Is there any benefit to Nintendo going back to dedicated hardware now?

[SuperL]

This was one of the arguments being made back when the Switch was just the NX and a bunch of rumors; it didn't make business sense for Nintendo to embrace a hybrid and a shared library because they'd make more money making a dedicated handheld and console and different iterations of their franchises for each.

The Switch is now on track to outsell the Wii U and 3DS combined, and so are most of the big franchises. By the time it's done, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe will have outsold 7 and 8 combined, and all at the $60 price point.

Does it still make sense for Nintendo to go back to a dedicated handheld and console? The only reason I can think of is with the expectation that the next handheld/console combo will be another Wii/DS another mammoth gangbusters success fueled by a rush of casual gamers.

 

[Deleted member 5491]

No, not with even more expensive development of games and needed manpower.
Plus competing with Sony ond M$ on a stationary console doesn't work and they
have an entire market segment for them alone

 

[SaberVS7]

Nope. Dedicated Handhelds and Dedicated Consoles with segregated libraries will be a straight downgrade from here on out. The Hybrid-design is just too much of a defining feature to abandon in future gens.

Unless, hypothetically, said Dedicated Handheld and Dedicated Console doubled/quadrupled down on their strengths and were able to share their libraries.

 

[Jonneh]

Not at all, that audience is already comfortable with PlayStation & Xbox and I can't think how throwing a similar spec Nintendo machine into the mix would change anything - I mean that was essentially Gamecube (though it did have less disc storage than competitors).

Heck, we don't even know if the current standard is sustainable with cloud gaming being on the rise

 

[Mekanos]

No, this is the best option and everyone wins with the switching mechanic, except for people who want Nintendo to chase tech.

I eagerly await the Switch 2.

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

The Switch works as a console, and they have the switch lite for people looking for an even better dedicated handheld, there's no benefit to making more skus for their devs to deal with.

 

[skeezx]

sounds like a hot/stupid take now as switch is doing well but i would think looking years ahead they're beginning to eye life beyond hardware. outside of switch iterations i don't see what they'd have to gain, all the other hypotheticals are fanboy fodder

 

[MysticGon]

I mean Nintendo could shake things up by making a console that could get you CODs and other big fish day one. Especially if crossplay becomes more popular.

 

[Jawmuncher]

Yes, so I can have Gamecube 2

 

[SuperL]

I was just arguing the numbers. Nintendo is obviously not leaving money on the table by not doing two Mario Karts, two Smashes, etc. Plus I can't imagine Game Freak/TPC is crying at the prospect of selling 10+ copies of Pokemon games at $60.

I fully agree with everyone.

 

[Arthoneceron]

Depends. If they really want, they could, but honestly I doubt that they would benefit for that, since there's a moviment which wants to move out from the dedicated hardware and put gaming on the stream.

Also, why to try to be "one more" if they can be unique and make profits from it? I mean, that could work on the Gamecube era, but in 2020+?

 

[Herb Alpert]

They used to have home console and handheld console.
Now they have Hybrid console, mobile, soon theme Parks, licensing (toys, anime)
That's an healthier revenue stream strategy.
We'll see if streaming will affect this.

 

[GulAtiCa]

Yes, so I can have Gamecube 2

Click to shrink...

The Wii was 2 Gamecubes ducted taped together, does that count as a Gamecube 2?

Spoiler

I'm mostly joking, though I would kinda consider the Wii to be Gamecube 2 tech wise of course/etc

 

[Forearm_Star]

This was their best move. I need to go back to a crowded space when you singled a market for yourself.

 

[sleepnaught]

Sure hope not. I just want to them to keep releasing irmpoved Switch's with full backwards compatability. Hopefully, we can get VR or at least 3D back in the mix sometime in the future.

 

[Deleted member 3017]

This has been obvious for a very long time. Most of Nintendo's best software between 2011 and 2017 was released on 3DS. Even if Wii U had been a massive success, Nintendo would have been completely incapable of providing enough software for the machine. Combining resources into development for a single platform is the best decision the company has made in decades.

 

[TheGhost]

As much as I would love a Nintendo console as beefy as a Xbox or Playstaion so I can stop asking "what if they stopped gimping their systems and Breath of the Wild was actually 4k and gorgeous"

This is their market and they are kind of stuck with catering to it.

 

[PtM]

Iwata said that their hardware should have a unified architecture like Apple has with iOS. I expect them to go by this. Though this does not rule out a stationary Switch (2/3/...).

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

They used to have home console and handheld console.
Now they have Hybrid console, mobile, soon theme Parks, licensing (toys, anime)
That's an healthier revenue stream strategy.
We'll see if streaming will affect this.

Click to shrink...

And less work for developers, and consumers have 1 less piece of hardware to buy so they have more money to spend on games. This is way better.

 

[Fadewise]

It never did, and the people who insisted that the Switch was a home console that you just so happened to be able to take with you away from home, and that there would be a true successor to the 3DS were always delusional.

 

[Sub Boss]

Back? 🤔

 

[DarkMagician]

They do have dedicated hardware.

If they didn't, then their software would be on shared hardware, which isn't the case.

 

[mutantmagnet]

This was one of the arguments being made back when the Switch was just the NX and a bunch of rumors; it didn't make business sense for Nintendo to embrace a hybrid and a shared library because they'd make more money making a dedicated handheld and console and different iterations of their franchises for each.

Click to shrink...

If you can say that then you simply don't understand what Nintendo fans wanted (more games from Nintendo thus creating the same game twice is a terrible idea) or what the general gaming market wanted (a reason to give a damn about Nintendo hardware because they wouldn't expect 3rd parties to have the best version on their hardware).

 

[PtM]

the people who insisted that the Switch was a home console that you just so happened to be able to take with you away from home

Click to shrink...

That part was Nintendo themselves.

 

[ShadowFox08]

To unify support for handheld and home console, rhis was their best move... But considering that I play switch 99.99% of the time on docked, I do want more power and AAA 3rd party ports that aren't on too compromised. If they released a home console at least as powerful as ps4 pro, I'd be among the first to jump on it.

At the very least I want a switch 2 as powerful as PS4 in docked mode and handheld mode being current docked specs or better, sooner than later.

 

[justiceiro]

Yes, because it will be cheaper to make hardware with no screens, they also can use media that is way cheaper.

So please do it.

 

[Fadewise]

That part was Nintendo themselves.

Click to shrink...

Nintendo also said that the DS was a third pillar that would exist alongside the GameBoy line. I never believed them then either.

 

[Mass Effect]

No for all the reasons mentioned above. No split focus trying to support two different systems, no need to compete among a crowded home console market, and by extension, they have a stand-out feature that helps differentiate themselves.

The Switch is brilliant and will probably end up being my favorite Nintendo product after the Nintendo 64.

 

[PtM]

Nintendo also said that the DS was a third pillar that would exist alongside the GameBoy line. I never believed them then either.

Click to shrink...

just sayan

 

[LCGeek]

I've been talking about nintendo's aim for a unified strat since GC era.

They are in the 1st real stage of it.

Next gen they can do exactly what they did with switch and with much better nvidia parts. Next switch or the sucessor can easily have dedicated mode that is more maxed out, but I doubt nintendo will do it even though DF has made the case for it with OC switch videos.

sleepnaught they can do both. A pro switch not coming in the next era is incredibly dumb but this company won't do moves like that unless there is strong profit. Pro switch might not have enough consumers for nintendo to not consider it. We will benefit from the fact nvidia is market leader in low power high performance gaming and by the time we see whatever is ampere it will be noticeably powerful than what switch is. A nvidia apu at 7NM or below is already making me sweat with what games we can see from developers who like nintendo platforms.

To big question op is asking, hell no as long as they want mobile power levels with a decent API why should they compete with sony, ms, or the pc platforms. Nintendo does better serving the audiences they do.

 

[Deleted member 19702]

It would be a bad idea to toss aside the Switch idea, BUT... would be a very good idea if Nintendo becomes more invested into hardware power again. A middle term PS4/PS5 hardware level with Switch capabilities would be sexy as hell and, IMO, it's the way to go.

Anyway, I can still see many people buying the "Nintendo can't compete" defeatist nonsense from Wii/Wii U days. After how third-party support improved considerably after Nintendo provided a more third-party friendly hardware, I don't get why there's still people echoing this "Nintendo had it's own thing" or "core audience is confortable with PS4/XBO", especially when more than 60% of it's userbase are also PS4/XBO owners. But... that's the common sense and that's a hell of drug to free yourself outta it.