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Forums - Nintendo - Handheld Switch predictions

Frogger on 25 October 2016
Soundwave said:

I don't really personally see the point of cutting off TV output. It likely does not save you much money at all.

Some people really are in a rush to go back to the old Nintendo hardware model, but the whole point of doing the Switch is to try something new.

A smaller version of the Switch, sure that'll be doable with natural die shrinks over time, but no reason to remove the TV output.

You're not magically saving $100 by removing the dock, no way. The price of the dock will probably eventually be like $5-$10 at a manufacturing level when Nintendo is pumping out millions of them. 

Personally I'd rather have a larger NS. A lot of the stuff they showed in the trailer and playing together is going to be shit on a 6-inch screen. You need at least a 8-9 inch display to comfortably have people gather around like that minimum. 

The point is to give the switch a unique selling point that the other models don't have. You can't dock the handheld because they'll already have a dockable system. The handheld should strictly be for cheap, "in your pocket" portability. No Joy Cons and no docking. Same with a traditional console Switch machine. It should just be a home console unit that doubles as a dock for people who already own a Switch and that's all. If you want a home console, you get the Switch Pro. If you want a home console experience that isn't shackled to your television screen, you get a Switch. If you want a pocket sized handheld, you get the Switch Lite. Buy whatever Switch device matches your preferences. 



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wombat123 on 25 October 2016
spemanig said:

The point is to give the switch a unique selling point that the other models don't have. You can't dock the handheld because they'll already have a dockable system. The handheld should strictly be for cheap, "in your pocket" portability. No Joy Cons and no docking. Same with a traditional console Switch machine. It should just be a home console unit that doubles as a dock for people who already own a Switch and that's all. If you want a home console, you get the Switch Pro. If you want a home console experience that isn't shackled to your television screen, you get a Switch. If you want a pocket sized handheld, you get the Switch Lite. Buy whatever Switch device matches your preferences. 

The need for handheld/console-only models depends entirely on the NS's price to me.  If it's expensive and doesn't have any major consumer-friendly price-cuts within its first two years (like the Wii-U), then those simplified models would make sense.  If it's priced well, then I think Nintendo could just get away with making smaller models that are more battery efficient in the future.



bonzobanana on 25 October 2016

I'd be surprised if there wasn't a dedicated portable down the line. Fixed joypads, smaller screen and more pocket friendly. Might require a higher density fabrication process but I think it will happen assuming the Switch isn't a huge flop. Japan especially would appreciate such a model and no doubt will be available in many colours and special editions. You have a single software library but there is no reason to restrict the hardware to a single device.

Down the line we may get TV's with built in switch compatibility.

We aren't talking state of the art here with huge cooling issues we are talking about a chipset which is immensively flexible in how it can be configured.

We could see a Nintendo LED projector with switch compatibility that you can use in any room or a dedicated VR helmet or visor.



NeoRhodos on 25 October 2016

There WON'T be another handheld. Switch replaces both. Nintendo is just marketing it as a home console because they want to sell their remaining 3DS stuff.



Slimebeast on 26 October 2016

Nobody wants a handheld even smaller and more limited than the Switch. That's the bottom line of the reactions to this thread.

The question we should ask is how can we get a Nintendo device that offers Xbox One level of performance or higher?



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Soundwave on 26 October 2016

The main problem with the theory is the basic idea that if you cut out the dock that somehow you save a ton of money thus allowing a "Switch Portable" to be much cheaper. It would be basically the same price.

Especially at the rate Nintendo will be mass producing the docks (several million per year for the standard model), they'll likely be getting them for like $10 or less a pop. It's just an HDMI pass through and some rudimentary hardware with two USB ports.

Dropping the dock and batteries in Joycons saves you maybe $20. So your system is $230 instead of $250. Whoopity doo, I'd rather pay the extra $20 even if I rarely used the TV feature + Joycons. Also I would bet dollars to donughts, custom Joycons are definitely coming.

GameCube Joycon. Kirby Trackball Joycon for Kirby game. Special Pokemon Joycons. Etc. etc. etc. It's going to be a central part of the NS concept I bet. You will be locked out of this functionality with such a model.

Nintendo could offer it, but I think it would amount to niche sales, kind of like a crappier selling 2DS. 



Jranation on 26 October 2016

The thing that im liking now is that it is very simple.

Nintendo made the concept easy to understand and probably to use as well.

This whole dividing things will make it even more confusing.



Pocky Lover Boy! 

JRPGfan on 26 October 2016
Soundwave said:
You run into problems once you start shrinking the Switch as well.

Like standard Joy-Cons ... how does that work? Does Nintendo have to start selling all of them in different sizes?

What about games that ship with their own custom Joycon? This is definitely going to be a thing, will those work on the smaller unit?

What about games like Just Dance that need the TV? Those won't play at all I guess?

There's a lot of issues, I think in reality too a Switch XL will outsell a Switch Mini. People will prefer a bigger screen, not a even smaller one.

^ this.

Ive been saying it all along, a smaller Switch or a 3DS successor will just mess things up.

Nintendo just need to believe in their product and hope they didnt price it too high.



Conina on 26 October 2016
Soundwave said:

The main problem with the theory is the basic idea that if you cut out the dock that somehow you save a ton of money thus allowing a "Switch Portable" to be much cheaper. It would be basically the same price.

Especially at the rate Nintendo will be mass producing the docks (several million per year for the standard model), they'll likely be getting them for like $10 or less a pop. It's just an HDMI pass through and some rudimentary hardware with two USB ports.

Dropping the dock and batteries in Joycons saves you maybe $20. So your system is $230 instead of $250. Whoopity doo, I'd rather pay the extra $20 even if I rarely used the TV feature + Joycons. Also I would bet dollars to donughts, custom Joycons are definitely coming.

Yeah, they should keep the dock for recharging and the TV-mode even for a handheld version with unseperable Joy-Cons.

But I'd love to get a more Vita-sized "Switch Lite" with the same display size but smaller bezels and not seperable Joy-Cons. With only one big battery instead of 3 small ones and with 2 less wireless transmitters, they should be able to shrink it to something like this:

At home I'd dock the Switch with Joy-Cons attached anyways and use a Pro controller. So I don't really need detachable Joy-Cons.



Soundwave on 26 October 2016
Conina said:
Soundwave said:

The main problem with the theory is the basic idea that if you cut out the dock that somehow you save a ton of money thus allowing a "Switch Portable" to be much cheaper. It would be basically the same price.

Especially at the rate Nintendo will be mass producing the docks (several million per year for the standard model), they'll likely be getting them for like $10 or less a pop. It's just an HDMI pass through and some rudimentary hardware with two USB ports.

Dropping the dock and batteries in Joycons saves you maybe $20. So your system is $230 instead of $250. Whoopity doo, I'd rather pay the extra $20 even if I rarely used the TV feature + Joycons. Also I would bet dollars to donughts, custom Joycons are definitely coming.

Yeah, they should keep the dock for recharging and the TV-mode even for a handheld version with unseperable Joy-Cons.

But I'd love to get a more Vita-sized "Switch Lite" with the same display size but smaller bezels and not seperable Joy-Cons. With only one big battery instead of 3 small ones and with 2 less wireless transmitters, they should be able to shrink it to something like this:

At home I'd dock the Switch with Joy-Cons attached anyways and use a Pro controller. So I don't really need detachable Joy-Cons.

I agree a revision in the future could cut out the bezel (or perhaps just make the screen bigger). 

However, I'm not so sure about non-removal Joy-Cons. For one, if you don't like taking them off, then don't take them off. Like is there some unspeakable urge to have to take them off if you don't want to? lol. 

Second, what happens if there is a Joy Con add-on that you want? Like a GameCube controller Joy Con? I can tell you straight away looking at the device, I definitely want a Joy Con with a *real* d-pad on it, not C-buttons.