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[Matt]

About those cards...Good luck getting PS4/XB1 sized games on them.

Infinite Warfare is 44.6 GB on PlayStation 4, while Modern Warfare Remastered is 37.2 GB.
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-infinite-warfare-ps4-xbox-one-and-pc-/1100-6444970/
​

If the Switch gets ports of the other console games, they would have to be massively scaled back just to fit on the physical media. Once again, that would be understandable for a mobile device, but for a console it is laughable.

Oh, and what about digital delivery, yet another expected feature of a modern home console. Either the Switch won't have it and fail yet again in the head-to-head console feature battle, or the storage limitation issue is still there as large as ever.

I just talked about this issue on the last page.

Of course the system will have digital games.

 

[orioto]

If the Switch is a home console, then why are people crying foul when others bring up the fact that the Switch has horrible storage space compared to the XB1 and PS4? Then it is 'obviously' not a console so can't be compared. For example...

You can't have it both ways. Either it is a console or it isn't. If you insist on treating it as a console, then the Switch has to put on the big boy pants and compete with its other console competitors. It obviously fails at that task which is why I call the Switch a mobile device and not a console.

You're right except Nintendo doesn't get that it seems, or they rather think it gives it more value to be seen as a home console, which can also be seen the complete other way (to me it has more value as a portable cause it's an impressive portable, not an impressive home console)

 

[Panajev2001a]

What?

I never claimed it wasn't a console. I said the systems is designed in such a way as to make a hard drive an impossible addition. You are the one that added that additional meaning to it.

And you can have as much storage with the system as you want, I'm not claiming system storage is irrelevant.

The Switch is a home console. It's also a portable. It's a hybrid. Why does that seem to bother you so much?

Maybe the idea that tech is still not yet at the point where you can make a product fully hitting all the right notes for each category? Nintendo does not historically go for high prices or low profit margins... is semiconductor design and manufacturing at the point where a Nintendo designed hybrid can please home console owners and portable ones too?

 

[Peru]

I personally hope the Switch is at least remotely similar to Xbox one in specs but even that seems like a pipe dream.

It's not a pipe dream, it's likely, but that doesn't mean all the xbone games will come to it. Most gamers own another console or a pc they can play shooters on. The Nintendo consoles offer something different.

 

[LordRaptor]

You can play games on PS4 while the disc is installing it to the hard drive.

There's a missing asterisk and list of small text qualifiers to that statement

About those cards...Good luck getting PS4/XB1 sized games on them.

So if it can your "concern" that no true scotsman console doesn't have a SATA HDD inside is clear?

 

[EventHorizon]

So I guess you don't consider Wii or WiiU proper consoles then.
Because clearly it's storage space (storage that is there to overcome the limitations of the optical drive, and to allow publishers to release unfinished/buggy games) that defines what is and what isn't a console.

GAF never ever ceases to amaze me.

Oh so you accept that the Switch will get just as much third party support as the Wii and Wii U did. You just can't get away from the fact that if you want the Switch to be viewed as a modern console, then it fails miserably.

The Switch isn't being compared to the PS3 or 360. It is being compared to the XB1 and PS4. As a 7th generation console the Switch would be an awesome device. Unfortunately for it, time has moved on and so has the typical console feature list.

 

[Amaducias]

I just talked about this issue on the last page.

Of course the system will have digital games.

While I certainly agree that the system will have digital games, I can't help but wonder what happens if you want to go full digital with the switch? I can't imagine a game like for example Final Fantasy XV fitting on most sd cards, I'm guessing you'll fill more than 32Gb with just that one game, no?

 

[Matt]

Maybe the idea that tech is still not yet at the point where you can make a product fully hitting all the right notes for each category? Nintendo does not historically go for high prices or low profit margins... is manufacturing technology at the point where a Nintendo designed hybrid can please home console owners and portable ones too?

Yeah, it seems like they can. If they will remains to be seen.

But once again it really comes down to the fact that the Switch is a console, it is a handheld, but most of all it is a hybrid. It is a device designed at every level to be something new, informed both by its portable nature and its console lineage.

I think a good parallel could be to the iPad. It's not a cell phone, it's not a computer, and it was (and still is) accused of being "just" a big iPhone. But I think it's safe to say the iPad has proven its value to millions of people as a unique and valuable product.

Hopefully the same will happen with Switch.

 

[Matt]

Oh so you accept that the Switch will get just as much third party support as the Wii and Wii U did. You just can't get away from the fact that if you want the Switch to be viewed as a modern console, then it fails miserably.

The Switch isn't being compared to the PS3 or 360. It is being compared to the XB1 and PS4. As a 7th generation console the Switch would be an awesome device. Unfortunately for it, time has moved on and so has the typical console feature list.

When did that poster say anything at all about third parties!?

It really does seem like you are just trying to disrupt proper discussion by putting words in peoples' mouths and being generally argumentative.

 

[shark sandwich]

You are kidding yourself if you think Switch will have as many cores clocked as high or higher than what Xbox One and PS4 use... aka compare per clock performance of a single core does not tell you the full picture, but then again this line of thinking may ruin the fun of comparing the current consoles to souped up microwaves in terms of CPU power... or to forget that with the silicon and power budget both consoles have, having much more powerful CPU's was not possible without sacrificing GPU resources and making the system a lot less balanced.

Expect the performance ratio in Scorpio and PS5 to be even more leaning on the GPU's side (GPU's performance will keep increasing at a faster rate than CPU's performance in each console iteration for a while).

If the leaked specs are right (4x A57 @ 2Ghz), Switch already beats X1/PS4 in single-threaded performance. And those specs are pretty conservative. A57 was the top-of-the-line smartphone CPU in 2014 (not counting Apple, whose custom CPUs are in a league of their own). Yeah it might not have 8 cores, but I don't expect this to be a bottleneck. 4 faster cores beats 8 slower ones in most applications.

And yes, I am well aware that Jaguar was chosen because it's small and cheap. But I think it's too early to conclude that the balance will shift even more to the GPU side next-gen. GPUs have been advancing at an astounding rate but so have mobile CPUs.

 

[Matt]

While I certainly agree that the system will have digital games, I can't help but wonder what happens if you want to go full digital with the switch? I can't imagine a game like for example Final Fantasy XV fitting on most sd cards, I'm guessing you'll fill more than 32Gb with just that one game, no?

File sizes will be generally smaller than some of the insane sizes you see on console games now, and you can get very large SD cards.

 

[EventHorizon]

So if it can your "concern" that no true scotsman console doesn't have a SATA HDD inside is clear?

Nice try. All it means is that compared to the typical modern console, the Switch comes up short. Once again, you all are the ones trying to say the Switch is as much a console as the XB1 and PS4. Well fine then. I'm comparing the features point for point like I would for any other console. As a console, the Switch has poor storage space...period. It's funny how you all want to treat the Switch as a console right up until the point where we start examining the specs of the Switch as a console.

Btw, I have no trouble calling the Switch a console. I'm pointing out that it would be a horrible console so it probably should stick with calling itself a mobile device only. But hey, if you want to insist it's a horrible console...go right ahead.

 

[Wolfgang Jr]

Nice try. All it means is that compared to the typical modern console, the Switch comes up short. Once again, you all are the ones trying to say the Switch is as much a console as the XB1 and PS4. Well fine then. I'm comparing the features point for point like I would for any other console. As a console, the Switch has poor storage space...period. It's funny how you all want to treat the Switch as a console right up until the point where we start examining the specs of the Switch as a console.

Btw, I have no trouble calling the Switch a console. I'm pointing out that it would be a horrible console so it probably should stick with calling itself a mobile device only. But hey, if you want to insist it's a horrible console...go right ahead.

I see what you're saying. Nintendo Switch 32GB box sitting next to PS4 1TB box on the shelf. Plebs are going to assume the PS4 is better because of geebees. This has happened for years now; and will continue to. Nintendo just has to make it known that you don't have to waste 50+ GB on Mandatory Installs & Day 1 patches every time you buy a game.

Yes, because those machines require mandatory installs of data because they are not designed to read data from their game storage medium fast enough.

You are saying that not needing mandatory installs is a failure.
That consoles should have mandatory installs before being able to play a game.

Nintendo just has to have the balls to do a 'Instant Play VS 'other consoles' Mandatory Installs ad'.

 

[The Last One]

If the Switch is a home console, then why are people crying foul when others bring up the fact that the Switch has horrible storage space compared to the XB1 and PS4? Then it is 'obviously' not a console so can't be compared. For example...

​

You can't have it both ways. Either it is a console or it isn't. If you insist on treating it as a console, then the Switch has to put on the big boy pants and compete with its other console competitors. It obviously fails at that task which is why I call the Switch a mobile device and not a console.

This is the most binary/Limited/simplistic/poor/lazy market vision someone can ever have.

And this is so frequent from people of this industry... It's really a shame

 

[EventHorizon]

When did that poster say anything at all about third parties!?

It really does seem like you are just trying to disrupt proper discussion by putting words in peoples' mouths and being generally argumentative.

Ok, so the Switch won't...

• get third party support. Check.
• be able to deliver the same quality of games as the XB1 and PS4 due to its media size restriction. Check.

That confirms my assertion that the Switch makes a horrible modern console.

This is the most binary/Limited/simplistic/poor/lazy market vision someone can ever have.

And this is so frequent from people of this industry... It's really a shame

Hey I'm the one saying the Switch isn't a console. You should be arguing with the people trying to say it is. They are the ones trying to force the Switch into a category where it doesn't fit.

 

[protomouse]

If the Switch is a home console, then why are people crying foul when others bring up the fact that the Switch has horrible storage space compared to the XB1 and PS4? Then it is 'obviously' not a console so can't be compared. For example...

None of these posts are "crying foul". They're saying that it is not feasible for the Switch to include 500GB of internal storage due to cost. The kind of internal storage that the Switch will need is orders of magnitude more expensive than a laptop hard drive.

Nintendo could at any point add support for external hard drives to the dock. The hardware is there. It will degrade the hybrid experience, but at the same time accommodate those who only want to use it as a 100% digital home console.

 

[Matt]

Ok, so the Switch won't...

• get third party support. Check.
• be able to deliver the same quality of games as the XB1 and PS4 due to its media size restriction. Check.

That confirms my assertion that the Switch makes a horrible modern console.

...WHAT!?

Where did I say either of those things!?

OK, I'm done talking to you.

 

[ViewtifulJC]

It's a console that not as good as the other consoles and a handheld that isn't even that portable


Best of both worlds tbh

 

[frankie_baby]

The system storage amount wont be considered a problem by the public at large, people have been buying smart phones long enough to understand the difference between hard drives and flash storage

 

[Malakai]

So you seriously believe companies out there could be making many millions on Nintendo hardware, but they don't because they aren't friends with Nintendo?

Give me a break, it is Nintendos job to make a platform that can handle third party parity IF that is something they want. If Nintendo wants The Witcher, Battlefield, COD, etc, they need to create a system that can easily receive them so that the cost of doing business can't outweigh the gains. Even if the sales were only 500k or something, it would likely be enough to justify a port if the effort wasn't ridiculous. Ubisoft also suffered on Wii U despite being a devoted partner. Nintendo has two challenges to overcome with their business if this is in any way a priority thing for them. The first is being able to make a system that can rival the others while being in a lower price bracket (which is unfair, but that's the perception people have now, you can see it on this very forum, switch is over 200? LOL WHAT?)

They also need to create a better image for themselves, Nintendo has a less cool image in comparison to companies like MS, Sony or Apple in regards to this stuff, no one immediately thinks of Nintendo when thinking of a platform option for COD, they just default right to Xbox, PS or PC in most instances. Nintendo could address this by creating a slick, reasonably powerful device for a fair price while courting all the third parties they can to support it, but it would take years to change their perception. I do believe during the Wii/DS era, Nintendos brand became a very powerful one, and had the specs on the Wii been 360 level, it's very likely the system would have got ALL the support those systems had gotten due to how much lightning they captured, unfortunately that's all hindsight and Nintendo basically destroyed all their goodwill gains with a system people don't even know exist.

The switch may just be all that, the hardware looks great, but we still don't know the insides yet or how extensive of an effort Nintendo has gone to ensure they get third party support. As far as I know we only can assume Japanese support, a Basketball game and a port of a game that is many years old, it's not the most inspiring outlook when companies that support everything, aren't sure if they will support the platform.

I think Nintendo has an amazing opening here to be able to give reasonable sales to companies both on a console but also a portable space now, and if they play their cards right, it might work out great. I can say right now as someone who owns all platforms, any game that is equal or close on Switch will get my purchase there instead due to the portability factor, unless it's a massive online game, then i'd need to weigh in on the userbases at the time. It's not the consumers job to help Nintendo, it's Nintendo's job. Nintendo is my favorite game company by a huge margin, I would say 80 percent of my time this gen has been on Wii U and 3DS, but it's just unfortunate that Nintendo kind of put themselves in a corner when it comes to mainstream stuff. I'd love them to have all the Batmans/Mass effects/CODs/etc, but it has to make sense for the company to do it.

I'm just trying to imagine the stock holder meeting for Take Two or EA right now in your world.

Shareholder: Yo I want more money, why aren't you making more money on that hot new Nintendo system?

Company: Cause, Nintendo is kiddy lol, we don't like them.

Shareholder: Fair enough they sure do suck, sorry I mentioned them.

How about you just don't buy a Nintendo system. Go and just play on your PS4 Xbox One and/or PC. Nintendo isn't going to make a console that you want. That is perfectly fine.




But, if you continue to ignore data points like this:

Source[


Or ignore the quality of Ubisoft's "support"

" Nintendo has a less cool image in comparison to companies like MS, Sony or Apple"
And I wonder why this came to be? When Nintendo was on top during the Wii/DS years forum posters and the gaming media kept screaming it is a fad and it was just days away from stop selling despite both being sold out for years and breaking records left and right. Naysayers continued to pound on the native that Nintendo is this and that.

 

[Jawbreaker]

There's a missing asterisk and list of small text qualifiers to that statement



So if it can your "concern" that no true scotsman console doesn't have a SATA HDD inside is clear?

*may vary, but it's a non-issue tbh

 

[LordRaptor]

Nice try. All it means is that compared to the typical modern console, the Switch comes up short.

It comes up 'short' because it bypasses a number of unfortunate - and to most people undesirable - side effects of the way the PS4 and X1 are designed.

It has no disk drive so it will run cooler.
It has no disk drive so it will run quieter.
It has no disk drive so it can be smaller.
It has no disk drive so it can read data faster.
It has no disk drive so it does not require mandatory installs.
It has no mandatory installs so it does not NEED huge amounts of bulk storage to allow for a disk to be inserted and be immediately playable.

Arguing "less storage = worse = failure" is arguing mandatory installs = better than no installs.

Its like saying electric cars are worse and fail as cars because their decibel output is lower

 

[The Last One]

Ok, so the Switch won't...

• get third party support. Check.
• be able to deliver the same quality of games as the XB1 and PS4 due to its media size restriction. Check.

That confirms my assertion that the Switch makes a horrible modern console.

Oh... Almost forgot arbitrary and rhetorical.

Look at these posts.

So, a product - to be what you think it should be - has the obligation to settle all you personal (and arbitrary) requests just so it can be accommodated on some (very) questionable nomenclature.

If this is the only lens through which you see the market, then the bareness of your argument does not sound so absurd

 

[Sandfox]

Well I see this thread went in a terrible direction. I really hope some of this is intentional.

My feeling on the Switch is that it's a home console you can take on the go.

Ok, so the Switch won't...

• get third party support. Check.
• be able to deliver the same quality of games as the XB1 and PS4 due to its media size restriction. Check.

That confirms my assertion that the Switch makes a horrible modern console.


Hey I'm the one saying the Switch isn't a console. You should be arguing with the people trying to say it is. They are the ones trying to force the Switch into a category where it doesn't fit.

I laughed.

 

[manueldelalas]

Ok, so the Switch won't be able to deliver the same quality of games as the XB1 and PS4 due to its media size restriction.

Quality of games is now defined by size of the game, you heard it here first folks!

I give your post a 68 GB in Metacritic.

The worst part is that theoretically, Switch games can go up to 2 TB a card. Next generation cards will surpass that easily. Blu Ray on the other hand? Completely stuck memory wise, by physics, and can't be used to play games because it's slow.

 

[Jawbreaker]

Quality of games is now defined by size of the game, you heard it here first folks!

I give your post a 68 GB in Metacritic.

The worst part is that theoretically, Switch games can go up to 2 TB a card. Next generation cards will surpass that easily. Blu Ray on the other hand? Completely stuck memory wise, by physics, and can't be used to play games because it's slow.

Man, that would be one expensive game.

 

[Thatanas]

I give your post a 68 GB in Metacritic.

I lol'ed

 

[LordRaptor]

Man, that would be one expensive game.

Especially for X1 and PS4 owners who would have to purchase and install an entirely new 2TB+ 2.5" HDD before being able to play it

 

[nopenopenope]

Ok, so the Switch won't...

• get third party support. Check.
• be able to deliver the same quality of games as the XB1 and PS4 due to its media size restriction. Check.

That confirms my assertion that the Switch makes a horrible modern console.


Hey I'm the one saying the Switch isn't a console. You should be arguing with the people trying to say it is. They are the ones trying to force the Switch into a category where it doesn't fit.

Are you called EventHorizon because nothing about you makes sense?

 

[manueldelalas]

Man, that would be one expensive game.

Only if you are short sighted, in 2019 or 2020 those cards will be cheap, the cost per GB in flash based media has gone down considerably and will continue to do so.

If anyone expects Sony or Microsoft to continue with Blu Ray next generation, is in for a surprise. This year, 128 GB flash is affordable, next year 256GB will be, then 512, etc.

 

[Jawbreaker]

Especially for X1 and PS4 owners who would have to purchase and install an entirely new 2TB+ 2.5" HDD before being able to play it

And PC users, too! I am not looking forward to the next 4-5 years when games bloat up to 2TB.

Only if you are short sighted, in 2019 or 2020 those cards will be cheap, the cost per GB in flash based media has gone down considerably and will continue to do so.

If anyone expects Sony or Microsoft to continue with Blu Ray next generation, is in for a surprise. This year, 128 GB flash is affordable, next year 256GB will be, then 512, etc.

Sure, I don't expect games to need 2TB within the next 5 years, though. Discs will also increase in storage capacity.

 

[Orniletter]

You can play games on PS4 while the disc is installing it to the hard drive.

Yeah, after you've installed the first half and then it let's you...like... play a level before it stops you dead in your tracks.

Sony's start before everything is installed thing is pretty bad, I remember waiting about half an hour before I could start Fallout 4.

 

[Negotiator]

LOL. Cortex A57 is better than the Jaguar CPU PS4 uses, and there is a possibility Switch will have something more powerful than A57 (e.g. A72 or Nvidia's custom design).

^ Where would you put the Switch CPU in this graph?

Keep in mind that we're talking about single-threaded performance (IPC). Multi-threaded code is a whole different ballpark and an absolute necessity these days:

https://twitter.com/SebAaltonen/status/794453592887410690

We already know that PS4/XB1 allow access to 7 Jaguar cores for games. Switch will have 4 cores and 1 core will be required for the OS.

 

[KingSnake]

What the hell is happening in this thread?

And why are you feeding EventHorizon when it's obvious he has no interest in a reasonable discussion and all he does is jumping from one hyperbole to another?

 

[Jawbreaker]

Yeah, after you've installed the first half and then it let's you...like... play a level before it stops you dead in your tracks.

Sony's start before everything is installed thing is pretty bad, I remember waiting about half an hour before I could start Fallout 4.

Bethesda chose to bypass "fast start" with Fallout 4.

 

[LordRaptor]

And PC users, too! I am not looking forward to the next 4-5 years when games bloat up to 2TB.

I don't really foresee games needing 2TB of game information, but right now where console game digital downloads mirror their physical releases, and publishers DGAF how much space they use because a bluray can hold so much data you can already see huge discrepancies between the PC digital version and the console install size versions.

Keep in mind that we're talking about single-threaded performance (IPC). Multi-threaded code is a whole different ballpark and an absolute necessity these days:

...

We already know that PS4/XB1 allow access to 7 Jaguar cores for games. Switch will have 4 cores and 1 core will be required for the OS.

There's only so much you can parallelise (not a word, I don't care) in a game; effects follows cause, which necessitates single threaded execution, which is why there are still gaming rigs out there running modern titles on dual core CPUs.

 

[manueldelalas]

Sure, I don't expect games to need 2TB within the next 5 years, though. Discs will also increase in storage capacity.

Of course they will, but not at the rate flash media does. Blu Ray and optical media as a format have their days numbered, and it's very obvious.

 

[Orniletter]

Bethesda chose to bypass "fast start" with Fallout 4.

On second thought, I actually have to agree with you, installing things off a disc on PS4 really isn't that big of a deal in most cases (F4 nothwithstanding).

Digital downloads on a rather slow internet connection though....well, yeah.

 

[Jawbreaker]

I don't really foresee games needing 2TB of game information, but right now where console game digital downloads mirror their physical releases, and publishers DGAF how much space they use because a bluray can hold so much data you can already see huge discrepancies between the PC digital version and the console install size versions.



There's only so much you can parallelise (not a word, I don't care) in a game; effects follows cause, which necessitates single threaded execution, which is why there are still gaming rigs out there running modern titles on dual core CPUs.

PC versions will usually yield larger install sizes because they contain higher quality textures, for example. Multiple languages with uncompressed audio tends to bloat game sizes, too. One way to easily cut back on install sizes is to give the user the option to choose which language(s) they want in their install.

On second thought, I actually have to agree with you, installing things off a disc on PS4 really isn't that big of a deal in most cases (F4 nothwithstanding).

Digital downloads on a rather slow internet connection though....well, yeah.

Yeah, it's pretty bad. I have a fast/unlimited internet connection, but I still go physical whenever possible.

 

[Mr Swine]

When does Nintendo, MS and Sony start manufacturing consoles before launch? How close to the manufacturing can they do last minute changes like adding more ram or changing the CPU?

 

[SirShandy]

Is the switch a portable, or is it a home console?

Why is it necessary to define and label it as one of two things? Its functionality doesn’t change depending on how you prefer to think of it. It’s capable of capturing both kinds of experience, that’s the whole hook. It’s right in the name switch. It’s why the joy-cons work as they do.

You can’t accurately compare it strictly to handhelds or consoles since you’d be ignoring half the functionality. At the same time, its goal is not to capture all the bells and whistles that either a specific console or portable form factor would offer, but to hit enough of them to make for a seamless and intuitive experience, given its hybridesque form factor.

To say it matches up poorly against current gen consoles is also to misinterpret the switch’s design goals. It will naturally come up short in certain ways, but it also offers functionality that the other consoles do not, just as they were designed toward a specific kind of experience.

 

[Negotiator]

There's only so much you can parallelise (not a word, I don't care) in a game; effects follows cause, which necessitates single threaded execution, which is why there are still gaming rigs out there running modern titles on dual core CPUs.

Dual-core setups don't really cut it these days. You need 4 cores at least. Dual-core was fine for cross-gen titles (GTAV etc.)

"Multi-threading is hard" reminds me of the SEGA Saturn days. 20+ years have passed since then, so it's time for devs to catch up. Devs like ND and DICE already utilize 7 Jaguar cores.

 

[EventHorizon]

It comes up 'short' because it bypasses a number of unfortunate - and to most people undesirable - side effects of the way the PS4 and X1 are designed.

It has no disk drive so it will run cooler.
It has no disk drive so it will run quieter.
It has no disk drive so it can be smaller.
It has no disk drive so it can read data faster.
It has no disk drive so it does not require mandatory installs.
It has no mandatory installs so it does not NEED huge amounts of bulk storage to allow for a disk to be inserted and be immediately playable.

Arguing "less storage = worse = failure" is arguing mandatory installs = better than no installs.

Its like saying electric cars are worse and fail as cars because their decibel output is lower

I see you forgot the most important thing about a console...the games it runs.

No it's more like trying to compare a bicycle to a car and going on about how a bicycle is quieter, smaller, less expensive..., and then leaving out the fact that it can't get you to work because it is too far away.

Oh... Almost forgot arbitrary and rhetorical.

Look at these posts.

So, a product - to be what you think it should be - has the obligation to settle all you personal (and arbitrary) requests just so it can be accommodated on some (very) questionable nomenclature.

If this is the only lens through which you see the market, then the bareness of your argument does not sound so absurd

They aren't arbitrary. They are the means by which all consoles are judged. This is so funny. You want the Switch to be called a console, and then when I actually treat it like a console you cry foul. Is it a console or not? Pick one and stick with it.

Quality of games is now defined by size of the game, you heard it here first folks!

I give your post a 68 GB in Metacritic.

The worst part is that theoretically, Switch games can go up to 2 TB a card. Next generation cards will surpass that easily. Blu Ray on the other hand? Completely stuck memory wise, by physics, and can't be used to play games because it's slow.

Let's keep this in the realm of reality. It not just the size of the media, but the cost too. No, the Switch will not be using a 2TB card because it will not be economical to do so.

Once again we have someone who can't handle the Switch actually being treated like a console. The PS4, PS4 Pro, and XB1 all go through DigitalFoundry comparisons and get criticized for lower resolution output or textures. Well if the Switch wants to compete at that level then it has to run the same gauntlet. The card and storage size means that the Switch will always be technically inferior to XB1 and PS4 games.

 

[frankie_baby]

^ Where would you put the Switch CPU in this graph?

Keep in mind that we're talking about single-threaded performance (IPC). Multi-threaded code is a whole different ballpark and an absolute necessity these days:

https://twitter.com/SebAaltonen/status/794453592887410690

We already know that PS4/XB1 allow access to 7 Jaguar cores for games. Switch will have 4 cores and 1 core will be required for the OS.

When and where was 4 core confirmed?

 

[SolidSnakex]

When does Nintendo, MS and Sony start manufacturing consoles before launch? How close to the manufacturing can they do last minute changes like adding more ram or changing the CPU?

The first reports of mass production for the PS4 was in early September, and August for the Pro. But the specs would've been locked down before then since they would've had to test the console to make sure that everything was running correctly. For example, the big PS4 8GB GDDR5 upgrade that took many by surprise happened upwards of a year in advance of its release.

 

[Peru]

I

Once again we have someone who can't handle the Switch actually being treated like a console. The PS4, PS4 Pro, and XB1 all go through DigitalFoundry comparisons and get criticized for lower resolution output or textures. Well if the Switch wants to compete at that level then it has to run the same gauntlet.
t.

The Switch wants to be a hybrid. Most people think t\s the right next move for Nintendo. It will bring a lot more games than previous Nintendo consoles and handhelds did to your livingroom, or your backpack. That's it. You can wish for magic powder dust which makes it the best at everything, but for the rest of us, we know that certain advantages must be balanced with certain compromises. Your absurd hang-up on the semantics of this is at best foolish.

 

[LordRaptor]

Dual-core setups don't really cut it these days. You need 4 cores at least. Dual-core was fine for cross-gen titles (GTAV etc.)

"Multi-threading is hard" reminds me of the SEGA Saturn days. 20+ years have passed since then, so it's time for devs to catch up. Devs like ND and DICE already utilize 7 Jaguar cores.

Most developers aren't single platform developers like ND, or engine developers like DICE though (as I said in another topic).
Most studios are content producers, not trying to push the technical envelope.

When the best selling and best critically received games are squarely iterative 360/PS3 games - MGSV, Destiny, GTAV, Fallout, Skyrim, COD, FIFA, Madden, et al - and the end results are 'good enough' for consumers to buy in the millions, there is little compulsion to raise production costs further without commensurate sales benefits.

I see you forgot the most important thing about a console...the games it runs.

Uhhhh.... you're the one saying the Switch has "already failed" because no HDD.
An HDD is not a game.

 

[Panajev2001a]

Quality of games is now defined by size of the game, you heard it here first folks!

I give your post a 68 GB in Metacritic.

The worst part is that theoretically, Switch games can go up to 2 TB a card. Next generation cards will surpass that easily. Blu Ray on the other hand? Completely stuck memory wise, by physics, and can't be used to play games because it's slow.

Good luck convincing publishers to use cards that big to sell games in. Few cents for each piece of plastic they call Blu-Ray (that you can order in small or big quantities and get repeated orders with a very quick turnaround) vs something in the tens or hundred+ dollars for the kind of cartridge you are talking about (and quite likely a much slower turnaround time from order to delivery and issues with minimum order size)... not really feasible.

 

[LordRaptor]

Real talk;

Does anyone here actually believe that BluRay is the optimal solution for modern game storage, or a stopgap measure to appease physical purchasers and retailers while trying to transition a userbase fully digital?

 

[MCN]

In my opinion, the CPU is so extremely weak that it will limit the GPU and make ports of PS4 games impossible. Also the system should have at least 500GB of storage if Nintendo wants to sell downloads.

It's stronger than Jaguar, by quite a significant margin. Your opinion is worthless.

Real talk;

Does anyone here actually believe that BluRay is the optimal solution for modern game storage, or a stopgap measure to appease physical purchasers and retailers while trying to transition a userbase fully digital?

But Sony and Microsoft use Blu-Rays, so it must be the perfect solution!