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[hohoXD123]

Thanks to casey_contra

From Nintendo themselves:

"The main function of the Nintendo Switch Dock is to provide an output to the TV, as well as charging and providing power to the system."


Source: http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/10...nintendo-switch-clarifies-additional-features

Maybe a non-junior wants to create a new thread? Or is this not worthy?

Nintendo continued: "The dock is not the main console unit of Nintendo Switch. The main unit of Nintendo Switch is the unit that has the LCD screen, which the two Joy-Con controllers can be attached to and detached from. The main function of the Nintendo Switch Dock is to provide an output to the TV, as well as charging and providing power to the system."

 

[ASIS]

Well I, for one, am shocked.

 

[The Omega Man]

So no extra juice like many speculated.

 

[Reckheim]

So how powerful is this thing then? This would mean everything would be inside the handheld it self.

 

[Dynamite Shikoku]

What else did people think it was for?

 

[chrisPjelly]

Huh... so no internal HDD?

 

[goldenpp72]

So the dock should really not add any cost to the product, it just has a couple USB ports and an hdmi out, right?

 

[Somnid]

"The main purpose of the dock is for docking the system"

 

[Hoo-doo]

http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/10...nintendo-switch-clarifies-additional-features

The Nintendo Switch home gaming system will "absolutely" support amiibo for compatible Nintendo Switch games, Nintendo has confirmed to IGN.

"If a Nintendo Switch game supports amiibo then the Nintendo Switch home gaming system will as well," a Nintendo representative told IGN.

Nintendo also clarified a couple more features of its newly unveiled Nintendo Switch console, including the function of the Nintendo Switch Dock seen in its announcement trailer, which you can watch below.

"The Nintendo Switch Dock has been created so that it is extremely easy to seamlessly switch from playing games on a TV to transition into a portable mode," a Nintendo representative told IGN.


Nintendo continued: "The dock is not the main console unit of Nintendo Switch. The main unit of Nintendo Switch is the unit that has the LCD screen, which the two Joy-Con controllers can be attached to and detached from. The main function of the Nintendo Switch Dock is to provide an output to the TV, as well as charging and providing power to the system."

According to Nintendo, the Joy-Con controllers — named Joy-Con L and Joy-Con R — will be included alongside the Nintendo Switch system.

When asked if the Nintendo Switch will have touchscreen support, Nintendo declined to comment.

"We will make additional announcements about the Nintendo Switch hardware later, before the launch of the product," Nintendo told IGN.

Thanks to casey_contra

 

[casey_contra]

I guess now the discussion becomes around what "providing power" actually means

 

[Dark Cloud]

Yeah just like I said. It's just doing the basics and nothing extra.

 

[Abilidebob]

Wait, then why the games looked to run worse while portable and better while plugged in?

 

[Jeremy]

What else did people think it was for?

That it would take advantage of internal hardware to push out a better resolution or framerate. Seemed to be the general consensus.

 

[Bitch Pudding]

So, no additonal beef.

Hope they can speed up clocks of the main console if it's plugged in.

 

[EatinOlives]

What else did people think it was for?

I'd expect enough power to push resolution to 1080p, since I'm assuming there's no chance that the handheld is gonna output at that resolution.

 

[N° 2048]

Why does this have it's own thread?

 

[OmegaSmash]

That is kind of worrying.

 

[Eolz]

No shit. I doubt SCD is possible until a few years.

 

[LordKano]

Yep, nothing that hasn't been know already thanks to the leaks.

 

[James Scott]

I guess they just want to focus on the switching concept for now and not muddy the waters with motion and touch controls.

 

[killercow]

Wait, then why the games looked to run worse while portable and better while plugged in?

Difference in heat/power draw means that the clock of the CPU/GPU should be lowered in "Tablet" mode.

 

[Soren01]

Provide TV output is very vague.

 

[Dekuboy]

Well I don´t like the "charging up"-part. Constantly beeing charged up is not good for the battery afaik

 

[calc84maniac]

Wait, then why the games looked to run worse while portable and better while plugged in?

Because then the device can use more (electrical) power and active cooling.

 

[Timeaisis]

as well as charging and providing power to the system.

And now we get to analyze this line for months.


Sounds like they lower the CPU speed in portable mode, which makes sense. So ostensibly, yes, better performance when plugged in.

 

[SinCityAssassin]

Wait, then why the games looked to run worse while portable and better while plugged in?

Seems it's all very scalable from what nvidia said.

 

[Josh378]

would loved it if they installed a 2nd GPU onto the docking station to have performance at least on Xbox one's level....

 

[ekim]

I just hope I can charge the device with a cable while using it in handheld mode. (In bed)

 

[casey_contra]

Well I, for one, am docked.

Fixed

 

[OCD Guy]

So no extra juice like many speculated.

So how powerful is this thing then? This would mean everything would be inside the handheld it self.

I'm shocked that people thought it would be any different. I've been saying the same thing over and over in the main thread with people disagreeing with me and wanting the dock sold seperatlely because they didn't want to use the portable element.

Any difference in performance between playing on the go or docked would be down to the Nvidia SOC downclocking while in portable mode to improve battery life.

 

[Plinko]

This thing is going to be under $200. I can feel it.

 

[dark10x]

Wait, then why the games looked to run worse while portable and better while plugged in?

That would be simple - on the go, they have to be more conservative with power usage to avoid draining the battery.

That said, ALL of the footage in the video was overlaid onto the filmed footage. There did not actually show the unit running games - just footage of games being run mapped onto the filmed video.

 

[dan2026]

Tablet and tv, same resolution?

That is gonna be weird.

 

[Mifune]

So it really isn't a home gaming console "first and foremost," is it?

 

[BlackJet]

If the portable part is basically the entire console then no HDD and extras in the dock should make this relatively cheap, no?

 

[dampflokfreund]

Hold on a moment. That doesn't exclude extra power.

Infact, it even states the dock is for power supply, which means the system still can be overclocked in docked mode. If Pascal indeed is the architecture its pretty easy to overclock the handheld base for a 720p to 1080p jump.

 

[Schnozberry]

I'd assume the handheld unit wouldn't be limited by battery life in that configuration, so it could run at top wattage while docked.

 

[Dash_Riprock]

People didn't seriously think it would give a performance boost did they?

 

[MADGAME]

On the one hand that is good news in the sense that extras to plug in to various tv's around your house or other places should be relatively cheap. Bad news that there is no extra power sauce while connected to the dock.

Specs and price point needed badly.

 

[LordKano]

Tablet and tv, same resolution?

That is gonna be weird.

This isn't what it means.

 

[Nibel]

I wonder if they'll release different docks later on; it seems to be a very modular system

 

[TunaLover]

I guess now the discussion becomes around what "providing power" actually means

Yeah, it sounds redudant to say "charging and providing power".

 

[Jeremy]

Why does this have it's own thread?

You're probably one of two posters who've said "wait everyone didn't know this?!?!?!?!?!?!?!" so far so I'd take that it's for people who had speculated it would provide additional power, in whatever form that may be, to discuss that it's just a charging dock.

 

[Abilidebob]

Difference in heat/power draw means that the clock of the CPU/GPU should be lowered in "Tablet" mode.

Because then the device can use more (electrical) power and active cooling.

Seems it's all very scalable from what nvidia said.

That would be simple - on the go, they have to be more conservative with power usage to avoid draining the battery.

That said, ALL of the footage in the video was overlaid onto the filmed footage. There did not actually show the unit running games - just footage of games being run mapped onto the filmed video.

So it pretty much is a overclock mode then?

 

[spekkeh]

Okay but, still not clear whether it adds extra power for the TV out.

I don't agree that it allows for easy switching by the way. My main real gripe with the design is with the dock. Where do I leave it? In my cupboard? That sucks ass for switching. Next to the TV? Looks ugly and might as well ask my kids to destroy it right away.

A dongle would have allowed for easy switching. A dock? Nuh uh.

 

[dan2026]

Nintendo's messaging is awful on all of this.

They are so vague.

 

[Tratorn]

Why does this have it's own thread?

Becaue it is new news? Why shouldn't it?

@Topic:

Yea, pretty sure this thing will be priced like a HH. That's at least a good thing with this concept.

 

[Schnozberry]

Hold on a moment. That doesn't exclude extra power.

Infact, it even states the dock is for power supply, which means the system still can be overclocked in docked mode. If Pascal indeed is the architecture its pretty easy to overclock the handheld base for a 720p to 1080p jump.

I doubt it will result in a resolution change. It might mean framerate increases though if the clocks go up. Designing a 720p UI and a 1080p UI for every game would be a pain in the ass.

 

[N° 2048]

So it pretty much is a overclock mode then?

Overclock means you're going over the set limit. I think it underclocks during portable mode and then goes back to normal clock once docked.

 

[GhostTrick]

That would be simple - on the go, they have to be more conservative with power usage to avoid draining the battery.

That said, ALL of the footage in the video was overlaid onto the filmed footage. There did not actually show the unit running games - just footage of games being run mapped onto the filmed video.

Basically what some people kept saying. The dock won't make it run faster, it's just that the handheld mode might be a slower mode. Basically, dock mode is the regular speed mode.