Nintendo Switch based on older Maxwell Architecture

By +Asmodai
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+Asmodai MVC

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Well that really dampens my enthusiasm.  Apparently it's a modified Tegra X1 and not "Parker" let alone "Xavier" based.

 

If that's the case it better be darn cheap, like under $200 just like the Shield Android TV console that NVidia makes which also uses the Tegra X1 SoC.

You can get a PS4 now for $250, I'm not paying that much for a significantly weaker system... even if it is convertible.

 

Also nVidia is rumored to be launching a new Shield Android TV as CES 2017 in January (before the Switch launches)... it will most likely be Parker based, if not Xavier and if it is then the Switch sure as heck better be priced lower.

 

Finally I think this puts to rest any notion of major 3rd party support coming back to Nintendo.  While Sony and Microsoft are pushing ahead with the PS4 Pro and Project Scorpio the Switch will be even weaker than the launch Xbox One so it likely STILL won't get versions of the top tier multi-platform games.

 

I never thought the Switch would be as powerful as the PS4, LPDDR4 RAM just can't compete and with GDDR5 RAM but I thought it would be much closer to the launch Xbox One performance... apparently I expected too much.  Again I still may get it if it's priced relative to its performance, my enthusiasm took a serious hit with this news though.

 

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Grand Master

compl3x

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23 hours ago, Co_Co said:

Nintendo is for children and has been for a long time. 

 

Which is the one thing that was conspicuously absent from the initial trailer.

 

At the end of the day, you buy a Nintendo system for the exclusives. You either love Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong, Pokemon, Mario kart, etc. enough to buy a system just to play them or you don't.

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Mindovermaster Moderator

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1 minute ago, compl3x said:

 

Which is the one thing that was conspicuously absent from the initial trailer.

Not really the greatest point, either. Always expect Nintendo for the younger crew. Look at the past...

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compl3x

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Just now, Mindovermaster said:

Not really the greatest point, either. Always expect Nintendo for the younger crew. Look at the past...

 

Not including children or families in their initial advertising is just an interesting observation. I wasn't trying to make any point beyond the fact that I and others noticed it.

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Mindovermaster Moderator

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3 hours ago, compl3x said:

 

Not including children or families in their initial advertising is just an interesting observation. I wasn't trying to make any point beyond the fact that I and others noticed it.

Have they ever done that before? Did they ever say it is for the younger generation?

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astropheed Veteran

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I don't really understand why the performance of the system is that big of a deal to you. It can bring costs down, and the games (although slightly uglier) will still play the same.

 

When I can have hours and hours of fun on NES, SNES, N64, Playstation, Playstation 2, Playstation 3, Wii, Wii U, Xbox, Xbox 360, all of which less powerful than the Switch, then surely this being less powerful than a PS4 does not matter one single bit. Don't fall for the performance marketing.

 

If you like it, like it, if you don't... don't. 

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compl3x

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5 hours ago, Mindovermaster said:

Have they ever done that before? Did they ever say it is for the younger generation?

You're getting way too defensive.

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TPreston

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I don't care if its powered by sodding moon rocks as long as we get plenty of new Zelda and Metroid games.

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Dick Montage

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5 hours ago, Mindovermaster said:

Have they ever done that before? Did they ever say it is for the younger generation?

They have aimed at the "family" market since the 2000s in their adverts.

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Mindovermaster Moderator

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2 hours ago, compl3x said:

You're getting way too defensive.

No, I'm not, I just asked a question...

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Mindovermaster Moderator

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3 hours ago, compl3x said:

 

I'm just asking questions!

Great, so we're on the same boat! Yay! :D

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HawkMan

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On 12/15/2016 at 3:39 AM, Co_Co said:

Nintendo is for children and has been for a long time. 

Actually, it's for people who just enjoy playing good games and don't necessarily need to sit down for 6 hour sessions every time they pick up a controller to get somewhere in the game

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Asharae

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Although I still want this and will probably still get it, WHY NINTENDO CANT YOU JUST COMPETE LIKE YOU USED TO?!

 

Its like they have learnt nothing from WiiU :(

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Jason S. Global Moderator

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im not at all suprised by this. these systems are always designed over years, not months. Maxwell was probably the latest thing when they finalized the hardware.

 

as much as i wanted Nintendo to compete w/ Sony and MS, those days are long over apparently...

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+Asmodai MVC

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14 hours ago, astropheed said:

I don't really understand why the performance of the system is that big of a deal to you. It can bring costs down, and the games (although slightly uglier) will still play the same.

 I'm not sure who this was directed to but I can tell you why it's a big deal to me.  I believe one of the major contributors to the failure of the Wii U was that it's performance was so much weaker than its rivals that when a 3rd party dev ported a game from the other two platforms to it the performance was so bad they had to essentially rewrite the game to get acceptable performance.  That was something they just weren't willing to do and so 3rd party support went away.  You can agree or disagree with that as there is no way to PROVE it one way or the other but if you're seriously asking why it's a big deal to some people that's a possible explanation.

 

I believe a Pascal based 16nm SoC released in 2017 would be able to get "close enough" in performance to the 28nm launch XBox One from 2013 for developers to port multi-platform AAA titles to it without having to rewrite them for an underpowered system.  I never imagined it would compete with the launch PS4 with it's stronger GPU and GDDR5 RAM let alone the PS4 Pro or Project Scorpio but even when Project Scorpio comes out next year the games are still going to support the launch Xbox One so that's the target Nintendo needed to get "close enough" to (not necessarily even beat).  I don't believe the 2 year old 20nm Maxwell tech will be able to do that... I hope I'm wrong.

 

If the 3rd party multi-platform games don't come back to Nintendo then it's going to be just another Wii U.  "Performance doesn't matter" is what they said about the Wii U too.  I have no doubt the Switch will have superb first party games, just like the Wii U did... but as we've seen having amazing first party games isn't enough to sell new game systems.  If you just want fun older games then there are a bunch of new retro consoles out that are much cheaper that include a ton of games right out of the box.

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astropheed Veteran

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2 hours ago, Asmodai said:

 I'm not sure who this was directed to but I can tell you why it's a big deal to me.  I believe one of the major contributors to the failure of the Wii U was that it's performance was so much weaker than its rivals that when a 3rd party dev ported a game from the other two platforms to it the performance was so bad they had to essentially rewrite the game to get acceptable performance.  That was something they just weren't willing to do and so 3rd party support went away.  You can agree or disagree with that as there is no way to PROVE it one way or the other but if you're seriously asking why it's a big deal to some people that's a possible explanation.

 

I believe a Pascal based 16nm SoC released in 2017 would be able to get "close enough" in performance to the 28nm launch XBox One from 2013 for developers to port multi-platform AAA titles to it without having to rewrite them for an underpowered system.  I never imagined it would compete with the launch PS4 with it's stronger GPU and GDDR5 RAM let alone the PS4 Pro or Project Scorpio but even when Project Scorpio comes out next year the games are still going to support the launch Xbox One so that's the target Nintendo needed to get "close enough" to (not necessarily even beat).  I don't believe the 2 year old 20nm Maxwell tech will be able to do that... I hope I'm wrong.

 

If the 3rd party multi-platform games don't come back to Nintendo then it's going to be just another Wii U.  "Performance doesn't matter" is what they said about the Wii U too.  I have no doubt the Switch will have superb first party games, just like the Wii U did... but as we've seen having amazing first party games isn't enough to sell new game systems.  If you just want fun older games then there are a bunch of new retro consoles out that are much cheaper that include a ton of games right out of the box.

I disagree entirely and have seen that more of an excuse from developers to not develop for a weak selling system. The reason the games aren't coming to Wii U is because the confidence people (consumers, developers) have in it; none. The Wii, for example, had waaaaaay too many games and it was anything but a powerhouse. It's all just an excuse. This is propagated through posts like these thinking that this is a genuine reason. Shifting the blame to Nintendo and basically forcing them to create overly expensive consoles that are entirely irrelevant and didn't need the power boost. At this point in time the return in pretty graphics is quickly diminishing. It's not like the leap from PS1 to PS2 or even PS2 to PS3. PS3 to PS4 is really not all that great.

 

I'm not saying it's not difficult to develop a game for X86 and then port it over to ARM, but I can tell you if the numbers make sense they'll bloody well do it. If Switch is for some reason the next Wii (everyone, their dog, and their grandma have one) then I 100% guarantee you the games will come, no problem.

 

You need to get over this mentality that a console won't sell because it's under-powered and stop falling for the graphics meme. "If you want the best you need to get THIS system, it has bigger numbers in the specs sheet!" Bologna!

 

If you like it, buy it. If you don't.... don't.

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+Warwagon MVC

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23 minutes ago, astropheed said:

You need to get over this mentality that a console won't sell because it's under-powered.

 
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Correct. Look at the game Wii sports, It's so simple... graphics aren't anything to write home to mom about, but the bowling and golf are so much fun! Did you know the actual size of Will Sports came out to around 150 megs.

 

Back when the Wii came out, the local Eagles club got one. Everyone, including people 40 - 70 .. played the crap out of it. Mostly bowing.

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Tomoko

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Graphics and processing power are really overrated I think. As long as the games are fun that is all that matters. Just look how popular the NES Classic is and that's technology from the 1980s, and how popular World of Warcraft still is even though it does not exactly have cutting edge graphics. Even Minecraft is popular and it looks like a DOS game. As long as they have great games for the Switch it will sell just fine.

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Vandalsquad

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On 12/17/2016 at 10:29 AM, warwagon said:

 

Correct. Look at the game Wii sports, It's so simple... graphics aren't anything to write home to mom about, but the bowling and golf are so much fun! Did you know the actual size of Will Sports came out to around 150 megs.

 

Back when the Wii came out, the local Eagles club got one. Everyone, including people 40 - 70 .. played the crap out of it. Mostly bowing.

I think we need to stop using the wii as a reason for power not being a factor with sales at Nintendo, it was a fluke and gimmick forgotten quickly after. The hours those Wii consoles ended up getting used for in the long run compared to the PS3/360 hurt them when people looked at the U. They target these systems at kids and families but families aren't shelling money out for something that doesn't get used.

 

I remember this exact same argument years ago with the launch of the U, it will sell great, Nintendo games will sell the console, It doesn't need power.

 

What did they give us with their IPs but?

 

Pokemon, nothing.

Zelda...? Still waiting even when the console is ending production that may be cancelled?

Rehashed Mario no different than Wii.

Terrible terrible Star Fox.

An admitably decent Mario Kart

 

 

This console will struggle to sell again, and I would be surprised to see another Nintendo console after it as sad as that is if it does do badly.

 

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