Alternate history: Switch a generation earlier

[zorg1000]

curl-6 said:

zorg1000 said:

Vita released in early 2012 at $249.99 (likely at a loss), I don’t Nintendo could release an equally powerful device with a dock and detachable controllers for the same price.

A 2011 Switch for $249.99 would probably be more like a Wii+ in terms of visuals. I don’t think mobile tech was quite ready to make a compelling hybrid device in 2011.

For some reason I got my wires crossed and thought Vita came out earlier in 2011.

In light of Pemalite's suggestion (thanks for that btw) let's assume a Tegra 3, so less than Vita but better than 3DS.

Yeah, Vita came out Dec 2011 in Japan and Feb 2012 in America/Europe. So something in between 3DS & Vita would basically be a Wii+. Obviously, Nintendo has shown time and time again that power isn’t everything but Wii couldn’t get many PS3/360 ports so this 2011 version of Switch likely wouldn’t be getting many PS3/360 ports either let alone PS4/XBO ports so the whole idea of it being a hybrid that can act as a legit console doesn’t really work.

What would the “impossible port” equivalents of Doom, Wolfenstein, Witcher, No Man’s Sky, Hellblade, Overwatch, Borderlands be for the 2011 Switch?

Switch was able to successfully pull off the hybrid concept that can act as a home console because mobile tech improved pretty drastically between the 3DS/Vita & Switch releases. Also, diminishing returns have become more apparent in each generation so being between PS3 & PS4 in 2017 isn’t going to look as dated as being between PS2 & PS3 in 2011.

I just don’t think mobile tech was quite where it needed to be in 2011 to pull off the concept.