Nintendo Switch Reset Leak Thoughts
Man, I should really be writing rumours for consoles. Looking more and more like my predictions were accurate.
One of my major predictions a while back was that the most likely thing in a Nintendo Switch refresh would be a unit with Joycons physically attached aimed at the more mobile and more cost friendly crowd.
And that is what this article seems to be saying is looking almost certain.
Granted, I didn't at the time, and still don't think that this is really a hard conclusion to draw. Nintendo is one of the slowest at cranking out truly new hardware. And yet one of the fastest at iterating in this sort of a fashion.
While Sony and Microsoft would see a dip in sales as meaning the time is ripe for a new generation. Nintendo generally sees the first such slump in a successful product line as a chance to convert users of their other systems into consumers of the new platform. The original Switch however, form factor wise, is very close to the Wii and Wii-U, meaning it needs to cannibalize the 3DS users.
But, the 3DS is MUCH less expensive than the Switch and Nintendo likes to sell those Joycons for a pretty penny. The obvious solution is what is rumoured above.
Basically, they don't need to worry about chipset. It is likely already much cheaper for them to buy those SoCs. If it cannot connect to a TV they can ensure that the resolution remains lower which reduces some concerns around thermals and power. Not to mention, the saving likely mean they can afford to cool is a bit better. If it can still be propped up and connect to additional wireless joycons they can even milk accessory sales.
Simply put, this is a move which allows them to move into a market which is unlikely to eat into their main sales channel. And it may even boost sales in the standard Switch.
I wouldn't put much stock into rumours about a Switch Pro, unless it basically ends up being a TV only version of the current Switch. In short, don't expect much if any boost in performance if it does happen.
If a cheaper Switch enters the market, you can probably expect a year or more until a proper refresh happens. At which point it will likely be a totally different beast, even if it does happen to support backwards compatibility. Something in the vein of what the Wii-U was to the Wii.
But, the SoC in the Switch poses some problems for Nintendo. I don't think NVidia really has a viable successor to that chip aimed at what Nintendo is doing with them at the moment.
One of my major predictions a while back was that the most likely thing in a Nintendo Switch refresh would be a unit with Joycons physically attached aimed at the more mobile and more cost friendly crowd.
And that is what this article seems to be saying is looking almost certain.
Granted, I didn't at the time, and still don't think that this is really a hard conclusion to draw. Nintendo is one of the slowest at cranking out truly new hardware. And yet one of the fastest at iterating in this sort of a fashion.
While Sony and Microsoft would see a dip in sales as meaning the time is ripe for a new generation. Nintendo generally sees the first such slump in a successful product line as a chance to convert users of their other systems into consumers of the new platform. The original Switch however, form factor wise, is very close to the Wii and Wii-U, meaning it needs to cannibalize the 3DS users.
But, the 3DS is MUCH less expensive than the Switch and Nintendo likes to sell those Joycons for a pretty penny. The obvious solution is what is rumoured above.
Basically, they don't need to worry about chipset. It is likely already much cheaper for them to buy those SoCs. If it cannot connect to a TV they can ensure that the resolution remains lower which reduces some concerns around thermals and power. Not to mention, the saving likely mean they can afford to cool is a bit better. If it can still be propped up and connect to additional wireless joycons they can even milk accessory sales.
Simply put, this is a move which allows them to move into a market which is unlikely to eat into their main sales channel. And it may even boost sales in the standard Switch.
I wouldn't put much stock into rumours about a Switch Pro, unless it basically ends up being a TV only version of the current Switch. In short, don't expect much if any boost in performance if it does happen.
If a cheaper Switch enters the market, you can probably expect a year or more until a proper refresh happens. At which point it will likely be a totally different beast, even if it does happen to support backwards compatibility. Something in the vein of what the Wii-U was to the Wii.
But, the SoC in the Switch poses some problems for Nintendo. I don't think NVidia really has a viable successor to that chip aimed at what Nintendo is doing with them at the moment.
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