this post was submitted on 16 Jan 2025
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[–] pjwestin@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago (5 children)

Honestly, I'm a little concerned. Nintendo almost always tries something new and innovative. This just looks like a hardware upgrade, which is good, but not what keeps them ahead of their competitors. The Steam Deck is already encroaching on the Switch's territory, and it's only a matter of time before Playstation and Xbox try something similar (assuming Microsoft doesn't just give up on consoles and just make PCs). I was expecting something no one else would try, like a duel-screen that could function like a Wii U and a DS.

[–] Krauerking@lemy.lol 35 points 1 day ago (3 children)

When the DS became the best selling gaming handheld we got

  • DS OG 2004
  • DS Lite 2006
  • DSi 2009 (removed Gameboy slot)
  • DSi XL 2010

They then went on to make the 3DS in multiple iterations including one where they just removed the 3D functionality and sold it again as a DS and the most recent model in 2017 was...

  • New Nintendo 2DS XL

When they have a successful and well selling portable console they slow down on the innovation and go full into embrace the ecosystem as long as possible with minor improvements and if we use the DS as an indicator we have a decade of this.

[–] realitista@lemm.ee 3 points 6 hours ago

Yeah it would be very dumb not to capitalize on the success of the Switch.

[–] WolfLink@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 day ago (2 children)

The difference here is the entire DS line played the same games and provided the same core hardware. The 3DS, 3DS XL, and 2DS all played the same games.

The Switch comparison here would be:

  • OG Switch
  • Switch Lite
  • OLED Switch

The closest comparison for Switch 2 would be the “New 3DS” which had a handful of games that weren’t backwards compatible. Or maybe the Wii U, although that tried to be innovative enough to be its own thing.

[–] Krauerking@lemy.lol 1 points 5 hours ago

Yeah I would put this in comparison with the OG 3DS however the main changes seem like they may be in the joycon redesign instead of the screen. The game carts will all be basically identical and potentially still swappable between consoles depending on the game. And the added functionality will probably be unfelt by a lot of people who won't bother with it.

They are working on making the quirk of the system better and giving it an engine tuneup.

They still go long periods of time with practically no "innovation" as that's not their point but making a fun toy is.

[–] Kelly@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

We haven't officially seen the specs yet but it seems safe to say they are more powerful and that "Switch 2 exclusive games" can access that power. That will mean its more like DS/3DS (or PS4/PS5) in that the new gen will get its own library but will still have access to the sizable software catalogue from the earlier gen.

[–] pjwestin@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

Yeah, but those are just different models, not different systems. Those DSs were all running the same operating system and playing the same games. We're not talking about a new generation of console (except from DS to 3DS, which I would say is a pretty big graphical shake-up).

[–] Signtist@lemm.ee 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Eh, I had the Gameboy, then the Gameboy pocket, then the Gameboy color, then the Gameboy advance, then the Gameboy advance SP, then the DS, and so on. Sure, some were just different models of the same base console, but several were real upgrades with exclusive game libraries. This upgrade feels par for the course when it comes to Nintendo handhelds, and honestly, I like that. The switch was a great idea, and jumping to a new thing just because there's some competition would be lame. Pretty much the only benefit of capitalism is supposed to be the whole "competition breeds innovation" thing. Maybe we'll get a bit of that in the handheld market for once.

[–] pjwestin@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

You're actually skipping one of their handhelds: the Virtual Boy, Nintendo's attempt at a 3D console in 1995. It was such a huge flop that its designer, Gunpei Yokoi, delayed his retirement in order to help develop the Gameboy Pocket, which was meant to hold the company over until the Gameboy Color was ready for launch.

I get what about not jumping to a new thing just because, but that's kinda Nintendo's whole thing (well, that and abusive IP lawsuits). Sometimes it's a huge hit, like the Wii, and sometimes it's a train wreck, like the Wii U, but it's always different and, either way, it usually causes them to innovate.

That's what I like about Nintendo; unlike their competitors, they're not releasing the same product every few years with a graphical update, but that seems like what they're doing here. I'm used to seeing them keep the same system alive for a decade, like the Gameboy or DS, and I'm used to them coming to market late with a relatively underpowered system, but I'm not used to seeing them say, "That was successful, let's just make another one of those."

[–] Krauerking@lemy.lol -1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Ok. That's great buddy. (⁠☞⁠ ⁠ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ⁠)⁠☞

I'm gonna exit this conversation now.

[–] pjwestin@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

LOL, weird reaction, but OK.¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[–] samus12345@lemm.ee 14 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

It doesn't help that the rumored price is $450. If it ends up being that high, I'll definitely go for a Steam Deck instead. Con: can't play Switch 2 games. Pro: everything else. I know electronics are super expensive now, but without the advantage of a lower price, a competitor's portable console that's not a walled garden is a very tempting alternative.

[–] brognak@lemm.ee 3 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago) (1 children)

Can't play Switch 2 game, yet. I have Yuzu/Ryujinx running multiple games at better frame rates than the Switch itself the using SyncThing to keep saves/isos mirrors to my NAS and PC so I could seamlessly move from desktop to Steamdeck and back.

Unironically better functionality than the device I was emulating. I still bought games on the eShop to assuage my conscience, but only after is played more than 4-5hrs so I even gave myself timed demos of everything as opposed to whatever the devs had time to carve out (if they even did).

[–] samus12345@lemm.ee 2 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

I wouldn't count on Switch 2 emulation being nearly as good as Switch 1 was. Not many people are going to be willing to put a lot of effort into it for free when it's known that Nintendo will aggressively shut them down.

[–] mbirth@lemmy.ml 1 points 12 hours ago (1 children)
[–] samus12345@lemm.ee 4 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Yes.

They run afoul of the law when they bypass encryption, recreate copyrighted programs, or point users to pirated material.

Both Yuzu and Ryujinx had to bypass encryption to be able to run the games. Switch 2 will be the same.

[–] mbirth@lemmy.ml 1 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

I think a big point in those cases was that the emulators came with the keys included. If you don’t provide the keys (or make them VERY easily available), emulators seem to be legal.

[–] samus12345@lemm.ee 2 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Nothing in that article indicated any sort of change in Nintendo's stance. I guarantee they will come down hard and fast on anyone who makes enough progress on a Switch 2 emulator to actually be able to run commercial games.

[–] mbirth@lemmy.ml 1 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

Oh, of course, they will. Doesn’t mean they’d win if anyone dares to play the legal game to the end, though.

[–] samus12345@lemm.ee 1 points 4 hours ago

With the government about to take over in the US? Oh, they'd win.

[–] pjwestin@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Oof, yeah, that's pretty steep for Nintendo. Honestly, I always wait at least a year for the library to build up and the price to drop a bit. I've heen thinking that a Steam Deck would be my next purchase as well, and if the Switch 2 turns out OK I'll get it in a couple of years.

[–] samus12345@lemm.ee 7 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I think price drops are a thing of the past for consoles nowadays, unless you're getting something used. Neither the Switch nor PS5 ever dropped in price. The PS5 even RAISED in price in some markets.

[–] Jimmycrackcrack@lemmy.ml 2 points 20 hours ago

Neither did wii for that matter.

[–] pjwestin@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Oh. Well, that sucks ass. My switch was a present, so I never knew that.

[–] Lumisal@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The controllers are also mice

[–] pjwestin@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

Well, that's not nothing. It's almost nothing, but not nothing.

[–] Tarquinn2049@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

I was really hoping for the hand-held virtual portal they had planned a few years ago. Assuming it got scrapped when 3DS didn't do as well as they hoped. But yeah, basically the tech from the *new 3DS, upgraded to a bigger single screen with an imu so you could use the portal to control the in-game camera. And it would basically feel like you are looking through and holding an actual portal into the videogame world you are playing.

It's possible to just do more easily/cheaply in VR now. But I still think a physical device doing it would surprise alot of people.