The Nintendo Thread of Existential Doom

[Ludendorkk]

HDR support was not the problem with Link's Awakening and Echoes of Wisdom. Hopefully they understand the framerate issues. Should be fairly easy to fix but I'm not a developer so wtf do I know. Maybe the "visuals optimized" means they fixed the FPS. Less than three weeks and I'll find out.

Those games already target 60fps, their framerate issues are due to how the vsync responses to performance kerfuffles. Hopefully this means the Switch 2's much higher specifications will ensure that they will run smoothly at their intented performance through simple brute force

 

[Becksworth]

I wonder how games implementing dynamic resolutions are going to look too. Like that one corner of the map in the Xenoblade I expansion where it goes full on smeared vaseline.

 

[Sarge]

Yeah, that's one of the things I'm looking forward to seeing - will be fascinating to see if Xenoblade 2 can avoid dipping into 342p territory.

 

[Olli]

I wonder how games implementing dynamic resolutions are going to look too. Like that one corner of the map in the Xenoblade I expansion where it goes full on smeared vaseline.

I first thought this was a bit about the late-game gear which has everyone looking like they're in their underwear but also well protected

 

[SpoonyBard]

New Game Boy updates!

 

[RT-55J]

Aw yeah. Sword of Hope.

 

[Kazin]

Play Survival Kids, ya'll. Incredible they remembered it.

 

[Octopus Prime]

Gradius: The Interstellar Assault is a *really* impressive shooter for its vintage

 

[Vaeran]

My fellow Alarmoheads will be thrilled to know we finally got the Animal Crossing update yesterday, thus fulfilling all the themes promised at launch. Will there be more to come? No man can say.

I like some of the new alarms, but I picked Morning Coffee as my first one (the Roost music, with Brewster's deep-voiced gibberish over it) and it startled me awake this morning because my dumb sleep-brain thought it was someone in my bedroom actually speaking to me.

One problem with the ACNH theme is that the time is really hard to read when the clock dims, as the white digits all have a rectangular light tan background to them. After trying them all, for my money you can't beat the Breath of the Wild theme, especially the sleepy sounds. Drifting off to the ambient noises of nighttime Hyrule is just so relaxing.

 

[4-So]

Well, at least the mentions of Iwata were nice.

I know the wow factor of "portable console" isn't there now and you gotta sell the machine somehow but I'm left to wonder who this kind of thing is for. Certainly not Nintendo diehards who never cared to begin with and certainly not the tech enthusiast crowd who in some circles are already poo-pooing that "it's just a PS4". Maybe it's just me but it's weird seeing Nintendo double down on the tech and compute in the machine, like a snacksized Mark Cerny presentation.

 

[R.R. Bigman]

Maybe trying to justify the increased prices? It does seem like the first time Nintendo has focused on raw hardware since the GameCube.

For people In The Know, how does the Switch 2 stack up to the Steam Deck and the other portable consoles that have popped up in the Switch 1’s wake?

 

[Phantoon]

Play Survival Kids, ya'll. Incredible they remembered it.

Survival Kids 2 is out very shortly, Konami aren't completely stupid

 

[Octopus Prime]

Wow, they really *did* listen to feedback from that NSO release

 

[4-So]

For people In The Know, how does the Switch 2 stack up to the Steam Deck and the other portable consoles that have popped up in the Switch 1’s wake?

Steam Deck is more like a portable PC than console, which may or may not be an important distinction. Probably depends on context.

Switch 2 seems to be a capable machine, similar to a portable PS4 in terms of horsepower. Beyond horsepower though, outside of minor differences, the Switch 2 is for anyone who wants the latest and greatest from Nintendo (and the pros and cons of engaging in that walled garden), whereas the Steam Deck feels more like a PC, open format, can work as an emulation machine, etc.

 

[Sarcasmorator]

Also needs occasional tinkering or futzing with settings to get some games to work. Generally it plays things at "looks good" levels.

 

[R.R. Bigman]

I do have a Steam Deck, and it can run some pretty big games. Based on the Most Played in the Store, at least. I just use it for small and older games.

The Switch 2 being compared to a portable PS4 sounds off to me. I assumed the original Switch was near that level of power. I am not a Tech Person, though.

 

[4-So]

The original Switch had less horsepower than the base PS4 and Xbox One, although comparisons are relative because components are different between the consoles. It was, by most accounts, an underpowered machine at launch, much less in the current moment. (Not trying to relitigate the term "underpowered" here.)

As far as I can tell from reading some articles over the past few weeks from people who measure this stuff, the relative power of the Switch 2 is closer to a PS4 Pro but stuff like DLSS ensures it can punch above its weight class (at least when docked). I know there was a video that showed Street Fighter 6 performs closer to PS5 on Switch 2 than it does to PS4. As always, performance (whatever that means and however you measure it) will depend on the software.

 

[Sarge]

I think what we're going to see is that hardware-wise, the Switch 2 will be PS4 class, maybe a smidge more, but probably not as powerful as the Steam Deck (but in the ballpark, with some advanced features). But it will benefit from having specific, targeted builds of games whereas the Deck is a hit-or-miss affair on if the dev tailors a Deck-approved experience.

 

[Sarcasmorator]

I think Nintendo might have a slight advantage on the Steam Deck in that games are more likely to be optimized for it. A lot of stuff doesn't really work seamlessly on it yet. I've definitely got a few things that are "good enough to play" but no better.

 

[Sarge]

Right, exactly. Having a fixed mass market target for devs to build for will likely put the Switch 2 performance over the Steam Deck in most ways, even if on paper it may be a bit weaker. Deck struggles because as far as I know, it's just running the full fat PC version of games. There's only so much that tweaking settings can get you, even if engines are often more scalable than in the past.

 

[Bongo]

Switch 2 is getting some impressive-looking ports of games that don't run very well on Steam Deck. In general you can count on most cross-platform games running better on Switch 2 than on Steam Deck, but individual exceptions are likely. It's about in the same ballpark as a PS4.

 

[WisteriaHysteria]

Survival Kids 2 is out very shortly, Konami aren't completely stupid

Trailers for that game do not look good at all

 

[Becksworth]

I think Nintendo might have a slight advantage on the Steam Deck in that games are more likely to be optimized for it. A lot of stuff doesn't really work seamlessly on it yet. I've definitely got a few things that are "good enough to play" but no better.

A good example is despite Valve claiming it is SteamDeck verified, Street Fighter 6 runs like ass on there, meanwhile the Switch 2 version looks light years better performance wise.

Also some devs have pointed out that the PS4 comparison is kind of a misnomer, as it's more like a PS4 if it had double the RAM, DLSS, and SSD read speeds as standard, and those three things mean it can punch well above its expected weight class.

 

[4-So]

Wario64 posted some notes from Nintendo. As expected, some Switch 1 titles have been updated with better visuals (whatever that means, I assume framerate but no idea) and HDR support. Guess I'll have to revisit Super Mario Odyssey and finally finish it. I mean, I guess. And also replay Link's Awakening. And Echoes of Wisdom. And Super Mario Bros. Wonder. And maybe even dip into Breath of the Kingdom again.

Nintendo giving me a reason to play games. What a burden.

 

[gogglebob]

I know the wow factor of "portable console" isn't there now and you gotta sell the machine somehow but I'm left to wonder who this kind of thing is for. Certainly not Nintendo diehards who never cared to begin with and certainly not the tech enthusiast crowd who in some circles are already poo-pooing that "it's just a PS4". Maybe it's just me but it's weird seeing Nintendo double down on the tech and compute in the machine, like a snacksized Mark Cerny presentation.

Not distinctly aimed at you, but also others I have seen express similar sentiments...

Pokemon Scarlet/Violet is the sixth best selling Nintendo Switch title of all time, and one of two games in the top ten that was released in 2022 or later (the other being Tears of the Kingdom, which is #8). That is a game with a quantifiably huge install base. It is also a game that I have never seen anyone shut up about low frame rates, choppy gameplay, playable characters riding invisible bicycles (well, dragon-monsters), and whatever is the most derogatory term you can use for "pikachu just spawned on the moon for some reason". There is definitely a large Nintendo fanbase that wants the latest Nintendo system to be a powerhouse, even if they don't quite know why/how to vocalize "please make this better".

 

[otakujeb]

To be extremely reductive, the Switch 1 was roughly a portable Wii U, which itself was a bit more powerful than a PS3. The Switch 2 seems to have hardware around the specs of a PS4 Pro on paper, but with software advancements that allow it to perform in the ballpark of an Xbox Series S.

The Switch 2 and Steam Deck look to be roughly on par with each other, both performing similar to a current budget gaming PC (side note, I built a budget gaming PC last year and am very happy with its performance). Notably the Switch 2 is lighter and has a better screen, and has the "Console Advantage" of more closely optimized development.

 

[MetManMas]

Survival Kids 2 is out very shortly, Konami aren't completely stupid

There was already a Survival Kids 2 in Japan and the Japanese Lost in Blue games all had Survival Kids (née Stranded Kids) in the name preceding the Lost in Blue title.

So new Survival Kids would be more like Survival Kids 3. Or 7.

Pretty different from what I wanted for a sequel tho

 

[Daikaiju]

No letter from Nintendo since the "We remember you exist!" note.

 

[otakujeb]

No letter from Nintendo since the "We remember you exist!" note.

Heck, I never even got THAT email. I'm very glad I got a Walmart pre-order.

 

[4-So]

Meanwhile, Best Buy has sent me like five separate emails to verify payment information and to be sure I know there's a midnight launch.

Does anyone know if friend codes or whatever get transferred over if you are using the S1 -> S2 transfer option or am I going to have to re-friend a ton of people?