Nintendo Nintendo’s Switch successor is already in third-party devs’ hands, report claims

[Jason]

Report: Nintendo’s next console ships late 2024, still supports cartridges

ARSTECHNICA.COM

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Sources shared some basic details about the new device, too.

 

[best3444]

I wanted the next Nintendo console to try and close in on the technology of the other consoles. Oh well, Nintendo makes magical games regardless of the visual quality.

 

I'm buying it day one. 

[Ominous]

Best technology 2015 had to offer. 

[Air_Delivery]

13 minutes ago, Ominous said:

Best technology 2015 had to offer. 

An optimist I see

[Spork3245]

I bet it’s has a 240hz 4k OLED screen with HDR1400

[Mr.Vic20]

You would really hope that this is true as games take a little while to make even though they are all "coming soon". 

[ShreddieMercury]

It could be weaker than the Switch and Nintendo's games will still be miles better than anything from the competition.

[best3444]

1 minute ago, ShreddieMercury said:

It could be weaker than the Switch and Nintendo's games will still be miles better than anything from the competition.

 

What are you on and where did you get it?

[CastlevaniaNut18]

I wish TotK was on more powerful hardware, but it's still more fun than the typical AAA content released on other systems, so I'll always buy Nintendo systems.

[Brick]

At this point Metroid Prime 4 will probably be a launch title, and that's why we've seen nothing about it. 

[Nokra]

17 minutes ago, CastlevaniaNut18 said:

I wish TotK was on more powerful hardware, but it's still more fun than the typical AAA content released on other systems, so I'll always buy Nintendo systems.

 

@stepee weren't you running this in an emulator on your PC in 4K?

[crispy4000]

ToTK is so good as is that l wouldn’t have been willing to wait for more powerful hardware for it.  It runs fine for the hardware, no playability issues and the slowdown feels mostly reasonable when it happens.  (Probably because of double buffered vsync regulating things a bit)

 

I’m glad they made it as is, and will happily wait for a new, ground up next-Switch Zelda.

[CastlevaniaNut18]

3 minutes ago, Nokra said:

 

@stepee weren't you running this in an emulator on your PC in 4K?

He was. I just didn't want to fool with it. Overall, I'm okay with it and after 95 hours, I don't notice the flaws as much.

[Mercury33]

Well crap. I have TotK but I’ve barely played it yet. Now I feel like I should just wait for the inevitable remaster on the next system. 

[Jason]

56 minutes ago, CastlevaniaNut18 said:

He was. I just didn't want to fool with it. Overall, I'm okay with it and after 95 hours, I don't notice the flaws as much.

 

The complaints I've seen seem to center on framerate drops but what I find much more noticeable is the pop-in on the surroundings. Framerate sluggishness is annoying but the sometimes major pop-in delay is much more directly impactful on the experience IMO.

[CastlevaniaNut18]

43 minutes ago, Jason said:

 

The complaints I've seen seem to center on framerate drops but what I find much more noticeable is the pop-in on the surroundings. Framerate sluggishness is annoying but the sometimes major pop-in delay is much more directly impactful on the experience IMO.

I’ve noticed it some, but I don’t think it’s drastically had any impact on anything for me. 

[crispy4000]

Worst LoD pop in is transitioning from sky to ground.  There’s some atmospheric haze they use to try and hide it, but what you’re doing in those moments is far more immersive itself than any visual distractions to it, IMO.

[Keyser_Soze]

6 hours ago, ShreddieMercury said:

It could be weaker than the Switch and Nintendo's games will still be miles better than anything from the competition.

 

Pokemon is the best thing to base this on. Graphics could look worse than a N64 game and it would still be one of the best selling games ever.

 

The issue is less about power and about what the next console is. Kind of like Wii was hot and Wii-U was not. Could they fumble the next one somehow and make people not interested in it? It is possible.

 

That being said the weaker it is, the less 3rd party support they get. The Switch really got a bump from all the indie titles that were available on it. Imagine if they had to spec down for a weaker switch. That would be rough.

[Xbob42]

6 hours ago, ShreddieMercury said:

It could be weaker than the Switch and Nintendo's games will still be miles better than anything from the competition.

Well, like 3 of them will be. The rest will be weird awkward cash grabs.

 

The real issue is third-party stuff. Yeah it's great that the 2-5 amazing Nintendo games we get each generation are fantastic and utilize the hardware perfectly, but uh... I want some shit to play inbetween that that doesn't look and run like ass without the devs having to perform miracles.

[skillzdadirecta]

It's still running cartridges... will it at least be backwards compatib... who am i kidding? It's fucking Nintendo!

[crispy4000]

50 minutes ago, Keyser_Soze said:

That being said the weaker it is, the less 3rd party support they get. The Switch really got a bump from all the indie titles that were available on it. Imagine if they had to spec down for a weaker switch. That would be rough.

 

The Switch already led to many indies doing just that, adapting their ambition to what's easily feasible for Switch hardware.  I don't even think that's a bad thing.  The industry is in a better place having more spaces for low spec/limited budget games to thrive.

 

40 minutes ago, Xbob42 said:

Well, like 3 of them will be. The rest will be weird awkward cash grabs.

 

The real issue is third-party stuff. Yeah it's great that the 2-5 amazing Nintendo games we get each generation are fantastic and utilize the hardware perfectly, but uh... I want some shit to play inbetween that that doesn't look and run like ass without the devs having to perform miracles.

 

With where the industry is today, Nintendo would need to be the ones contracting most all those projects.

No major publisher will make an exclusive for them otherwise.  And few indies have the desire or talent to genuinely push Nintendo hardware with something still tailor made for its spec.  (like say, Shin'en, or Playtonic with 2d Yooka)

[Xbob42]

3 minutes ago, crispy4000 said:

 

The Switch already led to many indies doing just that, adapting their ambition to what's easily feasible for Switch hardware.  I don't even think that's a bad thing.  The industry is in a better place having more spaces for low spec/limited budget games to thrive.

 

 

With where the industry is today, Nintendo would need to be the ones contracting most all those projects.

No major publisher will make an exclusive for them otherwise.  And few indies have the desire or talent to genuinely push Nintendo hardware with something still tailor made for its spec.  (like say, Shin'en, or Playtonic with 2d Yooka)

I was more referring to just ports of third-party games that weren't laughingstocks of the industry. Exclusive stuff would be best and would be nice, but clearly wouldn't happen very often.

[crispy4000]

1 minute ago, Xbob42 said:

I was more referring to just ports of third-party games that weren't laughingstocks of the industry. Exclusive stuff would be best and would be nice, but clearly wouldn't happen very often.

 

I wouldn't expect it for Nintendo consoles any more than for Series S.

[Xbob42]

5 minutes ago, crispy4000 said:

 

I wouldn't expect it for Nintendo consoles any more than for Series S.

Series S is just a lower spec version of the same games, very playable, not a laughingstock.

 

 

 

I mean shit like this. They managed to clean it up, but good lord.

[Jason]

6 hours ago, CastlevaniaNut18 said:

I’ve noticed it some, but I don’t think it’s drastically had any impact on anything for me. 

 

4 hours ago, crispy4000 said:

Worst LoD pop in is transitioning from sky to ground.  There’s some atmospheric haze they use to try and hide it, but what you’re doing in those moments is far more immersive itself than any visual distractions to it, IMO.

 

It's a problem for trying to find things from the sky. Like the dragon tears.

[crispy4000]

12 hours ago, Xbob42 said:

Series S is just a lower spec version of the same games, very playable, not a laughingstock.

 

I mean shit like this. They managed to clean it up, but good lord

 

ARK was already a laughingstock for poor UE4 optimization.  There's going to outliers like it on every console, ie:

 

 

I won't be surprised if we see something like this again with some mid-tier dev leaning in too hard into UE5 features.

 

 

The general issue with Series S is that as the generation goes on, the more the X is pushed, the more work will be needed to get games to look acceptable for it.  It's never the target spec, its going to see its fair share of games where the IQ and/or framerate are far from ideal for even a 1080p TV.  (it already has in some cases)

 

FSR2 is being used more and more as a crutch on the PS5/X, reconstructing from base resolutions it really shouldn't be.  That's a bad omen for the S.  It hasn't quite had an Avengers Xbox One S moment yet, and may never get that bad.  Though at this point in the gen, its hard to say how bad it could truly get.

 

A new Switch would have the advantage of being portable and leveraging DLSS, which reconstructs at lower resolutions better.  I still expect we'll see many more ports where the target is handheld play, and a middling TV mode is hand waved.