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Switch successor faces backwards compatibility challenges, MVG suggests

Video is working for me now, but I don't know jack about gaming tech. doh! Anyways, I'll be personally disappointed if Super Switch isn't fully bc, but I already have multiple Switches to play those games on. It just means I'd wait longer to buy it than I would otherwise.
 
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Banjo64

cumsessed
I think the challenge is will 52m people pay for MK9 if MK8D still works fine for them. Will 30m buy Smash, or the next AC game?

For that reason I’m expecting Nintendo to block BC or allow patches for their next console which their evergreens won’t see.
 
i fear for nintendo with the announcement of this thing. There are way too high of expectations being placed on it.

People want it to continue being portable, having a good battery life, having better online capabilities, OLED screen, better performance with seamless loading, graphically inline with pro model consoles, have backwards compatibility, be able to run the latest COD, etc.
 
Nintendo supporters: “Switch 2 is not coming until 2025 and beyond, the system is still going very strong, despite being in decline since 2021. Zelda TOTK will make sales explode, you will see”
 

THE DUCK

voted poster of the decade by bots
Just saw this video...I'm sure Nintendo and NVIDIA have come up with a solution to have at least the major 1st and 3rd Party games BC. I wouldn't worry about this

Based on what, thier stellar backwards compatibility in the past? I don't think so......

That said, I do see them wanting to tap into the giant switch 1 library, so I'm.sure they are trying hard on this one. Unless the plan is instead to sell us botw switch 2 edition for $79.99.......oh crap.......
 
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recma12

Member
I think the challenge is will 52m people pay for MK9 if MK8D still works fine for them. Will 30m buy Smash, or the next AC game?

For that reason I’m expecting Nintendo to block BC or allow patches for their next console which their evergreens won’t see.

Yeah it is a really tough call to make.
If they go down the interoperability route (like Sony did with many PS4/5 games), people will be reluctant to splurge on a Switch 2.
Especially since many Switch owners are kids and casuals, who might not appreciate the spec upgrades.
Nintendo would need a hell of a killer app to convince parents to get their kids new Switch consoles.

If they do a clean generational cut, it will move consoles but limit the sales potential of games.
Highly doubt they will make Mario Kart 9 a next gen exclusive and miss out on potential sales to 120 million current Switch users.

Can only speculate but I expect Switch 2 to be fully BC, putting a Tegra chip in the new console shouldn't be all that expensive at this point.
Emulation might also be possible if you throw some corporate R&D money at the problem.

Think Nintendo will do a 2-3 year cross gen period similar to what Xbox and PS had and at some point the new Zeldas and Smashes will be next gen only.
 

DenchDeckard

Moderated wildly
What's nvidias latest chip thats available?

I wonder if nvidia could have produced a chip just for them, as you would think it would make business sense for them?
 



In a newly-published video, MVG digs into the possible components for Nintendo’s next console, and explains why incompatibility between new hardware and how current Nintendo Switch software is compiled means that support for legacy Switch games isn’t necessarily a given.

The Nintendo Switch currently uses the Tegra X1, a chip developed by NVIDIA that also powers Nvidia Shield Android TVs from 2015-2018, highlighting the age of the hardware.

“If Nintendo is to move away from the Tegra X1, which we all feel strongly that they will probably do, current Switch games won’t work on new hardware, that is without recompiling the games to target that hardware,” MVG explains.

The developer then posits several solutions for how Nintendo could get around this issue, such as software emulation, similar to that found within the Xbox Series consoles.

Those machines use the Xbox Series X power to emulate virtual Xbox and Xbox 360 consoles in order to play older games, similarly to how third-party emulators function on PC.

While a Switch 2 could theoretically do this, it would require significant processing power. Even the Steam Deck, which is a significantly more powerful device than the Nintendo Switch, struggles to emulate some Switch titles.

MVG then suggests a solution that NVIDIA and Nintendo provide chip compatibility for Tegra X1 on their next chip. However, as MVG points out, this is not currently supported and would seemingly require a lot of new work.

The next suggestion offered is that Nintendo includes a TegraX1 chip in every Switch successor, meaning older games can be played without emulation of new software, similarly to how the Nintendo GameCube‘s chipset was included in the Nintendo Wii.

The issue here is that this would increase the cost of producing the system, and in the case of physical games, would require either a Nintendo Switch cartridge slot or the successor to the Switch would also need to use the same carts.

MVG is full of sh*t. Even a Mac M1 can emulate switch games with ease because they’re both ARM chips and apparently it’s pretty light on the system to run the actual emulation left.

I’m sure Nintendo will use an ARM chip again so it will not be hard for them to run their old games. Question would be: will they allow it? Knowing nintendo they’ll probably implement some fancy shop front end to sell old games and make it impossible to run the ones you already own.
 
They can easily deliver on all these aspects if they want to.

I will loose a lot of interest in it if it were gimped purposely in any shape or form.
 

Drew1440

Member
Yeah it's concerning since Nintendo does not use software emulation for compatability with previous models (virtual console for older systems is an exception)
Maybe they will implement something similar to the Wii where the system uses modern ARM cores but is able to shut certain things off and reduce the clock speed to make them compatable.
 

RoadHazard

Gold Member
Switch´s Tegra X1 isnt using it´s full potential. Tegra X1 can run at 1 Ghz but in Switch it runs a 768 mhz in dock mode and 307 mhz in portable mode (with a boost mode reaching around 400 mhz).

So, Nintendo could use Tegra X1 at full speed of 1 Ghz in dock mode and 500 mhz in portable mode in the new model.

But there is a Tegra X1+ which runs at 125% speed of Tegra X1, so even more power for the new model can be achieved without changing the chipset.

That's no generational upgrade, it's not even a PS4 -> Pro level upgrade. More like GameCube -> Wii. Would be just about pointless.
 
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Black_Stride

do not tempt fate do not contrain Wonder Woman's thighs do not do not
Emulating a downclocked TegraX1 is pocket pocket pocket change for any modern SoC.....yes even the mobile ones.
Lets not even talk about Nvidias successors to the TegraX1.
Those things will eat through emulation easy work.

At this point its likely cheaper/easier to just emulate the Switch than to physically put an X1 inside the Super Switch.
 

Xyphie

Member
As this time around the rumored T239 SoC looks to be a custom design rather than off-the-shelf it seems completely trivial for Nintendo and nVidia to add some minor hardware blocks to the SoC to make it fully compatible with Switch software. Obviously you wouldn't put a full X1 with the associated memory chips, voltage rails etc inside the device.
 
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hemo memo

Gold Member
I literally have hundreds of Switch games, both physical and digital. It's my physical console of choice, because the cartridges have a lot longer shelf life than optical discs, and (typically) the full game is actually on the cartridge and is fully playable without internet access. I currently own six Switch consoles.

If the next Switch is backwards compatible, I'm buying it day one. If not, I might eventually pick one up down the line. But, I won't be in a huge rush or anything. I might pick it up when it has enough interesting exclusives.
I have 120+ Switch games and it would be really disappointing if it is not BC as I wouldn’t jump in day 1 and I will buy it down the line and keep my Switch for longer.
 

Spaceman292

Banned
Basketball Ok GIF by Malcolm France


They should focus on the future and look forward instead of finding a subpar solution that allows BC.
That's dumb.
 

Emedan

Member
MVG is full of sh*t. Even a Mac M1 can emulate switch games with ease because they’re both ARM chips and apparently it’s pretty light on the system to run the actual emulation left.

I’m sure Nintendo will use an ARM chip again so it will not be hard for them to run their old games. Question would be: will they allow it? Knowing nintendo they’ll probably implement some fancy shop front end to sell old games and make it impossible to run the ones you already own.
Apples M1 is a way more competent chip. Also why is Orin made in 8nm..
 
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Fredrik

Member
Oh well, I’m used to it. I have hundreds of games stuck on a tucked away WiiU after doing that Wii-to-WiiU license transfer. I expect nothing at this point.
 

EN250

Member
They can make an emulator, it's not like the chip from Nvidia is some crazy esoteric piece of hardware like Cell was to the PS3 🤷‍♂️
 

RoboFu

One of the green rats
Nah there is alot of wrong speculation going on here.

The big one is “ every game needs to be recompiled for new hardware “

That’s only if Nintendo completely changes their OS. If not then it’s a matter of new drivers and some abstract translation.

It’s not 1999.. technology has sprinted toward standardization and a better understanding of abstraction.
 

Davevil

Member
Nintendo : yes we care about backwards compatibility
Also Nintendo : but we prefer the full-price re-releases
 

The_Mike

I cry about SonyGaf from my chair in Redmond, WA
What problem?

They release the same games for 70 bucks and people buy them.
 

old-parts

Member
MVG boils it down to 3 options.

1) Hardware back compatibility built into a new custom Nvidia system on chip, likely expensive getting Nvidia to produce that and testing against the entire Switch library.

2) Recompile games to run on new hardware (what leaks suggest is happening) so some of the Switch library will be left behind.

3) Nintendo disappoints everyone by revealing a Tegra X1 Turbo, two Switches duct taped together just like the good old days of Gamecube/Wii.

I think most people would be fine 2, similar to what Xbox did, port the big names games and leave the rest up to third party devs if they want to do it.
 

recma12

Member
MVG is full of sh*t. Even a Mac M1 can emulate switch games with ease because they’re both ARM chips and apparently it’s pretty light on the system to run the actual emulation left.

Think it's quite puzzling how he uses Switch third party emulators running on the Deck as an argument.
These are developed by outsiders without any corporate funding, running on non-native hardware so of course there will be some technical issues.

And yet this dude is running Dread on the Deck just fine (8 month ago btw).



Here's Splatoon 3



There is 0 doubt in my mind that Nintendo R&D can make this work flawlessly on a new console without bumping up cost too much.
 

Deerock71

Member
Switch´s Tegra X1 isnt using it´s full potential. Tegra X1 can run at 1 Ghz but in Switch it runs a 768 mhz in dock mode and 307 mhz in portable mode (with a boost mode reaching around 400 mhz).

So, Nintendo could use Tegra X1 at full speed of 1 Ghz in dock mode and 500 mhz in portable mode in the new model.

But there is a Tegra X1+ which runs at 125% speed of Tegra X1, so even more power for the new model can be achieved without changing the chipset.
I think Digital Foundry did a segment about this when the Switch first came out. It said the Switch 2 could just utilize this feature.
 

SmokedMeat

Gamer™
I never expected a Switch successor to be BC. Nintendo loves reselling the same old games at a premium. The Switch cartridge also presents another problem, because are you really going to keep supporting cartridges from here on out?
 

Fbh

Member
"Guys we are so sorry we really tried but BC just wasn't possible. We'll just have to sell slightly upressed versions of Switch games for $70. "


fake-tears-fake-cry.gif
 

DaGwaphics

Member
Emulating the Switch doesn't seem to be that intensive on the PC side, and this is without the direct knowledge of the system that Nintendo would have. Reminds me of the early PS1 emulation days where you needed a significantly better cpu than what was in the system to emulate on PC, while at the same time those former PS employees could do bleemcast on the DC with visual upgrades.

It's unrealistic to think that emulation is off the table when it is coming from the hardware vendor. If the system isn't BC it will be because Nintendo wants to sell you updated versions of old software, not because of a hardware issue.
 

TLZ

Banned
IS there a legit source that Nintendo might not have backwards compatibility with it's next hardware successor? I'm sorry if I don't trust random Youtube guys or some random person on twitter saying that Sony is about to buy Take 2, which the other thread is about.
It's all speculation.
 

MaKTaiL

Member
Who knew using a custom Nvidia chip would be a bad business down the road? /s

Sony learned it's lesson with PS3 and now Nintendo will too.
 

NickFire

Member
I'd be surprised if Nintendo even considered BC for the next system. Just don't see them changing their ways here.
 

BlackTron

Member
If Switch 2 is not BC it will be because Nintendo does not want it to be BC, for whatever reason.

The technical challenges being presented seem silly.

Also I don't think Wii had a GC chipset. It was the same hardware as GC running at higher clocks. It was the same one IIRC. This is why Wii U can play Gamecube games natively despite not being designed to do so. Just by having the the "virtual Wii", GC is lumped into that.
 
With all due respect(or not) Nintendo can sit on a toilet and shit a turd and sell it... Nintendo fans would still buy it...

Backwards compatibility for sure is not on their priority list as they are really happy to buy the same old games every 5 or 7 years, they don't care as long as it says is from Nintendo they will buy it.

They are very similar to apple product fanatics.
 
That'd suck but honestly as long as they port BOTW and TOTK over then I don't give a shit.

I would miss Shin Megami Tensei V but there is always the hope we'll get a PC port of that eventually.
 

El Muerto

Member
Thought this thread was going to be a legit news article about this but it's just speculation by a youtuber.
 
Maybe you are right. But i think going from 307 mhz to 600 mhz in portable mode and from 768 to 1250 mhz in dock mode inst a bad thing.

You get double perfomance, 100% BC, developers continue doing games just like last 6 years but with a more powerful system. Same development kits.

Just lets wait and see what nintendo do in a few months. But i dont think this will be a Switch 2. It looks more like a New Switch as the New Nintendo 3DS was... but now with a much more succesfull system with more than 120 millions units sold.
Nvidias own leaks reveal it's a Switch 2
The Switch Pro is dead due to COVID timing. Basically there isn't a mystery of what's going to happen because the leaks(Kopite and Nvidia) are extremely reliable.
 

BlackTron

Member
Pointless for you. Not for Nintendo.

An unlocked Tegra X1 might be feasible for a "New Nintendo Switch" like the New 3DS but not for its true successor. And I think the moment passed for a "New Switch" anyway.

Your idea is a doomsday scenario for all parties involved, including Nintendo and the customers. Simply no.
 

01011001

Banned
Nvidias own leaks reveal it's a Switch 2
The Switch Pro is dead due to COVID timing. Basically there isn't a mystery of what's going to happen because the leaks(Kopite and Nvidia) are extremely reliable.

I don't think the Switch Pro didn't happen due to covid, I'm still pretty sure the OLED Switch was the Switch Pro but was basically gimped back to default Switch specs because they didn't want to complicate things like they did with the New 3DS.

the X1 Mariko could easily run at way higher clock speeds and the OLED has better memory as well that's also underclocked as far as I know.

so if they simply changed clock speeds on the OLED model they would have the same battery power as the launch model but nearly 80% better performance in some games.

I bet this was thrown out during the OLED model's development for one reason or the other
 
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