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Nintendo could make a cutting edge system -But shouldn't

It seems to be the current sentiment. That Nintendo can't compete in the high-end space. But this is historically not true... and only a trend that has been accepted by Nintendo based on their blue ocean strategy since the Wii.

They have a great long-term strategy in that eventually it would become indistinguishable between low end and high end graphics based on human perception.

They're the true innovators. They brought rumble, they brought gyro, and they brought most controls in general. You know what the other two are going to bring every generation, but you have no idea what Nintendo will do.
 

Dick Jones

Gold Member
If you were Nintendo and you were selling fairly old tech at a nice profit with continuous demand for it, why start taking gambles for
A) higher cost to manufacture and likely higher sales price for the console (possibly smaller profit if any on each console sold), and
B) higher costs to make games thus eating into the profit

They are a business. They can get away with $60 ports for two generations old games. They got away with creating fake supply for digital games (Mario 3d collection). As long as they are maximising their profit, they are doing their job as a business.
 
There games can look exactly the same to me, I’d be happy as long as they increase the docked resolution, fps, and load times for their games.

Metroid ran like shit on switch and that was a 2D game
 
Cutting edge in terms of what.

Intel 13900k plus rtx 4080?

Or just the latest Nvidia mobile tegra.

Because they absolutely should embrace the latter.
 
There games can look exactly the same to me, I’d be happy as long as they increase the docked resolution, fps, and load times for their games.

Metroid ran like shit on switch and that was a 2D game
It is funny how, now, the disc-based consoles have basically zero load times, while the cartridge-based system has annoyingly long loads.
 

Dream-Knife

Banned
They have a great long-term strategy in that eventually it would become indistinguishable between low end and high end graphics based on human perception.
Why would that be a long term strategy? It's an enviability. That still wouldn't have a single impact on what they're doing today.
This obsession with Nintendo and power is weird.
Power and video gamers have been forever. Console vs console, pc component vs component. "Bits" vs Tflops, etc. It's just a dick measuring contest.
 
It is funny how, now, the disc-based consoles have basically zero load times, while the cartridge-based system has annoyingly long loads.
Acshully it's not cartridges though 🤓

But if Nintendo wants ports of PS5 native games they're going to have to splurge a bit on faster game cards, cpu power... Not sure what they're going to do because you know they like to put the bare minimum storage on their consoles so forced installs are probably out of the question.
 

Grildon Tundy

Gold Member
Why would Nintendo put out a console with specifications to compete with Sony and Microsoft when they have such a hold on the market that third-party developers will do the work of porting/downgrading games to work on the Switch? The Witcher 3, Doom Eternal, Skyrim being some examples.

I'd like to see their next-gen console blow the competition out of the water, technically, but I think they'd need to have a unique use case (some may call it a "gimmick") to justify the increased power (VR? Augmented Reality? Full-body haptic suits?). Nintendo doesn't seem to chase powerhousing, after the N64 and Gamecube technically outperformed the PS1 and PS2, respectively, and still got them wrecked in the great console wars of the 90s and 00s.
 
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Honestly, Nintendo buyers don't care about specs and power. I'm pretty sure by now Nintendo knows their fanbase inside and out by now. They should know by now their audience prefers casual games, they prefer mostly pick-up and play types of games. Nintendo has successfully combined its handheld audience with its home console audience. Judging by the Switch's sales, I'm sure Nintendo will never make a non-hybrid console ever again. Power and specs will always take the back seat with them.
 
What’s strange is that it totally makes sense for Nintendo release a ‘pro’ level switch. There is clearly a consumer base that would be interested. Even a more powerful non-portable device with higher end SOC. The more powerful SOC wouldn’t be battery efficient in a portable anyways. Why not something like this…

Switch Lite (portable only)
Switch (portable + docked)
Switch OLED (portable + docked)
Switch Home (docked only) <<== where is this???

With that being said there is no point releasing a switch ‘pro’ tier device in whatever form this late in the console life cycle. Nintendo no doubt will be looking to release a next-gen 4K device at some point in the next couple of years.
 

Arthimura

Member
Nintendo studios are not prepared to start developing high tech games all of sudden, Nintendo is investing in old tech for the last decade and half.
We can clearly see that even with old tech Nintendo studios are struggling to have a steady throughput of new games.

Unlike Sony and Microsoft. Sony studios reaching cutting edge technology in the last generation with their in-house engines, and Microsoft already has eight studios developing games on UE5.

So the best strategy for Nintendo imo is to just keep iterating on Nintendo Switch, invest in backwards compatibility and maintenance of digital goods.
 

Nocturno999

Member
Not even current consoles are truly cutting edge. Nintendo is playing a war of attrition. Little by little we see diminishing returns to the point that most consumers don't care and just want great games/ideas.
 
With their new Drake board from Nvidia they could match PS5 performance in a late 2023 console for $299 mainly because Nvidia’s DLSS tech would only require a 3 TERAFLOP GPU meaning a smaller case, less heat and less power draw.

This isn’t as unlikely as some think because Nintendo would simply present it as another option in their Switch lineup. It would not be a “put all your eggs in one basket” type risk. If it wasn’t extremely successful like the Lite then they just slowly move away from it.
 

Holammer

Member
The narrative of Nintendo deliberately using shit hardware as a genius 4D chess move is turning into a goddamned religion with its own apologetics.

Imagine a fast forward to September this year when Nintendo reveals its new bleeding edge performance console built around a custom AMD chip. So good in fact it's the premier console to play GTA6 on and they get all the new third party games instead of last-gen "impossible ports".
Many would be unable to process the cognitive dissonance, some might rend their garments, other going full Bryank75.
 

radewagon

Member
They're the true innovators. They brought rumble, they brought gyro, and they brought most controls in general. You know what the other two are going to bring every generation, but you have no idea what Nintendo will do.
That's true. At the Switch reveal, I had no idea that Nintendo would:
  • Release a console that can have its screen scratched by their first-party docking solution.
  • Have controls that develop analog drift at such a high percentage that it got the attention of a class action suit.
  • Lock you out of your virtual console purchases and instead put that content behind a subscription based paywall.
  • Release a Lite version of the "Switch" that literally could no longer do the thing that its namesake said it could.
  • Release games where only some of the content necessary for play was actually on the game cart and the rest was a required download.
  • Have an account model where you can only play your digital games on more than one system if you have an internet connection even though it's a portable system so online connections are not a given.
Look, I love my Switch. I think it's great. It is nothing special though. It's just a Gameboy with TV-out. Which again, is great. But comparatively, it's probably the worst thing Nintendo's ever released. The Switch's design is fairly boring and I'm honestly shocked it made the splash that it did. Right place, right time.
 

Ogbert

Member
Nintendo make my favourite games. I just sometimes wish we could see something like Breath of the Wild on a cutting edge console. As in ‘developed’ for the console, not running in 4k on a pc emulator.

Will never happen though. Their balance of power versus profit is off the charts, so they have zero incentive to release a genuinely powerful console.
 
MS just handled Nintendo the perfect opportunity when they released the Series S, they held back the base line for nextgen only third-party titles considerably. Lets imagine that there was an Xbox One S in 2013 with 1/3 of the GPU processing power the Xbox One had, the Switch would be getting ports of every third party crossgen game to this day.

Now all Nintendo needs to do is get somewhat close to that target, lets say half the power of the Series S or slightly better than a Steam Deck, they could then render the games internally in really low res and make up for that with DLSS. At that point there would be no reason for most third-party games not to release for their next console going forward.
 
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Kokoloko85

Member
NIntendo’s gonna have to up it up a bit with there next machine.

With the Switch it was alot of Wii U/ Wii ports/remasters which is totally fine but next gen they wont have those and they kinda need to release something a bit more, otherwise its all gonna look the same. Animal Crossing, Mario Kart etc still looking like Wii U games in 2023/2024 isnt gonna go down as well

And unless its another hybrid/portable its gonna not sell great
 
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p_xavier

Authorized Fister
This obsession with Nintendo and power is weird.
Something something, history,.

shJajeV.jpg
 
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Faithless83

Banned
They did the "old hardware tech" in order to survive after the gamecube, it was a make or break moment for them.
They don't have the money on R&D to direct compete with MS/Sony, the switch is basically a Nvidia shield with a screen.

It is working for them to use an old hardware, as long as they keep selling, third parties won't ignore it (like they ignored the wiiU).

It's not rocket science, have a big user base, games will follow you.
 

Ristifer

Member
Let's be honest here. Nintendo's way of thinking is archaic. There's nothing wrong with having better technology in your consoles. Doesn't have to be 8k 120fps for everything. But some better hardware wouldn't hurt. Unfortunately, for Nintendo, it's not just the "power" of the consoles that has suffered over the years. Their online system has been dated since it first arrived. They offer the shittiest solutions for a medium that should've been mastered by now. Then they have a subscription service which has had all the impact of a wet fart. All this coming from a company that actually used to have a substantial Virtual Console practically bursting with games.

Nintendo has regressed. When people get frustrated with them, it's not just because they want better hardware. They simply want Nintendo to actually show up to the plate once in a while.
 
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