5 ms·

What are some of the reasons why Nintendo Switch isn't just phone + app + chromecast-like device + bluetooth controllers?

deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
Bahamut 10y ago
Who would buy that? Screen is too small to be of great utility for gaming, cellphones have awful battery life for gaming, controllers wouldn't be as nice to bind to such a device while sticking it in a pocket, and it directly brings it into competition with Apple and Android phone vendors. I love gaming as much as anyone else, but that makes a lot less sense than what Nintendo is currently doing. The Switch isn't a pocket-sized console, and doesn't pretend to be. It is big and powerful enough to drive a TV-based experience, while being portable enough for trips/public transit.
- glandium 10y ago
  > cellphones have awful battery life for gaming The video says the switch, depending on conditions has a battery life between 2.5 and 6.5 hours. That doesn't sound particularly better than a cellphone.
  - zardeh 10y ago
    Unplug your phone and play (or record) videos for a few hours. See where the battery is.
    - glandium 10y ago
      I do that regularly. And that's why I'm saying that the announced 2.5-6.5 hours doesn't seem like much difference with a cellphone.
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]
- chalupa-man 10y ago
  I have an iPhone 6S and my battery life when 3D gaming is about smack in the middle of the Switch's range. Admittedly the Switch is presumably going to run better graphics, but still -- its battery life is about the same as cellphone battery life.
- neximo64 10y ago
  You need to look at how Nintendo makes games - they start with the device then build the story around that. Not the other way round, i.e making a story then looking at building it for the device. That is why the specs don't really matter or have ever mattered. Historically we've always heard spec complaints but a device user doesn't really talk as much about them (or even aware of them). At least compared to Playstation or Xbox.
rtpg 10y ago
game machines often have dedicated hardware made specifically for running games on otherwise slow hardware. Also things like extremely thin OSes with almost-real-time guarantees about the speed at which things will run. The screen is also much larger than a Phone screen, more like an iPad. So now you're selling an iPad accessory, locked to Apple's store and architectuaral decisions. Not to mention that selling it themselves like this while controlling software distribution lets them subsidize the cost of the machine with software sales It would be quite a challenge to get Skyrim working on a phone, I imagine.
Splines 10y ago
$300 for a tablet, chromecast device + bluetooth controllers that all integrate nicely is a pretty good deal. Gaming on mobile phones with controllers is a pretty janky affair right now. Poor quality controllers and iffy compatibility are the norm. Getting your display remoted to the TV is also well in the "doesn't always work" territory.
- rhizome 10y ago
  Gaming on mobile phones with controllers is a pretty janky affair right now That people are using controllers with phone games tells me that there are still lessons to be learned from the Wii.
joesb 10y ago
Whose phone would it be when you are playing at the living room with all your friends? Wanna put the phone on airplane mode so noone can interrupt when you are playing? Or want to have the owner of the phone take the phone away for calls when you are playing with the other guys? And anybody wants to show their notification on the TV?
- forgetsusername 10y ago
  Do you really consider any of these things serious problems? Phone functionality could turn off in "game mode". As far as the owner of the device "taking it away" to use it while it's being played...how is this a device issue?
nicky0 10y ago
Incoming calls while gaming would suck, for a start.

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

Bahamut 10y ago

Who would buy that? Screen is too small to be of great utility for gaming, cellphones have awful battery life for gaming, controllers wouldn't be as nice to bind to such a device while sticking it in a pocket, and it directly brings it into competition with Apple and Android phone vendors. I love gaming as much as anyone else, but that makes a lot less sense than what Nintendo is currently doing. The Switch isn't a pocket-sized console, and doesn't pretend to be. It is big and powerful enough to drive a TV-based experience, while being portable enough for trips/public transit.

glandium 10y ago
> cellphones have awful battery life for gaming The video says the switch, depending on conditions has a battery life between 2.5 and 6.5 hours. That doesn't sound particularly better than a cellphone.
- zardeh 10y ago
  Unplug your phone and play (or record) videos for a few hours. See where the battery is.
  - glandium 10y ago
    I do that regularly. And that's why I'm saying that the announced 2.5-6.5 hours doesn't seem like much difference with a cellphone.
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
chalupa-man 10y ago
I have an iPhone 6S and my battery life when 3D gaming is about smack in the middle of the Switch's range. Admittedly the Switch is presumably going to run better graphics, but still -- its battery life is about the same as cellphone battery life.
neximo64 10y ago
You need to look at how Nintendo makes games - they start with the device then build the story around that. Not the other way round, i.e making a story then looking at building it for the device. That is why the specs don't really matter or have ever mattered. Historically we've always heard spec complaints but a device user doesn't really talk as much about them (or even aware of them). At least compared to Playstation or Xbox.

rtpg 10y ago

game machines often have dedicated hardware made specifically for running games on otherwise slow hardware. Also things like extremely thin OSes with almost-real-time guarantees about the speed at which things will run. The screen is also much larger than a Phone screen, more like an iPad. So now you're selling an iPad accessory, locked to Apple's store and architectuaral decisions. Not to mention that selling it themselves like this while controlling software distribution lets them subsidize the cost of the machine with software sales It would be quite a challenge to get Skyrim working on a phone, I imagine.

Splines 10y ago

$300 for a tablet, chromecast device + bluetooth controllers that all integrate nicely is a pretty good deal. Gaming on mobile phones with controllers is a pretty janky affair right now. Poor quality controllers and iffy compatibility are the norm. Getting your display remoted to the TV is also well in the "doesn't always work" territory.

rhizome 10y ago
Gaming on mobile phones with controllers is a pretty janky affair right now That people are using controllers with phone games tells me that there are still lessons to be learned from the Wii.

joesb 10y ago

Whose phone would it be when you are playing at the living room with all your friends? Wanna put the phone on airplane mode so noone can interrupt when you are playing? Or want to have the owner of the phone take the phone away for calls when you are playing with the other guys? And anybody wants to show their notification on the TV?

forgetsusername 10y ago
Do you really consider any of these things serious problems? Phone functionality could turn off in "game mode". As far as the owner of the device "taking it away" to use it while it's being played...how is this a device issue?

nicky0 10y ago

Incoming calls while gaming would suck, for a start.