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I finally bought a Switch for the family this last Christmas. Then immediately I get swamped by articles from Google about how the hardware is tired and they ne

I finally bought a Switch for the family this last Christmas. Then immediately I get swamped by articles from Google about how the hardware is tired and they need a refresh. I think people are off their rocker. The experience is still pretty magical in 2024. I get that people are tired of the old thing and want the new thing, but it's hard to imagine what stops Nintendo could pull out to make me want to pay more than the current MSRP for the existing Switch. It's either just going to be an even beefier Switch, or something so out of left field that it's not going to cannibalize their still pretty brisk Switch sales.

squigz 3y ago
> It's either just going to be an even beefier Switch This is exactly what it's going to be, though I have to ask how necessary that is. I wonder if there's a name for this phenomenon - EA Sports Syndrome or something - where companies go from making good products every few years, to marginally changing the same product and releasing it every year.
- sparrc 3y ago
  To be fair to Nintendo, they're very much still in the former category of making good products every few years. The switch was originally released 7 years ago, which is ancient in the world of consumer electronics.
  - squigz 3y ago
    While I don't fully disagree, I think Nintendo is slowly heading in that direction. I hope I'm wrong, as they're my favorite console company, and I'd hate to see them stop innovating and instead just release a slightly-beefier Switch for the next 5 years
    - pests 3y ago
      Did you forget the Game Boy era or even the DS days where 3-7 models of each were released?
      - mattl 3y ago
        There’s 2 versions of the NES (plus two versions of the Famicom) The SNES saw a smaller version released later The Gameboy saw Pocket, Light, Color variants. The GameBoy Advance had a flip model and a later variant with a better lit screen. The Wii saw a few cost reduced models that lacked GameCube and WiFi. The Wii U was released in two different versions with less storage on the white model. The Switch has the Switch Lite and the newer OLED Switch. The DS line had DS, DS Lite, DSi, 3DS, 2DS, 3DS XL, New 3DS, New 2DS and I think a New 3DS XL. Plus they have partners who release console variants like the Sharp TV with built in console, the Sharp Famicom with built in disk drive, the GameCube that plays DVDs from Panasonic. Nintendo releases a lot of versions of its systems.
        steviedotboston 3y ago
        Normal
        jimbobthrowawy 2y ago
        Some of those devices you describe were different consoles and not just variants. Gameboy color had games exclusive to it that wouldn't run in a gameboy, the DS/DSi/3ds were different consoles, even if few DSi exclusive games were released.
        mattl 2y ago
        Yep, but part of the same line often and I’m sure I missed some devices out. The 64DD for example. The point is that Nintendo has basically always done this.
- xnx 3y ago
  It's been over 7 years since the Switch was released on March 3, 2017. It's absolutely amazing how much they were able to squeeze out of it through software ingenuity, but it's potential is maxed out now. There were certainly some gameplay/enjoyment tradeoffs that had to be made in Tears of the Kingdom. It's probably financially impractical to keep getting the parts to make the "old" Switch vs. refreshing the hardware.
- Kye 3y ago
  The Wii was two Gamecubes glued together and set records. It's a winning formula.
  - squigz 3y ago
    Did the Gamecube have motion controls?
    - ThatPlayer 3y ago
      Does it count if you used a Game Boy Player to play Wario Ware Twisted or Yoshi Tispy Turvy?
    - rcdemski 3y ago
      Teenager me sure acted like the GameCube had motion controls
    - Kye 3y ago
      I sure tried to use the control like one. It didn't work, but I believed.
      - squigz 3y ago
        I still believe leaning into a turn or trying to avoid an enemy absolutely helps. Thanks for the lesson, Grandma!
- mepian 3y ago
  Improving battery life, framerate, and rendering resolution (which is often below the panel's native 720p) is definitely welcome. Two-three hours is miserable compared to older Nintendo handhelds, and many titles routinely drop below 30 frames per second which is not very nice (and causes motion sickness for some people).
0cf8612b2e1e 3y ago
There were significant frame rate drops in Breath of the Wild (one of the tent pole games for the platform). Beefier hardware could have improved that experience.
- andrekandre 3y ago
  tears of the kingdom as well, supposedly they spent a whole year just to optimize it before release and it still chugs sometimes i have a small hope backwards compatibly also comes with some optional performance improvements for those games...
- metadat 3y ago
  Nintendo's hardware is always crap. It's part of the philosophy which makes them so profitable. High-end hardware != Making good margins. Having engaging content is the trick.
- bun_terminator 3y ago
  Everyone who experience the insane resolution, fps and gameplay-mods this game rocks on emulators will have a hard time coming back to the hardware. It really is severely limited by the console

squigz 3y ago

> It's either just going to be an even beefier Switch This is exactly what it's going to be, though I have to ask how necessary that is. I wonder if there's a name for this phenomenon - EA Sports Syndrome or something - where companies go from making good products every few years, to marginally changing the same product and releasing it every year.

sparrc 3y ago
To be fair to Nintendo, they're very much still in the former category of making good products every few years. The switch was originally released 7 years ago, which is ancient in the world of consumer electronics.
- squigz 3y ago
  While I don't fully disagree, I think Nintendo is slowly heading in that direction. I hope I'm wrong, as they're my favorite console company, and I'd hate to see them stop innovating and instead just release a slightly-beefier Switch for the next 5 years
  - pests 3y ago
    Did you forget the Game Boy era or even the DS days where 3-7 models of each were released?
    - mattl 3y ago
      There’s 2 versions of the NES (plus two versions of the Famicom) The SNES saw a smaller version released later The Gameboy saw Pocket, Light, Color variants. The GameBoy Advance had a flip model and a later variant with a better lit screen. The Wii saw a few cost reduced models that lacked GameCube and WiFi. The Wii U was released in two different versions with less storage on the white model. The Switch has the Switch Lite and the newer OLED Switch. The DS line had DS, DS Lite, DSi, 3DS, 2DS, 3DS XL, New 3DS, New 2DS and I think a New 3DS XL. Plus they have partners who release console variants like the Sharp TV with built in console, the Sharp Famicom with built in disk drive, the GameCube that plays DVDs from Panasonic. Nintendo releases a lot of versions of its systems.
      - steviedotboston 3y ago
        Normal
      - jimbobthrowawy 2y ago
        Some of those devices you describe were different consoles and not just variants. Gameboy color had games exclusive to it that wouldn't run in a gameboy, the DS/DSi/3ds were different consoles, even if few DSi exclusive games were released.
        mattl 2y ago
        Yep, but part of the same line often and I’m sure I missed some devices out. The 64DD for example. The point is that Nintendo has basically always done this.
xnx 3y ago
It's been over 7 years since the Switch was released on March 3, 2017. It's absolutely amazing how much they were able to squeeze out of it through software ingenuity, but it's potential is maxed out now. There were certainly some gameplay/enjoyment tradeoffs that had to be made in Tears of the Kingdom. It's probably financially impractical to keep getting the parts to make the "old" Switch vs. refreshing the hardware.
Kye 3y ago
The Wii was two Gamecubes glued together and set records. It's a winning formula.
- squigz 3y ago
  Did the Gamecube have motion controls?
  - ThatPlayer 3y ago
    Does it count if you used a Game Boy Player to play Wario Ware Twisted or Yoshi Tispy Turvy?
  - rcdemski 3y ago
    Teenager me sure acted like the GameCube had motion controls
  - Kye 3y ago
    I sure tried to use the control like one. It didn't work, but I believed.
    - squigz 3y ago
      I still believe leaning into a turn or trying to avoid an enemy absolutely helps. Thanks for the lesson, Grandma!
mepian 3y ago
Improving battery life, framerate, and rendering resolution (which is often below the panel's native 720p) is definitely welcome. Two-three hours is miserable compared to older Nintendo handhelds, and many titles routinely drop below 30 frames per second which is not very nice (and causes motion sickness for some people).

0cf8612b2e1e 3y ago

There were significant frame rate drops in Breath of the Wild (one of the tent pole games for the platform). Beefier hardware could have improved that experience.

andrekandre 3y ago
tears of the kingdom as well, supposedly they spent a whole year just to optimize it before release and it still chugs sometimes i have a small hope backwards compatibly also comes with some optional performance improvements for those games...
metadat 3y ago
Nintendo's hardware is always crap. It's part of the philosophy which makes them so profitable. High-end hardware != Making good margins. Having engaging content is the trick.
bun_terminator 3y ago
Everyone who experience the insane resolution, fps and gameplay-mods this game rocks on emulators will have a hard time coming back to the hardware. It really is severely limited by the console