• Hey everyone, staff have documented a list of banned content and subject matter that we feel are not consistent with site values, and don't make sense to host discussion of on Famiboards. This list (and the relevant reasoning per item) is viewable here.

StarTopic Future Nintendo Hardware & Technology Speculation & Discussion |ST| (New Staff Post, Please read)

That's sounds horrible. That means no bedtime mode. I hope you can at least pair some joy-cons to get around that, but it would still be a massive downgrade on the experience.

And no motion? That's barbaric!
No Joycons could easily mean no detachable controller. ROG Ally/Steamdeck don't have Joycons and can be played in "bedtime" mode. Nintendo need simply offer a standard controller for docked play.
 
No Joycons could easily mean no detachable controller. ROG Ally/Steamdeck don't have Joycons and can be played in "bedtime" mode, while offering a standard controller for docked play.
That would mean either shipping a Pro Controller in the box on top of the attached controls, or requiring a separate controller purchase to play in docked mode. I don't see either being a possibility.

Edit: Not to mention that in the latter case, the dock would have to be a second separate purchase, since you wouldn't put that in the box when no one can use it OOB unless they already bought the controller.
 
Last edited:
oh god here come the "Steamdeck 2 will kill swtich 2" videos

Breaking my "lurk, don't post because this is a place to learn tech stuff about console SoCs etc" stint again to say I actually never watched any of these type of videos. I may look for one to get a good laugh lol.
 
I hear people dismiss Switch 1 hardware as “7 year old cell phone chips” (understandably so).

I wonder how people will dismiss the hardware/chips toward the end of the Switch 2’s lifespan in 6-7 years?

“Old car tech?”
Switch hardware is actually 9 year old tablet chip (🤓☝️)
 
It is not possible for the next console to be a hybrid while lacking Joy-cons.
To play devil's advocate, maybe it's a new design with a new name? It doesn't seem like that speculation is based on any real information, though. If this person is saying there's no information despite all the publicly available info, I doubt they know anything themselves... Unless they have info that contradicts everything we think we know
 

I see some people saying Ace Combat 7’s July 2024 release date on Switch means there is no Switch 2 before July (otherwise they will hold off the announcement or release on Switch 2 instead).

Basically similar to some 3rd party best selling game in 2023.

What do you think?
 
The Tegra X1 was not used in any cell phones.
if people were smart enough for this to work on, they wouldn't be used silly phases like this in the first place


I see some people saying Ace Combat 7’s July 2024 release date on Switch means there is no Switch 2 before July (otherwise they will hold off the announcement or release on Switch 2 instead).

Basically similar to some 3rd party best selling game in 2023.

What do you think?
doesn't mean anything for Drake
 
That's not good. I thought worse case was PS4 level. There were some people stating this thing would perform better than series S in some cases.
You shouldn't think in terms of other consoles, it have different strengths and weaknesses. PS4 had an had an abysmal cpu for example, no dedicated decompression and a slow hdd, 2012 level AMD featureset (Drake will have 2020+ Nvidia featureset), 8 gb ram with 3 for OS (This will have at least 12 with at most 2 for OS). Even if severely downclocked to Xone level teraflop count in handheld, it will punch far above its weight compared to an Xbox One.
 
3. No one was saying BotW or ToTK missed out on being a “once in a generation” type of game cause they were limited by being designed mostly with Wii U hardware limitations and could have been playable on there.
This hardware upgrade makes the situation closer to the Wii/Switch releases of Skyward Sword.
No Joycons could easily mean no detachable controller. ROG Ally/Steamdeck don't have Joycons and can be played in "bedtime" mode. Nintendo need simply offer a standard controller for docked play.
But what a shitty regression that would be, before the now nearly 20 years of Nintendo building major games around single hand motion controllers. Switch 2 Sports Tennis swinging around a gamepad.
 

I see some people saying Ace Combat 7’s July 2024 release date on Switch means there is no Switch 2 before July (otherwise they will hold off the announcement or release on Switch 2 instead).

Basically similar to some 3rd party best selling game in 2023.

What do you think?
We've had games in the past announced for PS4 and Xbone before the PS5 and Series generation was announced and then released crossgen. I don't see why this could be any different.
 

I see some people saying Ace Combat 7’s July 2024 release date on Switch means there is no Switch 2 before July (otherwise they will hold off the announcement or release on Switch 2 instead).

Basically similar to some 3rd party best selling game in 2023.

What do you think?
I had a small conversation with a friend and I'm getting a small weird feeling of "Hey wouldn't this be a good announcement for a Nintendo Direct, why announce it now?"

Considering we haven't heard anything about a Nintendo Direct, a part of me thinks that there's a chance that we won't see a Nintendo Direct but get a Switch 2 reveal within the next couple of months. Literally no way of knowing that and this theory does rely on more stuff getting announced in the coming weeks, but I honestly don't know. If we end up getting a Luigi's Mansion 2 Remake trailer next week, then my opinion on the coming months is made.
 
I think the only logical form of the "hybrid but no Joy-cons" prediction is one where it's not actually a hybrid, it's another addition to the the current plague of Steam Decks and Steam Deck ripoffs, which are purely handhelds, with TV output and external controllers supported only as awkward optional features that most people won't use.

That would be garbage, since the handheld PCs are a strictly worse hardware proposition than the Switch is today, and I have no idea why anyone would think Nintendo would do it, but at least it makes sense as a concept. I haven't seen anyone coming out and saying that though, instead it's being framed as, "what if it's still like the Switch, just without Joy-cons (somehow, even though that's impossible)."
 
I haven't seen anyone coming out and saying that though, instead it's being framed as, "what if it's still like the Switch, just without Joy-cons (somehow, even though that's impossible)."
It's usually paired with the wireless docking / "reverse Wii U" idea where the user is holding the entire unit in their hands. I think this is still a worse idea than the Switch and is untenable for several reasons.
 

I see some people saying Ace Combat 7’s July 2024 release date on Switch means there is no Switch 2 before July (otherwise they will hold off the announcement or release on Switch 2 instead).

Basically similar to some 3rd party best selling game in 2023.

What do you think?

the game is 5 years old. why would it have anything to do with Switch 2?

And I guess it's pretty much exactly 5 years old today/tomorrow.
I would assume that's why it couldn't wait for a Direct.

People need to stop feasting on the goo inside of their heads and instead use it to think things through.
 
Last edited:
I hear people dismiss Switch 1 hardware as “7 year old cell phone chips” (understandably so).

I wonder how people will dismiss the hardware/chips toward the end of the Switch 2’s lifespan in 6-7 years?

“Old car tech?”
Switch sucessor is already been dimissed, due to Switch sucessor supposedly having PS4 specs
 
0
No Joycons could easily mean no detachable controller. ROG Ally/Steamdeck don't have Joycons and can be played in "bedtime" mode. Nintendo need simply offer a standard controller for docked play.
No they can't. Bedtime mode isn't handheld mode. It requires that
  1. You lie in bed.
  2. Head resting on one hand.
  3. Switch sitting up on the bed, preferably on the kickstand but propped up on a fold in duvet will suffice.
  4. One joy-con in the head-supporting hand.
  5. The other joy-con in the other hand that rests pleasantly on the bed.
Even better when all the required controls can be mapped to a single joy-con, usually thanks to the often forgotten S buttons, so you can do away with step 4.

This is the true power of Switch.

And this standard controller would just be a lame rigid two handed shackle controller which would also suck.
 
0
It's usually paired with the wireless docking / "reverse Wii U" idea where the user is holding the entire unit in their hands. I think this is still a worse idea than the Switch and is untenable for several reasons.
I've seen wireless docking discussed, but I didn't know anyone thought it could be a replacement for the entire current hardware proposition. Needing to charge the Wii U gamepad was already annoying enough, imagine if you've got that going on with a heavier full system in your hands every few hours, even though you're just trying to play on the TV, and you can't even get a benefit from higher clocks since it's not docked or guaranteed to be plugged in. And then if you did buy the Pro Controller, there would be no reason for wireless docking at all, but you would still need to leave the thing out somewhere plugged in while still unable to enjoy higher clocks.
 
I think the only logical form of the "hybrid but no Joy-cons" prediction is one where it's not actually a hybrid, it's another addition to the the current plague of Steam Decks and Steam Deck ripoffs, which are purely handhelds, with TV output and external controllers supported only as awkward optional features that most people won't use.

That would be garbage, since the handheld PCs are a strictly worse hardware proposition than the Switch is today, and I have no idea why anyone would think Nintendo would do it, but at least it makes sense as a concept. I haven't seen anyone coming out and saying that though, instead it's being framed as, "what if it's still like the Switch, just without Joy-cons (somehow, even though that's impossible)."

How popular are the joy-cons as joy-cons? It may have been a popular gimmick at the start of the Switch's life with the likes of 1-2 Switch, and its use benefits in tabletop mode. Do consumers actually use them as intended, or are they primarily slid into the Switch forever, never to be removed again?

Because I could see a scenario where the NG Switch is still a hybrid, and the Joy-cons do slide off, but are not intended to be used as two separate controllers (Meaning we can get an actual D-Pad this time around).

Just curious if using the joy-cons as two separate controllers is that popular of a use case, or mostly unused for folks.
 
Re: No Joycons - I feel like they’re part of the Switch’s identity. You can’t do the snap animated logo without it.

But to play devil’s advocate:
• Assuming the two SKUs rumors are true, it could mean this:
— A $399.99 SKU with just the Switch 2, its not-detachable controller;
— $449.99 unit with dock and Pro Controller.

Hidden content is only available for registered users. Sharing it outside of Famiboards is subject to moderation.
 
Re: No Joycons - I feel like they’re part of the Switch’s identity. You can’t do the snap animated logo without it.

But to play devil’s advocate:
• Assuming the two SKUs rumors are true, it could mean this:
— A $399.99 SKU with just the Switch 2, its not-detachable controller;
— $449.99 unit with dock and Pro Controller.

* Hidden text: cannot be quoted. *

Hidden content is only available for registered users. Sharing it outside of Famiboards is subject to moderation.
 

I see some people saying Ace Combat 7’s July 2024 release date on Switch means there is no Switch 2 before July (otherwise they will hold off the announcement or release on Switch 2 instead).

Basically similar to some 3rd party best selling game in 2023.

What do you think?
It's the game 5th anniversary today so they probably why they announced it. They also released the ost on Spotify. I doubt it means anything for the Switch 2 (On another not, it's been already 5 years since AC7 ? Holy sh-turn to dust)
 
How popular are the joy-cons as joy-cons? It may have been a popular gimmick at the start of the Switch's life with the likes of 1-2 Switch, and its use benefits in tabletop mode. Do consumers actually use them as intended, or are they primarily slid into the Switch forever, never to be removed again?

Because I could see a scenario where the NG Switch is still a hybrid, and the Joy-cons do slide off, but are not intended to be used as two separate controllers (Meaning we can get an actual D-Pad this time around).

Just curious if using the joy-cons as two separate controllers is that popular of a use case, or mostly unused for folks.
Just to be clear on what I was saying, any kind of detachable controllers that serve the purpose of letting you play in all three modes OOB count as Joy-cons. That's a requirement for another Switch-like hybrid. How the design of the controllers and use cases might change beyond that is up for debate.
 
How popular are the joy-cons as joy-cons? It may have been a popular gimmick at the start of the Switch's life with the likes of 1-2 Switch, and its use benefits in tabletop mode. Do consumers actually use them as intended, or are they primarily slid into the Switch forever, never to be removed again?

Because I could see a scenario where the NG Switch is still a hybrid, and the Joy-cons do slide off, but are not intended to be used as two separate controllers (Meaning we can get an actual D-Pad this time around).

Just curious if using the joy-cons as two separate controllers is that popular of a use case, or mostly unused for folks.
It's fucking popular with me! And I never want to go back.

Why must a controller be a single rigid two handed piece that keeps your hands bound together? I want to play with one arm resting on the arm of the chair while the other scratches my chin. Or play cross armed when I'm in a huff (like right now).
 
I've seen wireless docking discussed, but I didn't know anyone thought it could be a replacement for the entire current hardware proposition.
The suggestions I've read is that this would become the new primary method of Switching, the default advertised mode with the normal docking method becoming an afterthought. The emphasis is on the reverse 'Wii U' aspect where you are indeed holding the entire unit in your hands regardless of the mode you want to play, possibly even enabling some dual screen gamepad+TV gameplay (that very popular idea that definitely caught on). The dock just becomes a receiver for the TV. And if you want 'real' docked performance - better hope they bundle in that controller.

I've read too many of these brainstorm sessions where people seem keen on Nintendo abandoning the solid hardware setup of the Switch because Nintendo is supposedly afraid or superstitious of creating a sequel console that underperforms, so they pivot to some cumbersome upending gimmick.
 
The removal of Joycons does offer plenty of advantages. 2 less batteries, the interior space of what is now part of the Joycon would instead become interior space of the system which could be filled with storage, a larger battery, cooling or the savings could be translated into a sleeker design.
The clicking sound has been iconic though, and I do believe that plenty of people realize that no detachable Joycon would remove one entire functional controller for TV play from the base package. There will be a NSW 2 Lite with non-detachable Joycon 2-3 years down the line, is my guess.
 
How popular are the joy-cons as joy-cons? It may have been a popular gimmick at the start of the Switch's life with the likes of 1-2 Switch, and its use benefits in tabletop mode. Do consumers actually use them as intended, or are they primarily slid into the Switch forever, never to be removed again?

Because I could see a scenario where the NG Switch is still a hybrid, and the Joy-cons do slide off, but are not intended to be used as two separate controllers (Meaning we can get an actual D-Pad this time around).

Just curious if using the joy-cons as two separate controllers is that popular of a use case, or mostly unused for folks.
I do if I'm not using the pro controller. Much more ergonomic than using the grip, and feels much more "seamless" than a standard controller in a way because you can just let your hands rest wherever you're sitting.

Hidden content is only available for registered users. Sharing it outside of Famiboards is subject to moderation.
 

I see some people saying Ace Combat 7’s July 2024 release date on Switch means there is no Switch 2 before July (otherwise they will hold off the announcement or release on Switch 2 instead).

Basically similar to some 3rd party best selling game in 2023.

What do you think?

This + the MvsDK trailer dropped make me thinking maybe no regular direct for Q1, only “twitter drop” until Switch 2 announcement.

Edit: GS duology could have been a direct shadow drop as well
 
Just curious if using the joy-cons as two separate controllers is that popular of a use case, or mostly unused for folks.
Very small sample size, but of the handful of people I know with a Switch, nobody's bothered to buy separate gamepads.
The removal of Joycons does offer plenty of advantages. 2 less batteries, the interior space of what is now part of the Joycon would instead become interior space of the system which could be filled with storage, a larger battery, cooling or the savings could be translated into a sleeker design.
It's also true that no longer being portable would have advantages like fewer batteries and not having to pay for a screen, but I wouldn't want that either.
 

I see some people saying Ace Combat 7’s July 2024 release date on Switch means there is no Switch 2 before July (otherwise they will hold off the announcement or release on Switch 2 instead).

Basically similar to some 3rd party best selling game in 2023.

What do you think?
Depends if Nintendo deems Ace Combat worthy of being in their presentation, or if the devs had a readily available build for presentation
 
It's fucking popular with me! And I never want to go back.

Why must a controller be a single rigid two handed piece that keeps your hands bound together? I want to play with one arm resting on the arm of the chair while the other scratches my chin. Or play cross armed when I'm in a huff (like right now).
Wii remote and nunchuk was goated and so are split joycons. people don't know what they're missing honestly
 
Question: what’s more probable?
• Switch 2 mini (literally just a smaller Switch 2)
• Switch 2 Lite (non-detachable, smaller SKU)
Former would probably require a different dock as we are assuming the base unit is a larger device with an ~7.9 inch screen and I assume the dock would be designed similarity to the current one where there is just enough room to slot the entire tablet in and have the joy-cons hanging from the side.
A Switch 2 Mini that's still dockable may have the tablet portion fittable (<- not a word apparently) in that large dock but not with the joy-cons included, so it'd need its own.
The Lite would just avoid this problem entirely by not being dockable.

Unless we bring back circle pads into this equation or they redesign the dock to be open face which I don't think they'll do.
 
The suggestions I've read is that this would become the new primary method of Switching, the default advertised mode with the normal docking method becoming an afterthought. The emphasis is on the reverse 'Wii U' aspect where you are indeed holding the entire unit in your hands regardless of the mode you want to play, possibly even enabling some dual screen gamepad+TV gameplay (that very popular idea that definitely caught on). The dock just becomes a receiver for the TV. And if you want 'real' docked performance - better hope they bundle in that controller.

I've read too many of these brainstorm sessions where people seem keen on Nintendo abandoning the solid hardware setup of the Switch because Nintendo is supposedly afraid or superstitious of creating a sequel console that underperforms, so they pivot to some cumbersome upending gimmick.
4K HDR 60hz ultra low input delay wireless is probably really really hard to do and very expensive for a very minor benefit.
 
Wii remote and nunchuk was goated and so are split joycons. people don't know what they're missing honestly

Wii mote + Nunchuck was GOAT. Split Joy-cons though? Ergonomically they're kind of terrible IMO. Same applies to Switch with the joy-cons attached. Satisfye Grip FTW.

I'm not saying Joy-Cons won't be included for Switch 2. More that they need to be redesigned for better ergonomics while attached, and when split.
 
4K HDR 60hz ultra low input delay wireless is probably really really hard to do and very expensive for a very minor benefit.
You're telling me you don't want your hands to melt while holding a molten slab of metal and plastic? Pfft.
 
I can’t listen yet - is Kat just speculating with a “because Nintendo” lens (something that happens constantly on podcasts)? Or is she saying things she’s heard?

If it’s the former why is it being humoured?
 
I use Joy-Cons for many 2D games because surprise surprise, segmented buttons are actually better for most 2D games than a traditional D-Pad. Sonic Mania, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Hollow Knight, etc. It only falls apart for top-down 2D games like Shock Troopers or A Link to the Past, which is an issue but you win some, you lose some.

But more recently, I've been using them way more as actual controllers because split Joy-Cons are actually quite comfortable. And certain motion controls are better on Joy-Cons than the Pro Controller, like the pointer controls for Super Mario Galaxy, Prime Remastered, and Pikmin 3 Deluxe. (NOT general gyro like Breath of the Wild or Splatoon, Pro Controller is just as good) Even Super Mario Odyssey is better on Joy-Cons with better granularity with the hat throwing.

Also when I was on vacation, I entertained two kids at the hotel by letting them play on my Switch and gave them the sideways Joy-Con setup to play Kirby and the Forgotten Land.

Removing Joy-Cons would be really unfortunate if that ever happened. I'd say I would be the first to complain, but I think I'll have to get in line for that.

Edit: Split Joy-Cons also give you an extra four free buttons to rebind to whatever you want. The update in 2020 predates the Steam Deck's back buttons, the PS4 back button accessory (though neck and neck), and the DualSense Edge, only beaten out by the Xbox Elite Controller to market. That is also highly underrated and more people should be aware of that.
 
Last edited:
Even if they decided to split the hybrid into 2 consoles (handheld only / TV only), I would still expect joy-cons for the TV only model as the default controllers (with a Pro Con sold separately of course)

But it's really hard for me to imagine Nintendo completely dropping the hybrid concept
 
I had a small conversation with a friend and I'm getting a small weird feeling of "Hey wouldn't this be a good announcement for a Nintendo Direct, why announce it now?"

Considering we haven't heard anything about a Nintendo Direct, a part of me thinks that there's a chance that we won't see a Nintendo Direct but get a Switch 2 reveal within the next couple of months. Literally no way of knowing that and this theory does rely on more stuff getting announced in the coming weeks, but I honestly don't know. If we end up getting a Luigi's Mansion 2 Remake trailer next week, then my opinion on the coming months is made.
I had the same thought. Games are dropped on Twitter which normally would be used for a direct.
 
I had the same thought. Games are dropped on Twitter which normally would be used for a direct.
Yeah.

Of course it doesn't mean anything right now because we don't have a large enough sample size of announcements to prove it, but we've still got a few weeks of January left. If more stuff is announced, then we can start to assume we might not get a Nintendo Direct this or next month. Instead we can get excited for something else.
 
Please read this new, consolidated staff post before posting.

Furthermore, according to this follow-up post, all off-topic chat will be moderated.
Last edited by a moderator:


Back
Top Bottom