3 ms·

A counter argument - the Switch gave game devs a solid platform to target without being the latest and greatest without compromising the usability or fun factor

shmerl 10mo ago
I've heard that argument before, but I don't buy it. Whole PC gaming is a counter argument. Let developers make games that scale according to hardware, instead of excusing things with weak specs.
- yjftsjthsd-h 10mo ago
  > Let developers make games that scale according to hardware I'd love that, but I would argue that the evidence shows they don't do it.
  - ehnto 10mo ago
    Even in PC gaming, the performance target tends to be the lowest performing current gen console, not the best PC. Which is a totally reasonable approach and has given my PC years of usefulness even though better equipment is out there. The cutting edge of PCs is such a tiny minority of users, even amongst PC gamers it's still a fraction of users. That was not always the case for PC gaming, on modest means in my teens I could at least keep up with graphics card releases. I don't bother with that now, because I don't have to and gain very little from doing so.
    - palata 10mo ago
      > Even in PC gaming, the performance target tends to be the lowest performing current gen console, not the best PC. I would have said "even static websites don't care about older hardware". I am very happy that Valve doesn't refresh the SteamDeck every year exactly for that reason: developers can target "the SteamDeck" instead of "the latest 3 SteamDecks" and force me to buy one every 3 years.
- g947o 10mo ago
  You don't need to buy it, that doesn't matter. Sales numbers are more meaningful than anything. Consumers and developers have voted with their feet.
  - ribosometronome 10mo ago
    Sales numbers are also why Steam isn't in a particular rush to release another. It's popular to adult nerds. Outside of that, it's pretty poor selling when compared to essentially all consoles. The Dreamcast outsold it and Sega gave up on hardware cause of that thing. The PS Vita outsold it and it caused Sony to give up on handhelds. Meanwhile, the Switch 2 has pretty much no compelling reason to purchase it yet (an alright Donkey Kong game?) and outsold the Steam Deck's multi-year sales in a month.
    - PacificSpecific 10mo ago
      Switch 2 is a Nintendo console. It's going to sell like crazy regardless of the software available on release.
- wiseowise 10mo ago
  No, I’ll let developers optimize their shit instead of hogging my system.

shmerl 10mo ago

I've heard that argument before, but I don't buy it. Whole PC gaming is a counter argument. Let developers make games that scale according to hardware, instead of excusing things with weak specs.

yjftsjthsd-h 10mo ago
> Let developers make games that scale according to hardware I'd love that, but I would argue that the evidence shows they don't do it.
- ehnto 10mo ago
  Even in PC gaming, the performance target tends to be the lowest performing current gen console, not the best PC. Which is a totally reasonable approach and has given my PC years of usefulness even though better equipment is out there. The cutting edge of PCs is such a tiny minority of users, even amongst PC gamers it's still a fraction of users. That was not always the case for PC gaming, on modest means in my teens I could at least keep up with graphics card releases. I don't bother with that now, because I don't have to and gain very little from doing so.
  - palata 10mo ago
    > Even in PC gaming, the performance target tends to be the lowest performing current gen console, not the best PC. I would have said "even static websites don't care about older hardware". I am very happy that Valve doesn't refresh the SteamDeck every year exactly for that reason: developers can target "the SteamDeck" instead of "the latest 3 SteamDecks" and force me to buy one every 3 years.
g947o 10mo ago
You don't need to buy it, that doesn't matter. Sales numbers are more meaningful than anything. Consumers and developers have voted with their feet.
- ribosometronome 10mo ago
  Sales numbers are also why Steam isn't in a particular rush to release another. It's popular to adult nerds. Outside of that, it's pretty poor selling when compared to essentially all consoles. The Dreamcast outsold it and Sega gave up on hardware cause of that thing. The PS Vita outsold it and it caused Sony to give up on handhelds. Meanwhile, the Switch 2 has pretty much no compelling reason to purchase it yet (an alright Donkey Kong game?) and outsold the Steam Deck's multi-year sales in a month.
  - PacificSpecific 10mo ago
    Switch 2 is a Nintendo console. It's going to sell like crazy regardless of the software available on release.
wiseowise 10mo ago
No, I’ll let developers optimize their shit instead of hogging my system.