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Nintendo Switch | Hardware Review Thread

M

MysticLeviathan

Member
So the IGN review basically confirms what I've been saying since it's reveal: It's a jack of all trades and master of none. It's too big to be a great portable device, but too weak to be a good console.


Really, Nintendo needed to make this a $500 device with all the bells and whistles, the best specs with the most efficient SoCs with great battery life. The idea itself is fine, but it feels like the execution, like most things they've touched in the past decade, has been way less than stellar.

The fact of the matter is Nintendo is sacrificing a ton of quality in the home console aspect to make it portable. But it just isn't exactly portable. And 3 hours of battery life is not very good at all. It just isn't.

The big question is can it succeed. I'm curious how much 3rd parties have to take out of their games, especially for multi-plats, for them to work on the Switch. And what I've seen so far is Zelda is not running particularly well, though perhaps some updates may change that.

At the very least the concept is exciting, and that may push enough sales for Nintendo. I just hate what Nintendo's done since Iwata took helm. This better succeed for Nintendo's sake. Not getting one at launch, but I may get one in a few months or around Black Friday.
 
Minsc

Minsc

Gold Member
bytesized said:
Check this video from the Know about the Switch's battery life, they go more in depth into the issue than DF even.

https://youtu.be/M51aDJZlk08
Click to expand...

Something is off with that, and they don't really test any battery packs or much of anything except apple / best buy wall chargers.

How could a USB-C 5V / 3A power bank charge a switch on full brightness and full volume while in use playing Zelda, and increase 8% an hour, but a 5V / 2.4A wall plug only provide enough charge to slow the battery from dying for an additional 2 hours? And that is on lowest brightness too?

The battery is 4,310 mAh, and normally lasts for 3.5 hours. They say you get around 5.5 hours with the 5V / 2.4A adapter. That means that adapter is only providing around 2,000 mAh to the Switch over the course of 5.5 hours, while the 5V / 3A power bank is providing a total of ~7,500 mAh to the Switch. Roughly a 375% increase with only a 20% increase in wattage.

The math doesn't sound like it works. 12W (5 * 2.4) isn't going to be so inefficient at charging while 15W (5 * 3) increases charge. Either DF is lying or the Switch is not getting a full 2.4A out of that adapter.

If they were really technical about it, they'd be using those little devices that measure volts/amps with a little LCD screen. Then you'd know exactly what charge the switch is getting. To me it sounds like the Switch is only pulling something like 5V / .5A out of the 2.4A wall plug they tested, based on it only extending the battery for 2 hours over the course of 5 1/2 hours.

Edit: I can tell you right now something is wrong with that adapter they tested. My 5V / 1A power bank for my iPhone sends way more than 2,000 mAh to it over 5.5 hours, probably double or triple that much... which coincidentally puts that adapter to half of 5V / 1A, which is... 5V / .5A.
 
R

reelbigtink

Member
MysticLeviathan said:
So the IGN review basically confirms what I've been saying since it's reveal: It's a jack of all trades and master of none. It's too big to be a great portable device, but too weak to be a good console.


Really, Nintendo needed to make this a $500 device with all the bells and whistles, the best specs with the most efficient SoCs with great battery life. The idea itself is fine, but it feels like the execution, like most things they've touched in the past decade, has been way less than stellar.

The fact of the matter is Nintendo is sacrificing a ton of quality in the home console aspect to make it portable. But it just isn't exactly portable. And 3 hours of battery life is not very good at all. It just isn't.

The big question is can it succeed. I'm curious how much 3rd parties have to take out of their games, especially for multi-plats, for them to work on the Switch. And what I've seen so far is Zelda is not running particularly well, though perhaps some updates may change that.

At the very least the concept is exciting, and that may push enough sales for Nintendo. I just hate what Nintendo's done since Iwata took helm. This better succeed for Nintendo's sake. Not getting one at launch, but I may get one in a few months or around Black Friday.
Click to expand...

I think if Nintendo had made a $500 super machine they would sell maybe 10 million Switches lifetime. What we have is a good price point and enough power for enthusiasts with the Pokemon kids jumping onboard during holiday/discount season.
 
Teran

Teran

Member
MysticLeviathan said:
Really, Nintendo needed to make this a $500 device with all the bells and whistles, the best specs with the most efficient SoCs with great battery life. The idea itself is fine, but it feels like the execution, like most things they've touched in the past decade, has been way less than stellar.
Click to expand...

I can't imagine any SoC in that form factor that could do more than nip at base PS4's heels specs wise. They haven't at all skimped on the battery either, it's massive.

Consoles have been moving towards affordability, Nintendo trying to appeal to enthusiasts won't work, because enthusiasts will scoff at anything Nintendo puts out anyway. The GC was a work of art specs wise, it also sold like shit and the general public thought the PS2 was more powerful anyway.
 
L

lenovox1

Member
MysticLeviathan said:
So the IGN review basically confirms what I've been saying since it's reveal: It's a jack of all trades and master of none. It's too big to be a great portable device, but too weak to be a good console.
Click to expand...

IGN is one of the few negative-to-mixed reviews. So you've got a little confirmation of biases thing going on that you can't apply to the broader market like you're trying to do.
 
S

ShadowFox08

Member
MysticLeviathan said:
So the IGN review basically confirms what I've been saying since it's reveal: It's a jack of all trades and master of none. It's too big to be a great portable device, but too weak to be a good console.


Really, Nintendo needed to make this a $500 device with all the bells and whistles, the best specs with the most efficient SoCs with great battery life. The idea itself is fine, but it feels like the execution, like most things they've touched in the past decade, has been way less than stellar.

The fact of the matter is Nintendo is sacrificing a ton of quality in the home console aspect to make it portable. But it just isn't exactly portable. And 3 hours of battery life is not very good at all. It just isn't.

The big question is can it succeed. I'm curious how much 3rd parties have to take out of their games, especially for multi-plats, for them to work on the Switch. And what I've seen so far is Zelda is not running particularly well, though perhaps some updates may change that.

At the very least the concept is exciting, and that may push enough sales for Nintendo. I just hate what Nintendo's done since Iwata took helm. This better succeed for Nintendo's sake. Not getting one at launch, but I may get one in a few months or around Black Friday.
Click to expand...

$500 is too high of an entry point for a console. Especially Nintendo coming from Wii U. it screwed over xbone when they tried to get their mandatory kinect out the gates at $500.
Who's to say that Nintendo directly competing with its competition in raw performance would guarantee them third party support? It didn't help them with the gamecube.

I think Nintendo making the Switch a hybrid is one of the best decisions they ever made. They are combining the handheld install base with the home console install base numbers, and this also allows the devs to make more games with less droughts by focusing mainly on just one nintendo console vs two.

Other than that.. It doesn't need to be as powerful as the other two consoles to compete anyway. Time after time has shown that the weakest console has actually won--and its mainly software support thats behind the success of the console.


The size isn't that big of an issue. It doesn't make a huge difference that it doesn't fit in your pocket. There's carrying cases.

3 hours is not too bad, especially when you have a charger.. Or the options of portable batteries.. Though who knows how long the battery will be depleted in a few years.

But all the hidden costs do add up and it doesn't help consumers that they'll have to buy an SD card if they want to go digital, more controllers(that are real pricey), a uscb+larger battery(if they're really on the go).. The switch will end up costing more to consumers than ps4 and xbone.

If Nintendo really is using 20 nm node.. THey really should have just taken that risk with the 16nm for a longer handheld life.
 
M

Maxinas

Member
Teran said:
I can't imagine any SoC in that form factor that could do more than nip at base PS4's heels specs wise. They haven't at all skimped on the battery either, it's massive.

Consoles have been moving towards affordability, Nintendo trying to appeal to enthusiasts won't work, because enthusiasts will scoff at anything Nintendo puts out anyway. The GC was a work of art specs wise, it also sold like shit and the general public thought the PS2 was more powerful anyway.
Click to expand...

This will never not make me mad.
 
C

catapult37

Member
Starting to get kind of worried that a new model number appears in 6 months and us pre-orders are just left with glitchy, fragile hardware.
 
Shrike Alvaron

Shrike Alvaron

Member
catapult37 said:
Starting to get kind of worried that a new model number appears in 6 months and us pre-orders are just left with glitchy, fragile hardware.
Click to expand...

With the joycon issue? You could just get a new joycon if there is a hardware defect, but I'm pretty confident that in such a scenario Nintendo would replace them. They won't just leave people hanging with faulty hardware if there is a hardware fault, no business that wants to retain customers would do that. Recalls exist for a reason after all.
 
K

KratosEnergyDrink

Member
MysticLeviathan said:
So the IGN review basically confirms what I've been saying since it's reveal: It's a jack of all trades and master of none. It's too big to be a great portable device, but too weak to be a good console.
Click to expand...

Because of one of the few lukewarm reception? And just the one from ignore, not an respected source. Read the other receptions that praise the system.
 
2

2Smashed4U

Banned
The_Lump said:
People still saying it's too big to be portable. It's like tablets, phablets or netbooks have never existed.
Click to expand...

I don't really think that's a good comparison though.

Tablets and etc. are multi-function devices that happen to play games for most people.

I don't know how many people are going to be willing to carry around a relatively large dedicated gaming device, with the Joy-Cons and etc. included.
 
C

Cuburt

Member
From hearing some of these reviews, Nintendo should have sent out some other games to give people a sense of the system outside of just Zelda. I think by focusing on Zelda it seems to have sent this impression that it literally is the only game at launch because there is nothing to compare it with, there is no use of the HD Rumble or much motion control use, it's battery intensive, and there is no online functionality. Outside of Zelda it just seems like it reminds people of the shortcomings of the launch line up as well as the other thing I think Nintendo should have done.

Nintendo should have had the day one patch out before the embargo lifted. I believe they said the eShop and the patch would be up before launch, but it should have been up before these reviews went up because even if most these game journalists are too busy to really dig into the games, the downloads, all the features, at least some people would have and at least they'd feel better about that access and their ability to review the console because of it. I couldn't help but get this sense that some of the more negative points I've heard simply would have been alleviated by simply being able to try out online and know it's not completely broken or that exists, which some reviewers talk about like it's never going to be there because they don't have access to it now, and going back to the games, they could at least see how the battery use is, how HD Rumble feels, how responsive them motion control is, etc. Then it finally can feel like a launch and they could have a fair view of what the actual launch will look like.

Now only that, it encourages an incomplete review rushed out to get clicks when the embargo lifts at worst, or a work-in-progress review that many people will ignore updates to and reviewers will be annoyed by Nintendo for making their job tougher at best.


That said, there really doesn't seem to be any surprises we didn't know about last week. I'm still excited about the hardware and the games that we know are coming and playing Zelda tomorrow at midnight when I get my hands on my own Switch will be amazing.
 
V

vgamer1

Member
2Smashed4U said:
I don't really think that's a good comparison though.

Tablets and etc. are multi-function devices that happen to play games for most people.

I don't know how many people are going to be willing to carry around a relatively large dedicated gaming device, with the Joy-Cons and etc. included.
Click to expand...

Anyone who carries a bag/tablet around with them anyway?
 
2

2Smashed4U

Banned
vgamer1 said:
Anyone who carries a bag/tablet around with them anyway?
Click to expand...

That's sort of my point...I don't really feel confident that will be the case. That still is an extra thing to carry around. I don't think people will really be into that. An iPad or whatever justifies its use by essentially being a small computer. A Switch can play Nintendo games which, neat, but I don't really see it appealing much to anyone besides a pretty niche audience.
 
G

Glass Joe

Member
2Smashed4U said:
I don't really think that's a good comparison though.

Tablets and etc. are multi-function devices that happen to play games for most people.

I don't know how many people are going to be willing to carry around a relatively large dedicated gaming device, with the Joy-Cons and etc. included.
Click to expand...

People who like to game? Hopefully anyway, I guess we'll see. I know that if I'm taking a business trip, I'll enjoy the fact that I can just pack my Switch with relative ease to play in the hotel. It's a bit smaller and slimmer than the Wii U gamepad. And if I could have just lugged the gamepad around, I would have! And although it isn't really pocket-portable like the 3DS, I admit, it's certainly backpack-portable.

And this might be too cynical of me, but I have to wonder if some of the people complaining about the size of the unit would be the same ones complaining about the screen being too small if the Switch was shrunk down. IF there were two size choices at launch, I'd want the one with the 6.2" screen, personally.
 
2

2Smashed4U

Banned
Glass Joe said:
People who like to game? Hopefully anyway, I guess we'll see. I know that if I'm taking a business trip, I'll enjoy the fact that I can just pack my Switch with relative ease to play in the hotel. It's a bit smaller and slimmer than the Wii U gamepad. And if I could have just lugged the gamepad around, I would have! And although it isn't really pocket-portable like the 3DS, I admit, it's certainly backpack-portable.

And this might be too cynical of me, but I have to wonder if some of the people complaining about the size of the unit would be the same ones complaining about the screen being too small if the Switch was shrunk down. IF there were two size choices at launch, I'd want the one with the 6.2" screen, personally.
Click to expand...

I know, me too, regarding the screen. I think it's actually fine and I don't really get the talk about a Switch Lite, because it's already very small as is for big games, like a Zelda.

I'll probably take it places with me and use it on the go, but I also was a person who bought a Wii U, so I'm not the best barometer.

I would say the 3DS would be a favorable comparison for the Switch as far as its purpose goes, maybe it could be successful. But then again the 3DS also had a price advantage (and didn't sell well until it was cut either.)

Hopefully a console like experience on to go will justify a premium price for a handheld for people, Nintendo's banking everything that it does.
 
Maximus.

Maximus.

Member
MysticLeviathan said:
So the IGN review basically confirms what I've been saying since it's reveal: It's a jack of all trades and master of none. It's too big to be a great portable device, but too weak to be a good console.


Really, Nintendo needed to make this a $500 device with all the bells and whistles, the best specs with the most efficient SoCs with great battery life. The idea itself is fine, but it feels like the execution, like most things they've touched in the past decade, has been way less than stellar.

The fact of the matter is Nintendo is sacrificing a ton of quality in the home console aspect to make it portable. But it just isn't exactly portable. And 3 hours of battery life is not very good at all. It just isn't.

The big question is can it succeed. I'm curious how much 3rd parties have to take out of their games, especially for multi-plats, for them to work on the Switch. And what I've seen so far is Zelda is not running particularly well, though perhaps some updates may change that.

At the very least the concept is exciting, and that may push enough sales for Nintendo. I just hate what Nintendo's done since Iwata took helm. This better succeed for Nintendo's sake. Not getting one at launch, but I may get one in a few months or around Black Friday.
Click to expand...

What are you talking about? What convinces you the general populous would be keen to purchase an expensive home console by Nintendo? How would having the best graphics and highest price point convince people to purchase it? 3 hours of battery life sucks because it means more frequent charging. I doubt many people play on the go continuously for longer than that. I don't think there is anything wrong with making the console not the most powerful in the game or the same as the other two competitors. Nintendo is doing its own thing and I think it has created a unique package to differentiate itself from the competition, by not having to sacrifice as much as one would seem to create said package.
 
I

IdreamofHIME

Member
Good guy Brian throwing shade on his own companies dumb ass decision to give the switch a score without online working or its day one patch being installed.
ozsN2rt.jpg
 
C

ckaneo

Member
I think Nintendo should have allowed it to dual boot android. I dont know how easily it could be hacked to play switch games though if they did that. In any case that's my biggest problem with it so far, it really is too barebones. There are some nintendo fans on this site who claim that's to keep the messaging clear, but that's silly and makes no sense. More features the better, granted the price is the same.

I dont have a huge problem with the battery. My phone probably last a shorter time if im gaming.

I would like the dock to add a cpu in a future revision.
 
M

Maximo

Member
ckaneo said:
I think Nintendo should have allowed it to dual boot android. I dont know how easily it could be hacked to play switch games though if they did that. In any case that's my biggest problem with it so far, it really is too barebones. There are some nintendo fans on this site who claim that's to keep the messaging clear, but that's silly and makes no sense. More features the better, granted the price is the same.

I dont have a huge problem with the battery. My phone probably last a shorter time if im gaming.

I would like the dock to add a cpu in a future revision.
Click to expand...

Lol out of all the complaints this is the silliest.
 
S

Social

Member
ckaneo said:
I think Nintendo should have allowed it to dual boot android. I dont know how easily it could be hacked to play switch games though if they did that. In any case that's my biggest problem with it so far, it really is too barebones. There are some nintendo fans on this site who claim that's to keep the messaging clear, but that's silly and makes no sense. More features the better, granted the price is the same.
Click to expand...

That's really not a good idea at all. This is a games console/handheld, not a mobile phone. Nintendo is right, focus is important. Allowing Android on the device in a native way would cause loads of potential problems for many consumers. It's also not safe.

Barebones OS that excels at speed and getting straight to the point is the best thing at launch.
 
T

TankRizzo

Banned
ckaneo said:
I think Nintendo should have allowed it to dual boot android. I dont know how easily it could be hacked to play switch games though if they did that. In any case that's my biggest problem with it so far, it really is too barebones. There are some nintendo fans on this site who claim that's to keep the messaging clear, but that's silly and makes no sense. More features the better, granted the price is the same.

I dont have a huge problem with the battery. My phone probably last a shorter time if im gaming.

I would like the dock to add a cpu in a future revision.
Click to expand...


SNGYrNQl.jpg
 
Teran

Teran

Member
2Smashed4U said:
I don't really think that's a good comparison though.

Tablets and etc. are multi-function devices that happen to play games for most people.

I don't know how many people are going to be willing to carry around a relatively large dedicated gaming device, with the Joy-Cons and etc. included.
Click to expand...

The Gameboy series wasn't exactly pocketable either, apart from the SP/Micro. Most people carry bags to work/school, the Switch is definitely portable enough.

Hell, a lot of people prefer the LESS portable 3DS XL. This isn't the era of the Nokia 8210, people are carrying much larger devices around with them.
 
D

Deleted member 10571

Unconfirmed Member
Neon looks SO much better in person than on pictures lol. I expected it to look great, but I was still surprised when I examined one yesterday.
 
M

Majine

Banned
Ghgghggh said:
I believe this will not be. wiiU. I really believe this is going to be a huge hit-- as good or better than 3DS in sales.
Click to expand...

I don't believe it will come close to 3DS sales, but it should beat Wii U. It's a more clear value proposition if nothing else.
 
J

Jashobeam

Member
just think how great this system would be if they waited until summer to release it, we'd have Arms, Mario Kart 8, Zelda, and Splatoon 2 for launch!
 
coughlanio

coughlanio

Member
ckaneo said:
I think Nintendo should have allowed it to dual boot android. I dont know how easily it could be hacked to play switch games though if they did that. In any case that's my biggest problem with it so far, it really is too barebones. There are some nintendo fans on this site who claim that's to keep the messaging clear, but that's silly and makes no sense. More features the better, granted the price is the same.

I dont have a huge problem with the battery. My phone probably last a shorter time if im gaming.

I would like the dock to add a cpu in a future revision.
Click to expand...

If you want a 6 inch 720p tablet just get a $35 Amazon Fire. I'd rather have a device that plays games well and isn't blown wide open year one killing any potential for third party support.
 
coughlanio

coughlanio

Member
Jashobeam said:
just think how great this system would be if they waited until summer to release it, we'd have Arms, Mario Kart 8, Zelda, and Splatoon 2 for launch!
Click to expand...

I think that would be too many first party big hitters for day one. They don't want to cannibalize their own sales. I'm happy with how they're spreading out their titles with good indie stuff filling in the voids.
 
M

Majine

Banned
They should make a theme where the accent color shifts from neon blue on the left side of the screen to neon red on the right. Would cool ballin' with the neon joycons on the sides.
 
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