10 ms·

It is so reassuring to see Nintendo create a modern gaming machine that doesn't try to be a living room hub or an iPad competitor. Going entirely by the video a

It is so reassuring to see Nintendo create a modern gaming machine that doesn't try to be a living room hub or an iPad competitor. Going entirely by the video alone, every single design decision has been made with a clear focus on gaming. The simple docking action for transitioning it to the TV, the versatility and portability of the controllers, the reasonable size, etc all combine to make this (again, judging entirely from the video) a focused, confident release that finally embraces the changing way people play games. Besides an original Gameboy (which I loved), I've never owned a Nintendo console. After seeing this trailer, it is an instant buy for me in March. The only thing I want to know more about is the online store. From what I understand, Nintendo's eStore has a lot of shortcomings in a lot of weird areas. I hope they address those. I have an Xbox One and about 25 games, all of which were purchased digitally. I'm not sure I could go back to physical versions of games.

revjx 10y ago
The Nintendo Shop on the Wii U is reasonable, actually. It's fairly easy to use, discoverability is decent. It's pretty basic but it's (in my opinion) their best attempt yet. Assuming they build on what they've learn from that, I'd hope the store for this system will be even better. My most-wanted feature for the shop is for them to stop forcing me to buy the 'classics' on every bloody Nintendo system I buy! I must own Super Mario World 3 or 4 times by now. (Obviously they're not actually forcing me, but it would be good to have cross-platform pass for that kind of content)
- TulliusCicero 10y ago
  The Wii U shop isn't completely awful, but it's pretty bad. Both the 3DS and Wii U shops suffer from two major problems: 1. They're slow. 2. There are far too many screens/taps necessary to do things. Loading each new screen seems to take at least a few seconds, and there are way too many of them. I'd estimate you could remove like half the screens in the 3DS shop purchase flow through better UX design. Just compare how long it takes to buy something on either system to how long it takes on Android or iOS. edit: oh yeah and downloading takes large games takes a REALLY long time. I downloaded the new Sonic game for my 3DS the other day on the guest wifi at a Google office and it took like 3 or 4 hours. It definitely wasn't the wifi that was the constraining factor, speed testing on my phone showed it at like 200 mbps.
  - knowaveragejoe 10y ago
    Additionally the search is pretty bad. Just yesterday I searched for "smash bros" to buy some new characters, the actual game is deep in page 2 of the results after a bunch of developer videos and other tertiary stuff. Games, especially as popular as Smash, should be right at the top. Also, filters for available DLC are nonexistent. You can't filter by maps, characters, or whatever applicable content types are available. All you can do is sort by "latest" and "most popular" for example.
  - revjx 10y ago
    You're right about the UI slowness. That is a problem for the system as a whole. When it was originally released, returning to the home screen (for example) was incredibly slow - it's marginally better since a system update, but woeful compared to the equivalent functionality on PS4 or Xbox.
  - emsy 10y ago
    Another weird thing: I have a 3DS and a 3DS XL but purchases can only be installed on 1 system. This is also a problem if your system breaks, because your games are tied to your console.
    - OMGTehAwsome 10y ago
      For eShop games you can call Nintendo and they can transfer the licenses (I did it when upgrading to a New 3DS.) For me the real bummer was that your saves are also tied to your console and it's more complicated transferring those. I don't mind paying 30-40$ for another game license, but it really hurt losing 100+ hours of progress in several unfinished games.
  - n-gauge 10y ago
    It's like their 'HTML5' browser (on either the wii or wiiu) so slow! The thing is the Wii U specs could have run at least some version of Chrome... I don't think it's hardware accelerated in anyway - prehaps to stop html5 games interfering with 3rd party games maybe?
- ocdtrekkie 10y ago
  I think that's a big part of why Nintendo still has purchases tied to devices. As a way to push people to buy the same content over again. They don't push out new digital content fast enough to keep the income flow up if they aren't getting you to repurchase things.
- blakeyrat 10y ago
  It has a bad UI. But the real killer is: games are still tied to hardware, not user account. Which means, if your console dies, you lose all your purchases. (Unless that's changed VERY recently.) If you're used to the Xbox store like the grandparent, going to the Nintendo Shop is like stepping back in time a decade.
  - Tiktaalik 10y ago
    I am under the impression the lack of unified account system problem will finally be fixed with this new system. This is so long overdue and very welcome.
  - delecti 10y ago
    I'm fairly confident you're incorrect. There's a single shared account between the 3DS and Wii U online stores, and I also know for sure that 3DS purchases are tied to your user account, rather than your hardware. I suppose it's possible that it works differently for the Wii U than the 3DS ecosystems, but that seems unlikely. You can still only have an account attached to a single console (of each type) at a time, but if you lose one or it dies, you can reattach your account to the new one.
    - hudell 10y ago
      Your account is tied to the hardware (1 3DS and 1 Wii U). You can move your account from one hardware to another if you have both on the same room, or with a phone call.
    - squeaky-clean 10y ago
      Sorry, but that's the way it is. You do share the 3DS and Wii U accounts, but game titles are tied to the console. Nintendo has no instructions on how to transfer games to a different 3ds system without having both of them physically there and working [0]. I wanted to trade in my 3DS for a discount on a "New 3DS", but wouldn't have both systems to transfer my games. (Though I've read most Gamestop's will let you do the transfer in their store when you do the trade-in, I haven't tried). It seems a Kotaku author was able to get their games transferred by contacting Nintendo directly. So at least there's that [1]. There's no direct way to download your games onto a new 3ds. And additional source about transferring between systems [2]. [0] http://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/227/~/how-to-transfer-content-between-nintendo-3ds,-nintendo-3ds-xl,-and-nintendo-2ds http://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a... [1] http://kotaku.com/salvaging-games-from-a-broken-3ds-is-surprisingly-easy-1687498063 http://kotaku.com/salvaging-games-from-a-broken-3ds-is-surpr... [2] http://gaming.stackexchange.com/questions/154883/how-to-get-my-previously-owned-3ds-games-without-the-original-system http://gaming.stackexchange.com/questions/154883/how-to-get-...
- vlunkr 10y ago
  And the thing about the virtual console games is that after you've bought them 3 or 4 times from Nintendo, piracy starts to look real appealing.
- tiglionabbit 10y ago
  The worst part of buying stuff on the Wii U shop is that you can't store it on a tiny SD card. You have to plug in a full external hard drive. This seems like a pretty obvious thing for them to fix in this iteration.
  - ThatPlayer 10y ago
    Don't forget that the WiiU also follows USB standards strictly and won't power a portable USB hard drive over a single USB port, requiring a Y-cable. Also you only get the option of formatting the entire drive to use for the WiiU.
- voltagex_ 10y ago
  I've heard you can't transfer games from console to console - no word on backwards compatibility yet but I must have some eShop titles from ages ago.
i_am_viet 10y ago
Correct me if I am wrong. I believe eshop purchases are still tied to the system and not the account. This makes transferring of content more of a hassle than it needs to be. You'll need to do a system transfer of the games if you want to maintain your library.
- ocdtrekkie 10y ago
  AFAIK, that is still how it works as of the Wii U. And yeah, there's awful processes for if say, your device dies, and you need to recover your digital purchases.
  - i_am_viet 10y ago
    It is unfortunate Nintendo still operates their online purchases this way. Many other platforms (XB Live, PSN, Steam, et cetera) tie purchases to the account. Nintendo's way goes against expectations. I hope Nintendo spends a little more resources to improve on the online side of things alongside the new Switch console (store, online multiplayer, interaction with friends...); they are severely behind compared to their competitors.
    - jakebasile 10y ago
      Nintendo has been behind with respect to online gaming for multiple console generations. Friend codes instead of user names is a terrible idea, and like their game purchases friend codes are tied to the hardware and not the user account.
      - ocdtrekkie 10y ago
        I think a big part of the friend code choice is their focus on younger gamers. I think Nintendo's intentionally tried to make it hard for people to become friends who don't know each other outside of the Nintendo ecosystem. They don't want to be seen as an avenue for children being taken advantage of, they don't want parents worrying about what their kids do on a Nintendo platform, etc. I'm not saying it's the right call, or that in this day and age, we haven't moved past that in many respects, but I'm willing to bet that's a big part of their lack of online focus.
jguimont 10y ago
The video/gallery shows a gamecard and gamecard plug. Maybe there is no estore.
- squarf 10y ago
  The Wii, DSi, 3DS and Wii U all had both physical media and downloadable software. There were e-shop exclusives for all of those systems from mini-games to obscure games that were localized from JP and were too niche for a physical release.
- jakebasile 10y ago
  That's far from likely. Not having digital purchases would be a terrible decision for a gaming system. The slot will be there to allow the choice to buy physical media, and to placate brick and mortar game stores.
- msbarnett 10y ago
  Every current system, and the last several Nintendo systems, have had physical media and digital purchase options. That the system accepts physical media tells us nothing.
creshal 10y ago
> The only thing I want to know more about is the online store. From what I understand, Nintendo's eStore has a lot of shortcomings in a lot of weird areas. Haven't run into any as a casual user – Nintendo managed to make the purchase workflow easy even on a 3DS, which is impressive.
Guest98123 10y ago
Is the Nintendo Switch much different than the below; connecting a gamepad to your existing mobile phone, or streaming your phone to your TV? http://i.imgur.com/DlUMgxb.png http://i.imgur.com/DlUMgxb.png The Switch might offer some advantages now, but it's not going to take long before mobile phones offer similar graphics, and gamepad experiences. At that point, what's the advantage of buying a Switch, when the phone in your pocket does all of the same things, and more? I think Switch will sell enough to be profitable, but Nintendo is going to be squeezed out of the hardware market. They can't compete with Playstation and Xbox for the console market. They can't compete with Steam on the PC and laptop market. They'll also lose the mobile market to the iPhone, and Pixels of the future. Personally, I think Nintendo should move away from hardware and focus on game development. Imagine Mario, Mario Kart, Pokemon, Metroid, Zelda, Smash Bros, and Kirby games distributed on Playstation, Xbox, Steam, iPhones, and Android. That's a huge market waiting for them.
- slantyyz 10y ago
  >> it's not going to take long before mobile phones offer similar graphics, and gamepad experiences. But they already do now. The only problem, albeit a big one, with gamepad experiences is the constantly changing form factors of phones over time. >> At that point, what's the advantage of buying a Switch, when the phone in your pocket does all of the same things, and more? It's not about the hardware, it's about the software. And in Nintendo's case, it's about having the latest and greatest first party Nintendo games. Which, with few exceptions, are not available on other platforms. The bottom line, enough people are still willing to pay for proprietary hardware to play Nintendo's games.
  - Guest98123 10y ago
    I agree, their hardware sells because of their games. Profits are in game sales and not hardware though, so why sell proprietary hardware in the first place, if it just vastly limits the audience for your game sales?
    - speeder 10y ago
mikeevans 10y ago
Biggest pain point for the Nintendo eShop? If you own a 3DS and a Wii U and want to own a Virtual Console game for both - you're stuck with buying it two times.
- freehunter 10y ago
  I agree this should be fixed, I can play a game on either of my iPhones without having to re-buy it, but do any other consoles allow you to do this? If I bought a game on the PS Vita that was also on the PS4, could I play without re-purchasing? Honest question, I don't know. Just wondering if Nintendo is continuing the trend or if they're still stuck in the past.
  - skyyler 10y ago
    >If I bought a game on the PS Vita that was also on the PS4, could I play without re-purchasing? Yes. For example, they used to sell "PS Classics", Playstation games through their store. I bought Symphony of the Night once, and had it on my PSP, PS3, and PS Vita. I'm sure you could get it on the PS4 as well. Microsoft has a similar thing for their Xbox Live Arcade games on the xbone, but many of those are being made into HD Remasters instead of being ported.
  - jamesgeck0 10y ago
    "It depends" Some games are cross-buy. Others are not. PSone Classics titles are cross-buy. Final Fantasy X/X2 HD is cross-save, but not cross buy. There are a few cross-buy games on Nintendo systems, Severed is the most recent example. Most of Nintendo's cross-buy games have been rolled out since the new Nintendo Account system that debuted with Miitomo.
  - DominikR 10y ago
    I don't know about PS Vita to PS4 compatibility but the reason why I decided not to buy a PS4 was that I'd have had to repurchase all the PS3 games that I've bought online before if I wanted to play them on the PS4.
- flukus 10y ago
FullMtlAlcoholc 10y ago
What's wrong with being a living room hub? Since cutting the cord, my PS4 has been the ideal set top box and is the only device attached to my TV. Blu Ray Player (that I never use), check. Plex client, check. DLNA client, check. Digital Optical Out, check. Netflix, Amazon Video check. Gaming machine, yup. It completely removes the need for a HTPC.
- vlunkr 10y ago
  There's nothing wrong with that. But this solves a different problem. You can't (easily) bring your ps4 set up on the bus with you.
  - FullMtlAlcoholc 10y ago
    I wonder if, using a more powerful alternative to the raspberry pi, you can create a mobile gaming pc that can run PS now. It wouldn't be a PS4, but PS3 games would be a nice consolation :) EDIT: Interesting, this http://www.udoo.org/udoo-x86/ http://www.udoo.org/udoo-x86/ could definitely power a PC running PS Now. So, I can't lug a PS4 around, but I could lug a PS3 around :) And it would just so happen to have access to the entire library of older systems. Thanks for the idea. I know what my next weekend project will be!
    - vlunkr 10y ago
      Haha, glad I could help
- tekklloneer 10y ago
  When I moved, I didn't build a "living room hub". In fact, I don't have a TV. I find it much more gratifying to hang out on the couch with my 3DS nowadays in hour long bursts.
- hbosch 10y ago
  And it can even access the new-ish Playstation Vue (https://www.playstation.com/en-us/network/vue/ https://www.playstation.com/en-us/network/vue/), making the PS4 a relatively viable cable replacement box.
dpeterson 10y ago
Uh, this sounds like a paid advertisement.

revjx 10y ago

The Nintendo Shop on the Wii U is reasonable, actually. It's fairly easy to use, discoverability is decent. It's pretty basic but it's (in my opinion) their best attempt yet. Assuming they build on what they've learn from that, I'd hope the store for this system will be even better. My most-wanted feature for the shop is for them to stop forcing me to buy the 'classics' on every bloody Nintendo system I buy! I must own Super Mario World 3 or 4 times by now. (Obviously they're not actually forcing me, but it would be good to have cross-platform pass for that kind of content)

TulliusCicero 10y ago
The Wii U shop isn't completely awful, but it's pretty bad. Both the 3DS and Wii U shops suffer from two major problems: 1. They're slow. 2. There are far too many screens/taps necessary to do things. Loading each new screen seems to take at least a few seconds, and there are way too many of them. I'd estimate you could remove like half the screens in the 3DS shop purchase flow through better UX design. Just compare how long it takes to buy something on either system to how long it takes on Android or iOS. edit: oh yeah and downloading takes large games takes a REALLY long time. I downloaded the new Sonic game for my 3DS the other day on the guest wifi at a Google office and it took like 3 or 4 hours. It definitely wasn't the wifi that was the constraining factor, speed testing on my phone showed it at like 200 mbps.
- knowaveragejoe 10y ago
  Additionally the search is pretty bad. Just yesterday I searched for "smash bros" to buy some new characters, the actual game is deep in page 2 of the results after a bunch of developer videos and other tertiary stuff. Games, especially as popular as Smash, should be right at the top. Also, filters for available DLC are nonexistent. You can't filter by maps, characters, or whatever applicable content types are available. All you can do is sort by "latest" and "most popular" for example.
- revjx 10y ago
  You're right about the UI slowness. That is a problem for the system as a whole. When it was originally released, returning to the home screen (for example) was incredibly slow - it's marginally better since a system update, but woeful compared to the equivalent functionality on PS4 or Xbox.
- emsy 10y ago
  Another weird thing: I have a 3DS and a 3DS XL but purchases can only be installed on 1 system. This is also a problem if your system breaks, because your games are tied to your console.
  - OMGTehAwsome 10y ago
    For eShop games you can call Nintendo and they can transfer the licenses (I did it when upgrading to a New 3DS.) For me the real bummer was that your saves are also tied to your console and it's more complicated transferring those. I don't mind paying 30-40$ for another game license, but it really hurt losing 100+ hours of progress in several unfinished games.
- n-gauge 10y ago
  It's like their 'HTML5' browser (on either the wii or wiiu) so slow! The thing is the Wii U specs could have run at least some version of Chrome... I don't think it's hardware accelerated in anyway - prehaps to stop html5 games interfering with 3rd party games maybe?
ocdtrekkie 10y ago
I think that's a big part of why Nintendo still has purchases tied to devices. As a way to push people to buy the same content over again. They don't push out new digital content fast enough to keep the income flow up if they aren't getting you to repurchase things.
blakeyrat 10y ago
It has a bad UI. But the real killer is: games are still tied to hardware, not user account. Which means, if your console dies, you lose all your purchases. (Unless that's changed VERY recently.) If you're used to the Xbox store like the grandparent, going to the Nintendo Shop is like stepping back in time a decade.
- Tiktaalik 10y ago
  I am under the impression the lack of unified account system problem will finally be fixed with this new system. This is so long overdue and very welcome.
- delecti 10y ago
  I'm fairly confident you're incorrect. There's a single shared account between the 3DS and Wii U online stores, and I also know for sure that 3DS purchases are tied to your user account, rather than your hardware. I suppose it's possible that it works differently for the Wii U than the 3DS ecosystems, but that seems unlikely. You can still only have an account attached to a single console (of each type) at a time, but if you lose one or it dies, you can reattach your account to the new one.
  - hudell 10y ago
    Your account is tied to the hardware (1 3DS and 1 Wii U). You can move your account from one hardware to another if you have both on the same room, or with a phone call.
  - squeaky-clean 10y ago
    Sorry, but that's the way it is. You do share the 3DS and Wii U accounts, but game titles are tied to the console. Nintendo has no instructions on how to transfer games to a different 3ds system without having both of them physically there and working [0]. I wanted to trade in my 3DS for a discount on a "New 3DS", but wouldn't have both systems to transfer my games. (Though I've read most Gamestop's will let you do the transfer in their store when you do the trade-in, I haven't tried). It seems a Kotaku author was able to get their games transferred by contacting Nintendo directly. So at least there's that [1]. There's no direct way to download your games onto a new 3ds. And additional source about transferring between systems [2]. [0] http://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/227/~/how-to-transfer-content-between-nintendo-3ds,-nintendo-3ds-xl,-and-nintendo-2ds http://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a... [1] http://kotaku.com/salvaging-games-from-a-broken-3ds-is-surprisingly-easy-1687498063 http://kotaku.com/salvaging-games-from-a-broken-3ds-is-surpr... [2] http://gaming.stackexchange.com/questions/154883/how-to-get-my-previously-owned-3ds-games-without-the-original-system http://gaming.stackexchange.com/questions/154883/how-to-get-...
vlunkr 10y ago
And the thing about the virtual console games is that after you've bought them 3 or 4 times from Nintendo, piracy starts to look real appealing.
tiglionabbit 10y ago
The worst part of buying stuff on the Wii U shop is that you can't store it on a tiny SD card. You have to plug in a full external hard drive. This seems like a pretty obvious thing for them to fix in this iteration.
- ThatPlayer 10y ago
  Don't forget that the WiiU also follows USB standards strictly and won't power a portable USB hard drive over a single USB port, requiring a Y-cable. Also you only get the option of formatting the entire drive to use for the WiiU.
voltagex_ 10y ago
I've heard you can't transfer games from console to console - no word on backwards compatibility yet but I must have some eShop titles from ages ago.

i_am_viet 10y ago

Correct me if I am wrong. I believe eshop purchases are still tied to the system and not the account. This makes transferring of content more of a hassle than it needs to be. You'll need to do a system transfer of the games if you want to maintain your library.

ocdtrekkie 10y ago
AFAIK, that is still how it works as of the Wii U. And yeah, there's awful processes for if say, your device dies, and you need to recover your digital purchases.
- i_am_viet 10y ago
  It is unfortunate Nintendo still operates their online purchases this way. Many other platforms (XB Live, PSN, Steam, et cetera) tie purchases to the account. Nintendo's way goes against expectations. I hope Nintendo spends a little more resources to improve on the online side of things alongside the new Switch console (store, online multiplayer, interaction with friends...); they are severely behind compared to their competitors.
  - jakebasile 10y ago
    Nintendo has been behind with respect to online gaming for multiple console generations. Friend codes instead of user names is a terrible idea, and like their game purchases friend codes are tied to the hardware and not the user account.
    - ocdtrekkie 10y ago
      I think a big part of the friend code choice is their focus on younger gamers. I think Nintendo's intentionally tried to make it hard for people to become friends who don't know each other outside of the Nintendo ecosystem. They don't want to be seen as an avenue for children being taken advantage of, they don't want parents worrying about what their kids do on a Nintendo platform, etc. I'm not saying it's the right call, or that in this day and age, we haven't moved past that in many respects, but I'm willing to bet that's a big part of their lack of online focus.

jguimont 10y ago

The video/gallery shows a gamecard and gamecard plug. Maybe there is no estore.

squarf 10y ago
The Wii, DSi, 3DS and Wii U all had both physical media and downloadable software. There were e-shop exclusives for all of those systems from mini-games to obscure games that were localized from JP and were too niche for a physical release.
jakebasile 10y ago
That's far from likely. Not having digital purchases would be a terrible decision for a gaming system. The slot will be there to allow the choice to buy physical media, and to placate brick and mortar game stores.
msbarnett 10y ago
Every current system, and the last several Nintendo systems, have had physical media and digital purchase options. That the system accepts physical media tells us nothing.

creshal 10y ago

> The only thing I want to know more about is the online store. From what I understand, Nintendo's eStore has a lot of shortcomings in a lot of weird areas. Haven't run into any as a casual user – Nintendo managed to make the purchase workflow easy even on a 3DS, which is impressive.

Guest98123 10y ago

Is the Nintendo Switch much different than the below; connecting a gamepad to your existing mobile phone, or streaming your phone to your TV? http://i.imgur.com/DlUMgxb.png http://i.imgur.com/DlUMgxb.png The Switch might offer some advantages now, but it's not going to take long before mobile phones offer similar graphics, and gamepad experiences. At that point, what's the advantage of buying a Switch, when the phone in your pocket does all of the same things, and more? I think Switch will sell enough to be profitable, but Nintendo is going to be squeezed out of the hardware market. They can't compete with Playstation and Xbox for the console market. They can't compete with Steam on the PC and laptop market. They'll also lose the mobile market to the iPhone, and Pixels of the future. Personally, I think Nintendo should move away from hardware and focus on game development. Imagine Mario, Mario Kart, Pokemon, Metroid, Zelda, Smash Bros, and Kirby games distributed on Playstation, Xbox, Steam, iPhones, and Android. That's a huge market waiting for them.

slantyyz 10y ago
>> it's not going to take long before mobile phones offer similar graphics, and gamepad experiences. But they already do now. The only problem, albeit a big one, with gamepad experiences is the constantly changing form factors of phones over time. >> At that point, what's the advantage of buying a Switch, when the phone in your pocket does all of the same things, and more? It's not about the hardware, it's about the software. And in Nintendo's case, it's about having the latest and greatest first party Nintendo games. Which, with few exceptions, are not available on other platforms. The bottom line, enough people are still willing to pay for proprietary hardware to play Nintendo's games.
- Guest98123 10y ago
  I agree, their hardware sells because of their games. Profits are in game sales and not hardware though, so why sell proprietary hardware in the first place, if it just vastly limits the audience for your game sales?
  - speeder 10y ago

mikeevans 10y ago

Biggest pain point for the Nintendo eShop? If you own a 3DS and a Wii U and want to own a Virtual Console game for both - you're stuck with buying it two times.

freehunter 10y ago
I agree this should be fixed, I can play a game on either of my iPhones without having to re-buy it, but do any other consoles allow you to do this? If I bought a game on the PS Vita that was also on the PS4, could I play without re-purchasing? Honest question, I don't know. Just wondering if Nintendo is continuing the trend or if they're still stuck in the past.
- skyyler 10y ago
  >If I bought a game on the PS Vita that was also on the PS4, could I play without re-purchasing? Yes. For example, they used to sell "PS Classics", Playstation games through their store. I bought Symphony of the Night once, and had it on my PSP, PS3, and PS Vita. I'm sure you could get it on the PS4 as well. Microsoft has a similar thing for their Xbox Live Arcade games on the xbone, but many of those are being made into HD Remasters instead of being ported.
- jamesgeck0 10y ago
  "It depends" Some games are cross-buy. Others are not. PSone Classics titles are cross-buy. Final Fantasy X/X2 HD is cross-save, but not cross buy. There are a few cross-buy games on Nintendo systems, Severed is the most recent example. Most of Nintendo's cross-buy games have been rolled out since the new Nintendo Account system that debuted with Miitomo.
- DominikR 10y ago
  I don't know about PS Vita to PS4 compatibility but the reason why I decided not to buy a PS4 was that I'd have had to repurchase all the PS3 games that I've bought online before if I wanted to play them on the PS4.
flukus 10y ago

FullMtlAlcoholc 10y ago

What's wrong with being a living room hub? Since cutting the cord, my PS4 has been the ideal set top box and is the only device attached to my TV. Blu Ray Player (that I never use), check. Plex client, check. DLNA client, check. Digital Optical Out, check. Netflix, Amazon Video check. Gaming machine, yup. It completely removes the need for a HTPC.

vlunkr 10y ago
There's nothing wrong with that. But this solves a different problem. You can't (easily) bring your ps4 set up on the bus with you.
- FullMtlAlcoholc 10y ago
  I wonder if, using a more powerful alternative to the raspberry pi, you can create a mobile gaming pc that can run PS now. It wouldn't be a PS4, but PS3 games would be a nice consolation :) EDIT: Interesting, this http://www.udoo.org/udoo-x86/ http://www.udoo.org/udoo-x86/ could definitely power a PC running PS Now. So, I can't lug a PS4 around, but I could lug a PS3 around :) And it would just so happen to have access to the entire library of older systems. Thanks for the idea. I know what my next weekend project will be!
  - vlunkr 10y ago
    Haha, glad I could help
tekklloneer 10y ago
When I moved, I didn't build a "living room hub". In fact, I don't have a TV. I find it much more gratifying to hang out on the couch with my 3DS nowadays in hour long bursts.
hbosch 10y ago
And it can even access the new-ish Playstation Vue (https://www.playstation.com/en-us/network/vue/ https://www.playstation.com/en-us/network/vue/), making the PS4 a relatively viable cable replacement box.

dpeterson 10y ago

Uh, this sounds like a paid advertisement.