Nintendo Releases Switch Console Specs

[Guest]

Nintendo previously revealed precious little about the console, which was originally known by the "NX" code name, before allowing the press to go hands-on with the device in January.

Nintendo Releases Switch Console Specs : Read more

 

[torka]

I feel like 'System Memory' is being used incorrectly here. Is it 32GB of System Memory or System Storage? If its Memory, then thats good... If its Storage, not so good and how much memory does it have then?

 

[James Mason]

I feel like 'System Memory' is being used incorrectly here. Is it 32GB of System Memory or System Storage? If its Memory, then thats good... If its Storage, not so good and how much memory does it have then?

didn't mean to downvote you, wanted to see more comments and the arrow looked like it was gonna do that -_-

 

[nathanielmott]

I feel like 'System Memory' is being used incorrectly here. Is it 32GB of System Memory or System Storage? If its Memory, then thats good... If its Storage, not so good and how much memory does it have then?

Good catch! It's storage; Nintendo used "memory" in its spec sheet and I repeated the mistake.

 

[G0m3r619]

I am disappointed in the specs reported. Another underpowered system from Nintendo.

 

[chaosmassive]

5-35 temperature range seems bit restrictive
you cant play on cold climate, and you cant play it in middle of dessert
sad 🙁

 

[Dosflores]

It's not clear how developers will achieve 1080p 60fps gameplay when the Switch is docked; more powerful consoles like the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One compromise on resolution, frame rate, or both.

You can also compromise on poly count, texture size, shaders quality, anti-aliasing, etc. That's the way Mario Kart 8 runs at 1080p 60 fps. It looks great, but it's less complex than Forza.

The PS4 Pro can handle 1080p with a stable 60fps, usually

LOL. No.

 

[Dosflores]

how much memory does it have then?

It's not been confirmed, but the leaked specs said it was 4 GB. Pretty good for a Tegra-based system, and enough for a tablet-like device meant to execute just one big app at a time (= a game).

32 GB of system memory would not have been good; it would have been absolute overkill. 16 GB would be more than enough even for the highest-end 4K-ready console conceivable today.

 

[Dosflores]

and you cant play it in middle of dessert

Yeah, it would be difficult to eat your dessert while holding the Nintendo Switch.

😛

 

[kingform]

Legend of Zelda is 900p 30fps

 

[thundervore]

I feel like 'System Memory' is being used incorrectly here. Is it 32GB of System Memory or System Storage? If its Memory, then thats good... If its Storage, not so good and how much memory does it have then?

If customers need more storage large micro SD cards are very cheap.

 

[alextheblue]

I feel like 'System Memory' is being used incorrectly here. Is it 32GB of System Memory or System Storage? If its Memory, then thats good... If its Storage, not so good and how much memory does it have then?

If customers need more storage large micro SD cards are very cheap.

Heck yeah, 32GB ought to be plenty to play a few Android games! Wait, this is a Nintendo system that's supposed to play somewhat larger games? Well in THAT case 32GB is ridiculously small and SD cards are generally are slow as piss - the ones that are truly fast are more expensive and require the system to support those standards (UHS-II or at least UHS104). Should have had at least an option for 64GB internal, a card slot, AND a 2.5" drive bay in the dock. Maybe charge $250 for an entry-level 32GB version, and $300+ for larger options.

I agree that 4GB of RAM is enough for that SoC. Especially since they're not going to have a full blown OS, and thus most of the memory will be available for gaming.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

Very nice I'll take one when released.

 

[TheSpiral01]

"The dock also lets the Switch go from supporting 720p with its own display to outputting 1080p to a connected TV. Nintendo didn't explain in the specs how exactly the dock accomplishes this."

Well...it switches.

Charge this, charge that. This method is not "Green". I have since restarted playing my PS2 and boy how i relaized i missed the days of pop in the disc, (no update loading), play for hours(no charging necessary).

 

[Dosflores]

32GB is ridiculously small and SD cards are generally are slow as piss - the ones that are truly fast are more expensive and require the system to support those standards (UHS-II or at least UHS104). Should have had at least an option for 64GB internal, a card slot, AND a 2.5" drive bay in the dock. Maybe charge $250 for an entry-level 32GB version, and $300+ for larger options.

Did you know that "the most powerful console available today" (= PS4 Pro) features a 5400 rpm HDD? I'd call that "slow as piss" too. We won't know whether cheap Class-10 SD cards will be suitable for games or not until we have some benchmarks.

Did you know that the most powerful Samsung phone only has a 32 GB version? Yep, no 64 GB, 128 GB or 256 GB option. The fact that Apple does give those options doesn't mean it is the only acceptable way to make things. Samsung relies on SD cards to let everyone have the capacity they want.

Did you know that the Nintendo Switch dock features a USB 3.0 connector, so you can even connect an external SSD and get the opposite to "slow as piss" performance?

 

[Dosflores]

Charge this, charge that. This method is not "Green". I have since restarted playing my PS2 and boy how i relaized i missed the days of pop in the disc, (no update loading), play for hours(no charging necessary).

I'm not so sure the PS2 is "greener" than the Switch. Sure, the disposal of batteries may not be "green", but power efficiency has improved a lot. The anti-green movement was the release of the PS3. The original PS2 consumes 50W max; the original PS3 consumes 300W max.

I don't know how much the Switch will consume, but the Wii U is just 32W. I don't think the Switch will be more than 50W.

 

[wifiburger]

meh, why put specs the entire world already knows their console / handhelds are junk low end hardware, !

 

[Christopher_135]

Anyone think the base could be upgrade able in the future? Also I think the processor will be better then what people are hearing right now

 

[Darth415]

People talking about how this hardware is low end... Compared to what? The classic console is facing a slow death thanks to the spread of PC gaming, Nintendo made a small 6 inch device that can far and away outperform anything that competes with it.

 

[Dosflores]

Anyone think the base could be upgrade able in the future?

The Switch connects to its dock via USB-C, and some laptops can connect to an external GPU dock via the same connector. So, maybe the Switch could do the same, and in the future you could buy a "Pro" dock featuring a discrete GPU. However, we don't know the maximum bandwidth the connector supports, so maybe in fact it wouldn't be possible.

 

[coolitic]

Docking offers more "power" for the obvious reason that the gpu clocks up when it's docked, and clocks down when undocked to save battery.

 

[hst101rox]

Quite a long charge time .. longer than a laptop. 5-35C is a rather narrow temp range but that's fine.

 

[gggplaya]

Yes, but how do little kid hands, say a 5 year old, fit into this controller? The controller looks very large.

 

[thundervore]

32GB is ridiculously small and SD cards are generally are slow as piss - the ones that are truly fast are more expensive and require the system to support those standards (UHS-II or at least UHS104). Should have had at least an option for 64GB internal, a card slot, AND a 2.5" drive bay in the dock. Maybe charge $250 for an entry-level 32GB version, and $300+ for larger options.

Did you know that "the most powerful console available today" (= PS4 Pro) features a 5400 rpm HDD? I'd call that "slow as piss" too. We won't know whether cheap Class-10 SD cards will be suitable for games or not until we have some benchmarks.

Did you know that the most powerful Samsung phone only has a 32 GB version? Yep, no 64 GB, 128 GB or 256 GB option. The fact that Apple does give those options doesn't mean it is the only acceptable way to make things. Samsung relies on SD cards to let everyone have the capacity they want.

Did you know that the Nintendo Switch dock features a USB 3.0 connector, so you can even connect an external SSD and get the opposite to "slow as piss" performance?

The sad fact is that people don't know any of this and keeps comparing the Switch to Xbox One and PS4 when its an entirely different target audience. All they look at is specs and think higher numbers means better product which is not always the case.

 

[Dosflores]

The sad fact is that people don't know any of this and keeps comparing the Switch to Xbox One and PS4 when its an entirely different target audience. All they look at is specs and think higher numbers means better product which is not always the case.

True. And they hate the Switch so much that they care to downvote every positive comment about it. Even when it's a moderator who just said "Very nice I'll take one when released." :lol: