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I still cannot get my head around how Nintendo will position the rev if it is as powerful as it is rumored here. Because it's basically a new gen. Current Switch is blooming so I have a hard time picturing a gbc situation where the og gb was fading to irrelevancy.
I mean, I'll be real, Nintendo has had Apple envy for literal decades. The N64 "funtastic" series was the exact same six colors as the 1999 iMac G3 lineup; the Game Boy micro was transparently their attempt at an iPod mini right down to the metal case and pastel hues; the DSi and Wii were all about glossy white plastic during the peak of the glossy white iPod era; the Switch Lite comes in basically the same bright colors as the iPhone XR, right down to the unusual choices of yellow and "coral." So it wouldn't surprise me at all if Nintendo sees the success of the iPhone Pro and iPad Pro and MacBook Pro and wants to emulate that branding with their own premium-tier hardware.
I guess to expand on the whole deal with the naming scheme, the idea of traditional generations versus refresh might be challenged considering how opportune the positioning of this revision is. That is, if the rumors are true and there is DLSS support, 4k, etc.
And it's interesting you brought up the GameBoy Color: Around the time of its release, there was one killer app that definitely brought it and the OG GameBoy back into relevancy: Pokemon.
Considering there's an Apple TV 4K, yep, that sounds about right!
Not if they don't advertise it as such? Sure it's paying homage to a successor device, but that device is pretty damn old now. "Super" could just as easily be a more Nintendo flavored "Pro"
Switch 3. Makes it immediately obvious what its relation to the prior device is in a way that numbers wouldn't just yet.
So would that make the previous iteration Dark Moon?
Naming and kidding aside, we also still do not know what direction this Switch will be going for. Basically everyone feels here feels its safe to bet it's "The Nintendo Switch but 4K!", however I remain unconvinced that will be the only direction they will be going for. I am expecting at least one (or two) "gimmicks" to help differenciate this revision from the previous iteration, or at least help with its distinction.
Edit: What leads me to beleive that such a "gimmick" (i.e. "selling point") should exists would be this:
If I had to put money down on a name guess, this would be the one!
I kind of like that idea. It's basically what Apple did with the iPhone, where they kind just transitioned into pure numbers with the 4th one.
Don't think the performance issues are really a thing anymore with the current forum software. Pretty sure it's mostly just tradition, now.
Yeah, and there's also been reports that the new Switch model would feature "increased interactivity" in some way. I'd bet on cameras and a mic at the very least, and potentially much more than that. I don't think Nintendo's about to strap a LiDAR sensor on the back of the thing but I could see Nintendo being very interested in the new crop of ultra wide-band chips that help devices be more aware of their relative position to other devices with the chips.
Today's Nintendo very, very rarely sells a product on improved specs alone.
I want this to be true so much but unless the approach under new leadership has become more aggressive some part of me just won't let me believe this kind of thing.
Son: Can we get the new Switch 3.
Mom: but we already have Switch 3 at home!
Switch 3 at home:
I doubt they would use the Super Switch name because I don't think Nintendo has any interest in moving away from what is a highly profitable generation (understatement) right at its peak. I don't think they want to insinuate anything close to a new generation.
Something like Switch DX (Deluxe) maybe.
Something like Switch DX (Deluxe) maybe.
Super Nintendo Switch has to be the way to go. It pays homage to the SNES while communicating the advantages of it in a obvious way. "Super" gets the point across easily. They can even use the "Super" font from Super Mario on the box lol.
The SwitchCube (Switch^3) is gonna have some interesting ergonomics.
Switch (2017) > Switch Lite (2019) -> Super Switch (2021) > Super Switch Lite (2023) -> Switch 2 (2025) > Switch 2 Lite (2027)
How about Switch U ??
Jokes aside, Switch 4k sounds like the only logical name. It tells the consumer that it is not a successor but simply a Switch which supports 4k. The improved performance is something that is implied just like an Apple TV 4k which has an upgraded processor compared to the normal one and also it is not of great interest for the majority of consumers.
Jokes aside, Switch 4k sounds like the only logical name. It tells the consumer that it is not a successor but simply a Switch which supports 4k. The improved performance is something that is implied just like an Apple TV 4k which has an upgraded processor compared to the normal one and also it is not of great interest for the majority of consumers.
I don't think the new Switch is going to be "simply a Switch which supports 4K."
Yeah no, I am not buying into the switch 4k name, it sounds too techy and too serious. I am pretty sure its gonna be either super or advanced, since I am also sure it will be a bit more than just a resolution and performance boost. I cant imagine them not adding some sort of extra gimmick to this one to define its use case further.
edit [ God forbid they might even ditch it being portable for this one, since the light is portable only. Maybe this one might even just be a new dock, with a new screen model alongside with equivalent power of the old switch model with a better screen and form factor and battery life, but you would be able to dock your old switch in it too and it will be able to take over rendering fully instead of it relying on the device itself. ]
edit2 [ since the dock kind of constraints the thickness of the switch, I can imagine it needing a new dock for the new model. I just dont see them have you throw out your old model entirely, but for that to work they really need to improve having multiple switches support on a more account / save data technical level ]
Switch advance makes the most sense, while personally as a nostalgic factor I would love for it to be called a switch super or super nintendo switch even tho its a bit of a funny mouth feel when saying it.
edit [ God forbid they might even ditch it being portable for this one, since the light is portable only. Maybe this one might even just be a new dock, with a new screen model alongside with equivalent power of the old switch model with a better screen and form factor and battery life, but you would be able to dock your old switch in it too and it will be able to take over rendering fully instead of it relying on the device itself. ]
edit2 [ since the dock kind of constraints the thickness of the switch, I can imagine it needing a new dock for the new model. I just dont see them have you throw out your old model entirely, but for that to work they really need to improve having multiple switches support on a more account / save data technical level ]
Switch advance makes the most sense, while personally as a nostalgic factor I would love for it to be called a switch super or super nintendo switch even tho its a bit of a funny mouth feel when saying it.
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I love this thread, thanks to the OP for the work and to regular posters for everything they shared. I'm learning a lot on how DLSS works and how it could potentially power a switch pro/succ... but I don't really think Nintendo is going to make such a strong leap just 4/5 years into the Switch. Based on how much hype there's been for the Series X and (especially) the PS5, with the whole generational leap thing going for them, it makes me question if an iterative approach to the switch is the right call for Nintendo. Consoles are not phones and people don't tend to replace them every 2/3 years.
I'm not sure if this is the right comparison (since they were never an iterative product, just but sales for the One X and the PS4 Pro were never as high as they could've been, and I worry this could be the same issue with a Switch Pro. I feel like a potential new switch model will be more of a New 3DS than a next-gen iPhone, if that makes sense. Replacing the old model, keeps costs down, and is more pleasant to play with a better screen/more durable joycons.
Hope I'm wrong though, I'd love to play with a 4K-DLSS supporting switch pro this year.
I'm not sure if this is the right comparison (since they were never an iterative product, just but sales for the One X and the PS4 Pro were never as high as they could've been, and I worry this could be the same issue with a Switch Pro. I feel like a potential new switch model will be more of a New 3DS than a next-gen iPhone, if that makes sense. Replacing the old model, keeps costs down, and is more pleasant to play with a better screen/more durable joycons.
Hope I'm wrong though, I'd love to play with a 4K-DLSS supporting switch pro this year.
I like it but it would have to be for the revision of the revision
No one from reliable sources said on what level exactly (compared to XB1/PS4) will be powerful.
Nate last time said he certain only about DLSS and "4K" and that based on that we talk about meaningful upgrade over current model.
I would said that here general expectation is that revision will be 2-3x stronger than current model.
Dont think they will add SRAM, it would complicate development and Nintendo will want to make games for current model also.
I was really not in favour of the name Super Switch, I mean who did it really appeal to? How many of the Switch userbase owned a SNES or were even alive during that gen?
There's been no other 'Super' revision, why would they now resurrect that branding after so long when they've passed on every opportunity to do so so far?
...but then they called the theme park Super Nintendo World (and resurrected the Lite branding) so I can totally see it happening now -_-
If we're going down that route Deluxe makes sense as the highest selling title in the library also carries that name, so it's a familiar term that more easily communicates to the existing userbase that this is an upgraded version.
There's been no other 'Super' revision, why would they now resurrect that branding after so long when they've passed on every opportunity to do so so far?
...but then they called the theme park Super Nintendo World (and resurrected the Lite branding) so I can totally see it happening now -_-
If we're going down that route Deluxe makes sense as the highest selling title in the library also carries that name, so it's a familiar term that more easily communicates to the existing userbase that this is an upgraded version.
At this point, I don't see why not. If they are to get people to buy the revision, especially for parents who probably bought one for their kids last year, and not to mention the older, savvier demographics who want the "latest and greatest", they would definitely want to insinuate that their new product is much more than just "more of the same, but newer/in 4K".
You can't really compare Nintendo's situation to the other two's in that the can't declare a generation simply because the Switch's genreation hasn't "matured", or that it has to match the power/spec ration of the latest gen consoles. It'll obviously be limited by it's (hopefully) portable form factor, but even mobile/ARM technology has progressed by leaps and bounds that even Apple is jumping ship from Intel to using their own silicon (which is considered ARM based but heavily customized). There's no reason why Nintendo can't do that simply because the other two take on a more generational approach.
I think "super" switch is a good name, not just because it's a very Nintendo thing but also because it immediately tells the consumer that this is a stronger version of the original Switch. Advance would probably work.
I feel like Deluxe or Plus both are kinda more towards the same connotation as "Pro" in the sense that it kinda just sounds like a fancier/nicer version of the same Switch. Things seem to be pointing to a generational successor performance wise that'll have its own exclusives, and Super or Advance feel like they could convey that divide better. Or whatever random ass branding like MS has been doing, basically some way to indicate same lineage but different.
In terms of historical branding Advance kinda works better cause it'd be analogous the GameBoy situation compatibility wise. Got all the new games taking advantage of the new hardware, but also all the non-Advance games that'll continue to work on both.
IMO you're right to be sceptical, when we have a range of potential specs for the machine, it's much, much more likely to be on the lower end than the higher end. Nintendo haven't changed into a different company.
Importantly, Nate has never said anything about which chips, process, power level, only some sort of 4k output and DLSS.
While it's true that Nintendo doesn't have to match the power/specs of the other two, and that generations are a bit more blurred when a console such as the switch comes around, I feel like the switch is still more like the other two competitors than it is a product like the iPhone. It's a games console, and a wildly successful one, with its biggest year being 2020. I'm not sure how much a beefier pro would sit with consumers who bought it just months ago. It'll have to run the same games as the original model either way. That's why I feel like the switch pro will be a lot more like a new 3DS (replacing the current model in stores) than like a One X, and why a true successor is in the works for 2023/ish
I agree with everything you said until your very last point. If we expect a refresh this year (or early 2022 if delayed) a la n3DS, then a true successor won't come out before 2025. It would align greatly with the software release schedule too.
Yeah, maybe that was just me wanting to play 4K games on the switch now more than me being realistic. I still feel 2025 is a tad too far. March/holiday 2024 max
The question I'll ask you is : with which games ?
Since we are expecting 3D Zelda, 3D Mario and Splatoon (+MK team game) hitting in 2021/2022, these games won't be ready for 2024. They'll need most of these games in the launch window, which points toward a 2025 launch at the earliest.
Metroid Prime 4(K).
We're expecting 3D Mario in 2022? I think it would make a great launch title for Switch 2 in 2023...
The Game Boy Color, DSi, and New 3DS were all first released in Q4 two years and a quarter ahead of the successor platform releasing in Q1.
These mid-cycle refreshes (if that's what this is) seem to be for maintaining interest in a platform in the back half of its life, not for actually doubling it.
I elaborated in a following post.
Basically, looking at how their big guns are positionned (3D Zelda, 3D Mario, MK Team game, Splatoon), a 2024 launch would be too early.
I hope if they truly learn from Apple, they should just call this the Switch 2. Even Apple has learned that the best way to sell more iPhones is to basically increment the number by 1. Lol. I don't have much hope of this ever taking off if it exist as a "Pro" version of the Switch.
Yes, Nate mentionned it.
but the thing is, a Switch 2 in 2023 would be a minor boost over the upcoming refresh. The generational leap will happen within a year or so.
I think so too. In fact they will probably launch Animal Crossing pretty early in the successors life cycle too. Ultimately though I think either a big Mario or Zelda game a good first year has always led to great results. Launching in 2023 with Splatoon 3 and Zelda and Mario (Kart) out seems not so logical.