'm not impressed with the post launch release of ports of Doom, Skyrim and LA Noire. All games I loved on PC, but $50 for an older game? They are regularly in the bargain bin on Steam.

    It's really disappointing to hear them talking about hardware refreshes.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Xenoblade 2, Dead Cells, Octopath Traveler...

  • It would be nice if they allowed the system to update the cartridges with the DLC and updates and our save states in the next switch or even this current one. Maybe the v2 switch can be more like a hub that can stream games to any tv in the house. No more docking and undocking or fighting over the tv with the kids. They can just play in their respective rooms. You can have local and internet based multiplayer on separate TVs without having to have a dedicated console for each TV.

  • The Switch's sales have been steady since the holiday surge ended... and it's basically tied with the PS4 for first place in global sales. I'm not seeing the problem here.

  • Support for Bluetooth Headphones seems like a no-brainer for a portable gaming device. Couldn't believe the current one doesn't support this.
  • Thanks for the preface warning of what could be a completely fabricated story.

  • I'd like a cheaper, simpler switch that doesn't have a screen or a battery and comes with normal controllers. My kids like Nintendo games, but our Wii U has largely been a bust because of all its wacky controllers and options and gimmicks.

    • You could get a Raspberry Pi 3 and some USB controllers, I like iBuffalo's clone of the Super Famicom gamepad it's the right balance between cheap and reasonably good feel. If you and your kids absolutely have to play Nintendo-brand games, an RPi can illegally run NES and SNES games nicely.

      I kind of wish the huge library of crappy games on the Ouya could have been brought over to the RPi somehow. Razer Inc. bought the console company and did nothing with it, the legal rights and infrastructure are just sitt

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