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Nintendo Switch | Hardware Review Thread

On the other hand, it's an amazing handheld and having played Zelda on Wii U it's an incredible launch title for a system - phenomenal. I just think the comparisons to PS4's launch do it no favours.

The comparison to VITA's launch do it no favors. Vita had a party system with cross-game voice chat at launch.
 
Reviewing hardware in 2017 when the online isn't switched in yet, it says a lot about the industry and how unprofessional it is. Click driven tripe mostly. IGN actually scoring it? Yikes.
Got a long ways to go.
 
The comparison to VITA's launch do it no favors. Vita had a party system with cross-game voice chat at launch.

Oh wow.

Having proper system level voice chat was so far beyond what I expect from Nintendo. It never even crossed my mind.

There's another thing to add to that list of things this system can't do in 2017.

No chat system at all right?

I recall they said some nonsense about doing it through your phone. I seriously hope they don't expect to rely on their phones for voice chat.

Hey, want to talk to your friends while playing games? Just give them a call!

This thing should accept gaming headsets with mics in the same way the xbox one and ps4 do. Should plug right into the system and work.
 

Cyborg

Member
Reviewing hardware in 2017 when the online isn't switched in yet, it says a lot about the industry and how unprofessional it is. Click driven tripe mostly. IGN actually scoring it? Yikes.
Got a long ways to go.

Sure.....A lot of Switch's problems have nothing to do with you point. System is overpriced and rushed
 

thefro

Member
I don't get why, either. This is a pretty tiny launch window between Horizon Zero Dawn and Mass Effect Andromeda.

I don't think Nintendo cares about Horizon or Mass Effect launching, they want to get the system out before the end of the fiscal year and not miss Golden Week in Japan.
 

Osiris

I permanently banned my 6 year old daughter from using the PS4 for mistakenly sending grief reports as it's too hard to watch or talk to her
Reviewing hardware in 2017 when the online isn't switched in yet, it says a lot about the industry and how unprofessional it is. Click driven tripe mostly. IGN actually scoring it? Yikes.
Got a long ways to go.

Not as unprofessional as releasing it in such an unfinished state in the first place.

The reviewers are simply letting potential buyers know what they are getting for their money at release, nothing unprofessional in that.
 

Vitacat

Member
Oh wow.

Having proper system level voice chat was so far beyond what I expect from Nintendo. It never even crossed my mind.

There's another thing to add to that list of things this system can't do in 2017.

No chat system at all right?

I recall they said some nonsense about doing it through your phone. I seriously hope they don't expect to rely on their phones for voice chat.

Hey, want to talk to your friends while playing games? Just give them a call!

This thing should accept gaming headsets with mics in the same way the xbox one and ps4 do. Should plug right into the system and work.

Nintendo is very paranoid about protecting kids. Not saying lack of these features should be given a pass, but it's fairly consistent with Nintendo's culture that the Switch lacks these things, at least at launch.

Perhaps some communications features can be added later, with the ability to lock them via parental controls.
 
Oh wow.

Having proper system level voice chat was so far beyond what I expect from Nintendo. It never even crossed my mind.

There's another thing to add to that list of things this system can't do in 2017.

No chat system at all right?

I recall they said some nonsense about doing it through your phone. I seriously hope they don't expect to rely on their phones for voice chat.

Hey, want to talk to your friends while playing games? Just give them a call!

This thing should accept gaming headsets with mics in the same way the xbox one and ps4 do. Should plug right into the system and work.

Yeah, voice chat will be facilitated by a mobile app, which isn't coming until Fall. It's hard for me to believe Nintendo will hold to this position, as almost anything would be better. If there isn't already a cheap mic on the tablet/gamepads, and bluetooth audio won't work for some reason, then I'd even prefer a USB mic peripheral to an external application. Seriously, how can anyone think this is a good idea?!

Vitacat said:
Nintendo is very paranoid about protecting kids. Not saying lack of these features should be given a pass, but it's fairly consistent with Nintendo's culture that the Switch lacks these things, at least at launch.

Perhaps some communications features can be added later, with the ability to lock them via parental controls.

XAIKiMd.png

http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/psvita/basic/kids.html
 
Nintendo is very paranoid about protecting kids. Not saying lack of these features should be given a pass, but it's fairly consistent with Nintendo's culture that the Switch lacks these things, at least at launch.

Perhaps some communications features can be added later, with the ability to lock them via parental controls.

Those parental controls already exist on other consoles.

They have for a while.

It's not difficult.
 

KingSnake

The Birthday Skeleton
I'm not sure why people think that the online features in the day one patch might add positive points to the reviews. What would that be?

More likely might add some cons, knowing that the online gaming part is only partially available, then goes in beta in the summer to fully launch in the Fall.
 

thefro

Member
Not as unprofessional as releasing it in such an unfinished state in the first place.

The reviewers are simply letting potential buyers know what they are getting for their money at release, nothing unprofessional in that.

I do agree on that, considering people in Australia can buy the console 24 hours after the reviews came out it seems like they could have had a near-day 1 update ready for the press on Monday so they could test that part out.
 

Mutagenic

Permanent Junior Member
You make today the embargo date but do yourself no favors by allowing the press to judge unfinished software. That's on you.
 

7roject28

Member
I'll give my review for the Switch I bought yesterday:

System: It turned on and the controllers worked. 10/10

Online: It's a joke, there's nothing there. 0/10

Games: 0 out of 10. Literally no games are available for the system yet. 0/10

Overall: Wait until release to pick up the Switch.

Preorder Cancelled
 
D

Deleted member 752119

Unconfirmed Member
Reviewing hardware in 2017 when the online isn't switched in yet, it says a lot about the industry and how unprofessional it is. Click driven tripe mostly. IGN actually scoring it? Yikes.
Got a long ways to go.

Nintendo are the morons that sent out review units that weren't updated and gave them an embargo end date that was before they sent out the update.

Hard to fault the reviewers when they can only review what Nintendo has given them access to, and didn't put out their reviews before the embargo date/time Nintendo set was past.

With this rushed launch, missing features, me not being a fan of the hybrid concept etc. I won't even consider a Switch until 2018 personally. Nintendo has a lot of convincing to do with me after how much dust my Wii, Wii U and 3DS gathered. I'm not saying they owe me anything etc. They just may finally not be for me anymore, and if so that's fine. Plenty to play elsewhere.
 

Vitacat

Member
Those parental controls already exist on other consoles.

They have for a while.

It's not difficult.

Did I say it was difficult? No, I said maybe they can add them later.

This is a obviously a rushed launch. Wait until Fall before really judging this thing, as it's clearly a work in progress right now.
 

Nick

Junior Member
Reviewing hardware in 2017 when the online isn't switched in yet, it says a lot about the industry and how unprofessional it is. Click driven tripe mostly. IGN actually scoring it? Yikes.
Got a long ways to go.

Awful opinion is awful. The reviewers are letting the consumer know what Nintendo is physically launching in just a few days. It's not the reviewers fault that Nintendo is incompetent and still doesn't have an online infrastructure in 2017. But given your icon, it looks like you'll purchase anything Nintendo buys, and they thank you for your business. Some of us decided to stop being shit on by our previously favorite video game company. My Wii U hasn't been touched in almost a year.
 
Reviewing hardware in 2017 when the online isn't switched in yet, it says a lot about the industry and how unprofessional it is. Click driven tripe mostly. IGN actually scoring it? Yikes.
Got a long ways to go.

It's not on Nintendo for giving them the devices and making the review embargo date before the patch?
 
All of this sounds pretty fair and more-or-less exactly what I was expecting. For what it is, the Switch works fantastically and Zelda is killer. But if you need more than that to buy a system then it's best to wait for a price drop or more games.

As has been said before, it's going to be E3 and the holidays that will really make or break things.
 

Bronetta

Ask me about the moon landing or the temperature at which jet fuel burns. You may be surprised at what you learn.
Reviewing hardware in 2017 when the online isn't switched in yet, it says a lot about the industry and how unprofessional it is. Click driven tripe mostly. IGN actually scoring it? Yikes.
Got a long ways to go.

Do you understand what a review in progress is? Most of them also mentioned a day 1 patch adds more features.

It probably says more about you than the industry.
 
Awful opinion is awful. The reviewers are letting the consumer know what Nintendo is physically launching in just a few days. It's not the reviewers fault that Nintendo is incompetent and still doesn't have an online infrastructure in 2017. But given your icon, it looks like you'll purchase anything Nintendo buys, and they thank you for your business.
I think Digital Foundry did a good job of making a "review", in that it was just basically in depth impressions. IGN's stuff is bad.
 

Burai

shitonmychest57
Reviewing hardware in 2017 when the online isn't switched in yet, it says a lot about the industry and how unprofessional it is. Click driven tripe mostly. IGN actually scoring it? Yikes.
Got a long ways to go.

Yeah, maybe switch on the online service before your self-imposed embargo ends.

You're acting like Nintendo is helpless to stop these ruthless brutes. They set the rules here.
 
All of this sounds pretty fair and more-or-less exactly what I was expecting. For what it is, the Switch works fantastically and Zelda is killer. But if you need more than that to buy a system then it's best to wait for a price drop or more games.

As has been said before, it's going to be E3 and the holidays that will really make or break things.

How have the last several E3's gone?

If Nintendo is going to have a great moment for big announcements, it'll probably be some random youtube stream in May or later.
 

Pif

Banned
Nintendo is very paranoid about protecting kids. Not saying lack of these features should be given a pass, but it's fairly consistent with Nintendo's culture that the Switch lacks these things, at least at launch.

Perhaps some communications features can be added later, with the ability to lock them via parental controls.

That is not an excuse for missing features.

Parental controls exist for a reason. I don't need Nintendo to protect me, I would like my Switch to have 10 year old features on it.
 

marc^o^

Nintendo's Pro Bono PR Firm
I'm not sure why people think that the online features in the day one patch might add positive points to the reviews. What would that be?

More likely might add some cons, knowing that the online gaming part is only partially available, then goes in beta in the summer to fully launch in the Fall.
Its free online with no voice chat as on Wii U, nothing changes.

What changes is once you have online you have access to more launch titles to test the console. The lack of titles to test was a frustration in many reviews, it would have made the system a bit more lively, for sure.
 
Not sure why this has turned into a "which launch lineup was better" discussion. Has there ever, in the history of consumer products, been something worth having Day 1 for any reason other than bragging rights or your own personal happiness?
 
That is not an excuse for missing features.

Parental controls exist for a reason. I don't need Nintendo to protect me, I would like my Switch to have 10 year old features on it.

It would be terrifying if kids had access to a device that let them communicate over long distances with their voice.
 

Vitacat

Member
That is not an excuse for missing features.

Parental controls exist for a reason. I don't need Nintendo to protect me, I would like my Switch to have 10 year old features on it.

Love how you bold the part you want to complain about, then completely ignore the rest of my post that you quoted.

Some of you guys just want to rant. I'm not even, an any way, disagreeing with your point.
 
As has been said before, it's going to be E3 and the holidays that will really make or break things.
Yeah, E3 is going to be really telling of the longterm flow of releases we should expect. Honestly, what they've announced now is about normal for the Wii U launch, with two (or three, if you're optimistic about Xenoblade) high profile games coming out after E3. So, if they can announce even just two additional titles coming out in 2017, it'll be hard to argue against Switch's first year lineup.
 

boiled goose

good with gravy
Nintendo is very paranoid about protecting kids. Not saying lack of these features should be given a pass, but it's fairly consistent with Nintendo's culture that the Switch lacks these things, at least at launch.

Perhaps some communications features can be added later, with the ability to lock them via parental controls.

Nintendo develops robust parental controls but then they are pointless since there is no chat anyways. The paranoia is bullshit at this point in time where cell phones and the internet are ubiquitous. It's quite simply bad business at this point.

Make it so that you need to use a credit card or whatever to unlock parental controls. Not having the option today is unacceptable.

I'm just worried about a bait and switch with the online revealing to be awful after people have already bought it.

That's why I'm not buying.
We don't know how region free works.
We don't know about OS level online features such as friend lists, voice chat, lobbies , etc and how they work.
Headsets apparently not supported. Implementation through phone app is still completely lacking in detail and who knows how it works in portable mode with headphones on the switch.
We have very little idea how digital content management actually works.
We don't know what happens to our VC games from WiiU and 3DS
etc.

People think these small issues are not a big deal, but they add up to a very common perception that Nintendo is backwards and far behind when it comes to online features. Doesn't matter? Ask devs about why DLC is frequently missing from Nintendo versions or why some games don't make the cut. Doesn't matter? Look at WiiU sales. Worse selling Nintendo console ever. Nintendo CAN'T AFFORD to be playing catchup. They should instead be leading.
 

Comet

Member
Why not both? The criticism is those indie games are also on other platforms, along with big AAA games. Only indies or only AAA is bad, there should be a mix.

Because we live in a world where we must make compromises to get certain things. So we can all agree that Sony has the AAA third party and indie support right that you are arguing for correct? But why can't I play my PS4 on the train or plane ride?

You see why I don't care for that kind of argument. If Nintendo wanted to offer a PS4 Pro they would have given us a console with a nice PC-based architecture where third parties could easily release their latest games on this platform. But instead they compromised once more in favor of providing portability. If you don't care for that benefit then Nintendo immediately is alienating you and that's a risk they're taking. I for one love handheld gaming so I embrace the Switch , though I can't stand the battery life news.

Anyway, we all know we are not getting the latest Assassin's Creed, Mass Effect, Bethesda game on the Switch because of the hardware limitation. That does not mean it can't receive third party support however. We might get dumb-downed ports, spinoffs of popular franchises, or brand new IPs on the Switch from the third parties. This being on top of the indie waves we should expect. Super long way of saying we are getting all sorts of games on the Switch, if they're not games you seem to care for that's totally valid. But to say the Switch only has Zelda is ridiculous. I doubt I'll be through Zelda by the time Arms hits and then we'll get Mario Kart, Splatoon and others in a steady wave.
 

Trace

Banned
Reviewing hardware in 2017 when the online isn't switched in yet, it says a lot about the industry and how unprofessional it is. Click driven tripe mostly. IGN actually scoring it? Yikes.
Got a long ways to go.

Not nearly as unprofessional as releasing said hardware when the software is clearly unfinished.
 

j-wood

Member
So I basically have to hope my 4k TV scaler works well (I know the switch itself isn't going to upscale).

I just don't want distorted shit on my TV. Or things that look GIGANTIC.
 
Most launches are mediocre/crap. I am personally getting it because I want to experience Zelda on day 1 with the best performance. It will be an experience that I will never forget. Things can be better for the console and it will get better in due time. Just like with every console.
 
To be fair, no console has really been worth buying at launch unless you're a hardcore fan. As an example, here are Kotaku's PS4 and Xbox One reviews from their launch dates:

PS4 (http://kotaku.com/the-playstation-4-the-kotaku-review-in-progress-1463521231)

Xbox One (http://kotaku.com/the-xbox-one-the-kotaku-review-1467960010)

I think the difference is you were coming off a long generation where sales were plateauing, and people were dying to have something new after 6+ years. Now we're in a space where the PS4 and Xbox are thriving with some of the best software ever coming out this year, so it makes the Switch launch look even more weak. I'm supposed to spend $300+ for that when I'm drowning in PS4 games? The value proposition just isn't there.
 
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