Nintendo Switch

The announcement I saw said that games are ALREADY labelled as working in handheld or docked mode.

My issue is more that won't some games be unplayable handheld? Like, doesn't the Switch run better docked anyway? Even if a game is considered Handheld compatible, that doesn't mean it's handheld-playable.

At least, that's what I've heard about the Switch. Maybe I'm wrong, as I don't have one either way.

Yeah, it's been there since launch, considering the original Switch can switch betwren handheld, tabletop, and TV modes.

I've not heard of any Switch games that are literally unplayable in handheld mode, even if their performance does suffer.

Edited by ShinyCottonCandy on Jul 10th 2019 at 3:13:55 PM

I don't think there's any game unplayable in both tabletop and handheld mode, so everything should be good as long as you buy some joycon controllers. Maybe not Labo.

Given that a pair of Joycons runs US$79.99 MSRP, that seems to me like it reduces the impact of one of the Lite's benefits, a $100 lower price.

No kickstand doesn't help things any, either, if you don't have something handy to prop it up against so you can view the screen while holding those separate JCs.

You only need Joycons for games that require you to use motion controls, so you won't be able to speed-run Mario Odyssey, but you can still totally 100% it.

Super Mario Party won't run in handheld mode

Nintendo has filed a Class II permission change with the US FCC in order to change the base Switch's SoC, NAND memory, and CPU without having to recertify the whole thing.

Edited by tclittle on Jul 10th 2019 at 3:59:59 AM

Nothing about that stupid control stick issue? The one where the metal points attached to the stick were wearing down the graphite sensors?

Why do they need 'class three permission'?

Joycons break easily, so people are probably gonna need new ones. Mine broke by just falling 4 feet while in handheld mode and I've heard of them breaking from even lighter troubles,

Speaking of broken Joycons, my left Joycon seems to slowly drift upward. Does anyone has experience dealing with Nintendo to try and get it fixed or replaced?

Yeah, mine's been having issues with that as well. At the moment it isn't a big deal since I already have a pro controller, but I should get it looked at at some point. It's possible to get the joycon fixed without having to send in the whole console, right?

Official announcement:

Hmm. Mr. Koizumi keeps referring to the "Switch family". Makes me think a Switch Pro is coming.

Some sort of Switch Pro is probably inevitable, though there's no telling when. I'd love to see it bring back some of the features we lost from Wii U, like having some tech in the dock so you can run a game on the TV while using the Switch itself like the gamepad, for things like inventories and maps. Probably not going to happen though.

I mean, just by virtue of there being two models, it’s now a family of systems.

News came out recently that Nintendo's getting a new CPU and memory for the base Switch model, suggesting the Switch "Pro" is the inevitable refresh. The New 3DS situation, in other words.

@bitemytail and Japanese Teeth

That's the issue I mentioned before. Basically, Joy-Cons are designed with an inherent flaw at the design stage. The sticks move two sliders that determine position, these sliders have metal points that make contact with graphite sensors attached to a chip. Over time, the metal points wear down these graphite sensors, building up tiny amounts of graphite dust and eventually destroying the sensors themselves.

Does Nintendo offer repairs or replacements?

Yeah, but you have to call ahead of time to schedule it and send it in, and if the Joy-Con isn't under warranty it costs like 30 bucks plus shipping.

Edited by PushoverMediaCritic on Jul 11th 2019 at 2:16:14 AM

There's also no promise they'll fix them. I sent mine in because the right one kept desynching but they said they couldn't replicate the issue and just sent them back. Ended up buying a pro controller and now I just play everything in tabletop mode.

This Twitter thread details what dataminers have found in regards to revisions.

Here's a summary I stole from Reset ERA:

• Since firmware 5.0 there has been support for three hardware lines, one with the original Tegra 210 and two for the new Tegra 214 (Mariko)
• Those two hardware lines are Switch Lite and Switch "New".
• The original Switch has 4GB of RAM and 6GB for the devkit. The new models have support for both 4GB and 8GB of RAM.
• Both Switch Lite and "New" use LPDDR 4 X DRAM which grants a small battery boost due to lower voltages.
• Switch Lite has a smaller screen and non-detachable controllers while "New" Switch should have the exact same form factor.
• The GPU in the "New" Switch is clocked at higher values than Switch Lite, potentially giving a modest performance boost.
• Larger than 32GB memory is possible in the "New" units. Two models have been found in the firmware (codenames "Iowa" and "Calcio") and is speculated that one will have more internal storage.
• There's absolutely no evidence of an actual "Pro" version. At least not in the sense that it would be based off of the Tegra X2 or have massive performance and/or memory improvements.

So—to clarify—this is for the rumored slight upgrade, correct?

It's looking highly likely the base Switch will be receiving the upgrades the Lite is getting, but nothing that would be considered a "Pro" upgrade.