imthesoldier

My personal opinion is compared to previous generations of consoles, Nintendo won't do a hard cut off this time around, and instead have a transition period of say 1-2 years of cross-gen games. It would follow a similar route that Sony is doing with the PS4 to the PS5, which in their case is proving quite successful from a business sense. 

Nintendo would be stupid to force their +120 million install base, and simply drop the Switch 1, and immediately go buy the Switch 2. That's how you lose momentum, and users, at least that's how I look at it. 

I don't foresee this as a typical generational transition, and past precedent I don't think we can exactly rely on. 

15 minutes ago, gamer.tv said:

Everyone should replay Perfect Dark and realise how good its campaign actually is. 

I honestly miss those kinds of shooters of the late 90s, and early 2000s. Especially when you consider how much replayability Perfect Dark had back in its way, plus the different difficulties, the unlockables, etc. There was a ton of stuff. Not to mention there's the multiplayer, which with the added AI Bots, made it even more exciting and fun imo. 

Another famed example of this approach is No One Lives Forever, but I doubt we'll ever get another sequel to that...let alone a remaster/remake/reboot of it due to licensing issues. 

6 minutes ago, stepee said:

 

Yeah that is a good point, I was just thinking in my head if it was the more the same as the ROG but obviously it’s not going to be nearly as thick as that so whatever nvidia chip (i stopped following chip rumors after the switch pro debacle) is going to need to be running at way lower tdp than 15w.

 

I didn’t realize that the switch drew so little power while docked still though. They really should just add an undocked plug in turbo mode then if it’s still only 15w and design it for whatever cooling is needed there.

 

Seems like a waste to have the docked not be able to draw more than 15w, but I suppose nvidia just doesn’t make any chips that scale in a way that makes sense in a 7.5/30w split configuration.

If you overclock the Switch, it'll run 20w, maybe more, and that is I believe for both Logan, and Mariko chips. The advantage for Mariko running overclocked though is it can go beyond what Logan can do overclocked (Mariko can do I think 2.1GHz overclocked for the CPU), and as such, can run say Zelda TOTK at 60fps. 

The ROG Ally will be plenty powerful for its size, plus its power output, although some videos have pointed out that at <15 watts I think it is, the Steam Deck is more efficient, and produces better performance compared to the ROG Ally. The Ally's advantage is that it can go beyond the Deck's 15w TDP for the APU. That, and if you really want to, you can dock it with an eGPU for even better performance. 

26 minutes ago, crispy4000 said:

 

Last of Us Factions 2, Beyond Good & Evil 2, Silksong, Everwild, Indiana Jones, Fable, etc

And Silksong out of that list you posted is the only one I'm dying to play. 

4 minutes ago, crispy4000 said:

Announced too early.

Perfect Dark, Metroid Prime 4, Elder Scrolls 6. I know there's more to name, but what am I missing from that "Announced too early list?" 

On 6/5/2023 at 2:29 PM, Spork3245 said:

Nvidia RTX 4000 Super specs leak is VRAM heaven | PCGamesN

WWW.PCGAMESN.COM

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Nvidia is worried by Intel Battlemage and AMD competition if recent RTX 4000 Super specs leaks are anything to go by, with lots of VRAM for reasonable prices.

Take these rumors with a grain of salt, but interesting if true. 4060 Super 12gb, 4070 Super 16gb, 4080 Super 20gb, 4090 Super 24gb (and $2k  )

I was just realizing that when I upgraded to my current RTX 3060, I went from 2GB on the GTX 770 to the 12GB that I have now. So if I continue that trend in terms of upgrades, I'll have to wait until a mainstream GPU has 72GB of VRAM. Then I'll have all the VRAM I'll ever need. 

But seriously, the 4070 Super looks to be a much better proposition compared to the normal one, and the 4080 seems better too. Just don't like those prices because fuck that noise. 

2 minutes ago, MarSolo said:

My worry is Nintendo is going to want to find a new way to “innovate” the next console. So it won’t be a “console that’s also a handheld” it’ll be something that’s… I don’t know… weird?

I keep going back to this from time to time, and wonder if perhaps this time, due to the concept of "Gaming-On-The-Go" being not a fad, but a genuinely good way to game, and provide flexibility, they'll stick with what works, and simply make improvements to the existing design. 

So things like better HD rumble (I hear PS5's is very good), Hall Effect Sticks, scrolling L/R bumpers, improved Gyro (240hz refresh vs. 60hz), better screen, better battery, etc. It can all be done. I get the impression the only real way to "innovate" would be "VR-On-The-Go," and that I think is years away, next decade even imo. 

I suppose they could expand their Labo stuff to test the waters more before going balls deep into it, but yeah. It'll be interesting to see how Nintendo approaches this transition. 

7 minutes ago, Mr.Vic20 said:

We now live in a perpetual cycle of "still a few years off". 

It seems we had some of that the last decade, but it appears to be happening more and more this decade, and I fear it'll be a typical PR tagline for big development games from here on out. With as much complexity, costs, and simply the sheer size of these games, I'm not surprised, yet still feel some sadness. 

I worry with budgets ballooning, the added complexities of the software, and simply gamers just sick of waiting will cause a "recession" in gaming, though not to the extent of the 1983 crash. I'd like to be wrong though, and at least compared to back then, there are far more platforms, far more teams, and far more gamers to have appetites wet. In general, there's still a little something for everyone. 

And if things go that bad, we still have our classics to fall back on. 

20 hours ago, stepee said:

One thing to keep in mind when comparing the theoretical Switch 2 to other systems is power draw. So Switch 2 handheld would be running 15w max so even if it’s like the ROG it still will struggle with current gen without- further compromise/dlss stuff/nvidia’s chip being simply more powerful or something. I doubt Nintendo will have different performance profile when plugged in handheld but who knows.

 

On the other hand that also means that in docked mode it can suck power beyond even the pc handhelds since it doesn’t need to worry about heat either. So it will obviously be a lot more powerful than the deck in that regard as the deck never goes above 15w no matter how it’s plugged in. If the chip performed as well as ROG does 25-30watt, it’s already doing 1080p well, they already hit 4k dlss performance level for the internal native res.

Switch 2 w/ the Tegra Drake would be more like 5-7 watts package power in handheld, and like 15w in docked, maybe 20w in some cases, so on par with Switch 1 in essence. In terms of raw horsepower, it still puts it broadly similar to the APU in the Steam Deck, but with the added benefit of Tensor, and RT Cores, and simply a more modern feature set. 

As far as BC is concerned, what I can see happening is when running Switch 1 games in handheld mode, the BC mode will run games on the "docked" profile of the Switch 1's power, though this I'm assuming the Switch 2 will use a 1080p panel instead of 720p, which ultimately could go either way. 

Switch 2 more than likely is going to leverage DLSS heavily to reach 4K, though some games will natively use 4K. But I could see the same with handheld mode too. Say it is a 1080p screen, internally render it at 540p, and DLSS upscale it to 1080p, which is the same leap as 1080p internal to DLSS upscale to 4K is in Docked mode. 

2 minutes ago, Pikachu said:

What's the best tv for gaming?

The one you own.

(Still rockin' a mid-2000s 1080p Samsung that is a whopping 37".) 

More importantly, I wonder if this'll have Steam Deck support. In theory, it should given the use of an internal nvme SSD, but even in the case of the hardware, wonder if it'll run it decent enough. 

"A game so impressive, so advanced, it can only run on the power of the PS5's hardware with its super fast SSD!" 

"Oh, hey. It runs on this small little handheld called the Steam Deck. What was it again about the power of the PS5?" 

"..."

On 5/29/2023 at 9:29 PM, Keyser_Soze said:

 

Nintendo Says Dolphin Emulator on Steam 'Harms Development and Ultimately Stifles Innovation' - IGN

WWW.IGN.COM

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Nintendo has explained why it issued a cease and desist order against Wii and GameCube emulator Dolphin over its launch on Steam, saying its existence "harms development and ultimately stifles innovation".

 

It's interesting that they make a big deal with Dolphin (though MVG on YT did state that the encryption keys for the Wii are in the source code, so that would help explain the big stink Nintendo is making), and yet Retroarch remains on Steam without issue to my knowledge. 

EDIT: So in theory, if the Dolphin team go on to say, "Hey we removed the BIOS/Keys from the source code to be in compliance, so you'll have to source that yourselves," then they might be in the clear again to resubmit it on Steam. 

Just last night, I booted up BOTW on Switch. Previously, I played BOTW on Wii U (yeah. I bought it on the Wii U), and of course loved it. Playing it on Switch for the first time, even in handheld mode makes me think, "Damn, this still looks good 6 years later." 

And I have no doubt TOTK will look, and play at minimum, as good as BOTW. 

17 hours ago, Keyser_Soze said:

Dolphin coming to steam so you don't have to jump through any hoops to get it on your deck

 

Dolphin Emulator - Coming Soon: Dolphin on Steam!

DOLPHIN-EMU.ORG

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We are pleased to announce our great experiment - Dolphin is coming to Steam! Our store page is now live, and you can visit it with the handy widget below. However, due to how Steam works, you won't be able to download the emulator through Steam just yet. Feel free to wishlist us to be notified when Dolphin is available to download on Steam!

 

Between this, and currently Retroarch, there's probably not much else we'll need for our emulating needs. 

9 minutes ago, Kal-El814 said:

That’s what they WANT us to think

 

But you’re probably right.

Wouldn't be the first time a company misdirected us. Kojima had us all fooled in MGS2. 

2 minutes ago, Kal-El814 said:

 

I kinda hope this is before BotW and sets up the events that lead to the calamity, but who knows?

I think it's already been established this is a direct sequel to BOTW ala OoT and MM. 

9 hours ago, crispy4000 said:

 

 

Some nice improvements from BOTW, but obviously doesn't answer the question of why the Shiekah towers, and shrines are gone. Though they did point out a Shrine that has become stone, and has a glowing halo above it. Then there's those other towers, plus the increased draw distance. Makes me think there are several new areas to explore that weren't the case in BOTW. 

Given TOTK is about 50% larger in terms of file size compared to BOTW, there are definitely new places to explore. 

21 hours ago, Brian said:

@imthesoldier

Saw that earlier today. I'm honestly still quite excited for the Framework 16, and given I've been using a Mid-2014 15" Macbook Pro since about 2016, I think I'm getting ready for an upgrade. Yes, that would mean doing away with MacOS, but I'd be fine with that overall. I've also considered going the Linux route, or at least giving it a go, so we'll see. I overall like MacOS, and it's ease of convenience, plus everything syncing between devices, but I've about had it with Apple in recent years because of their anti-consumer, and anti-right-to-repair mentality because apparently Apple knows their customers better than the customers know themselves.

My guess is by next month, or so when Pre-Orders come up, we'll know all the nitty gritty details of specs, and such. Given the 13.5" display has a 2256x1504 resolution, for a 16" screen, we're looking at something like an 1800p display at the same PPI, which would be pretty good. 4K would be overkill IMO.

Also curious on the kind of dGPU they'll use, but probably nVidia since they have mobile chips ready to go, and they might be able to source some 30-series cards on a value deal (say a 3070, and 3080 mobile GPUs).

I'll be keeping my eyes on the Framework 16 as we get closer to launch.

1 hour ago, stepee said:

 

Makes sense!

 

In other news guess who just got his 7950x3d ddr5 6000 build shipped yeahhhhhhhhhh

RIP your wallet...

14 hours ago, Nokra said:

@TheLeon what do you think so far? 

 

I'm personally loving it! It's taking me a little bit to get used to playing PC games with a "controller" but it's a truly impressive piece of tech, IMO. Playing PC games on the toilet feels like living the dream.   

Whether you use the trackpad as a mouse input, or enable the gyro controls, I find it makes playing shooters quite easy, though I am well versed in using a gamepad for shooters. My personal preference for say Doom Eternal is gyro controls with the trackpad turned off (and inverted up/down of course because this is the way). Yes, I do use aim assist, but given I'm playing for my enjoyment, I'm okay playing with assists on.

I did play most of terminator: resistance on my Deck (awesome game btw), and with the trackpad as the mouse input, and overall it was fine, but took some getting used to. I think Analog Stick + Gyro is the way to go, but again personal preference.

And yes playing the Deck while dropping a deuce is a great feeling. Done that with my Switch a few times in the past as well.

12 hours ago, stepee said:

 

It’s definitely noticeable but it’s not like going from 30 to 60 which is the big one. After that it’s diminishing returns but I’m guessing fps improvements are probably noticeable until like 240fps or so. The higher the fps the more so that I notice it the most in the temporal resolution improvement during camera pans than the smoothness itself.

Here you guys go about high frame rates in the 100s or higher, and here I am being blown away how smooth 40fps is compared to 30fps when 60fps isn't always achievable.

Oh, and this is cool: 
 

Framework Previews 16-inch Laptop With Upgradeable Graphics, Adds Ryzen Mainboards | Tom's Hardware

WWW.TOMSHARDWARE.COM

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New Intel and AMD laptops will get new hinges and battery options, too.

So at the minimum, the PCI interface to connect the discreet graphics will be PCIe x8 Gen 4, which is great for a laptop in my book. 

Can't believe I'm excited for a laptop, but Apple does very little to excite me about computers, so I have to take what I get. 

52 minutes ago, Zaku3 said:

I love numpads on laptops but like 16+ in. Had a 14in HP 2 in 1 that had one and all it did was disorient my typing.

Yeah, with 13-14inch laptops, it makes less sense to include it. Many more of us have sausage fingers, so we don't have any space to spare for hhiitt ourrr fiingerrs-ah fuck., Not aginas! 

So Framework just announced they're making a new 16" Laptop! With the same repairability, and modularity of their current 13" versions. 

And it gets better: 6 of their modular expandability slots, AND modular discreet graphics. 

EDIT: 

Framework Announces 16-inch Laptop with a Swappable GPU

WWW.INVERSE.COM

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Framework is working on a 16-inch laptop and a bunch of improvements for the existing Framework Laptop 13, including support for AMD Ryzen 7040 series chips.

And it gets better. OPTIONAL NUMPAD!!!!!!!!!!!!! Swap it in if you wish, or remove it if you don't need it. THEY GAVE US BOTH!!!!!!!!!!

1 hour ago, SuperSpreader said:

WD_BLACK 1TB SN770 NVMe Internal Gaming SSD Solid State Drive - Gen4 PCIe, M.2 2280, Up to 5,150 MB/s - WDS100T3X0E

Sorry! Something went wrong!

A.CO

1TB WD Black is 60.00 rn

 

I actually ordered a 2TB version from my local Best Buy when it was on sale the other week, and it's still been delayed. Hoping to get it soon though.