New Nintendo Switch hardware versions?

[wco81]

Reports of a new Switch in 2019.

Supplier reports center around the screen.

No words on specs. But it could be a minor revision, maybe a different spec display and little else changing?

Is Nvidia ready to deliver new silicon which could be manufactured in volume for a 2017 launch?

https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2018/10/report-a-new-nintendo-switch-model-will-arrive-in-2019/

 

[Pressure]

I'm sure they have some old, dusty, off-the-shelves SoCs they want to get rid off. Nintendo is the Texas Instrument of the console market.

With the bar set that low, we can only be surprised in a good way

 

[Shifty Geezer]

It's surely just a revision. These handhelds frequently get them.

 

[Tkumpathenurple]

Pleeeeeeeease! Every second iteration of Nintendo's handhelds is the version to get, and I'm holding off on a Switch until it's had its. Hopefully, by then, Nintendo will've sorted their save game backup issues, and Pokémon will be out

 

[Deleted member 13524]

I'm sure they have some old, dusty, off-the-shelves SoCs they want to get rid off. Nintendo is the Texas Instrument of the console market.

With the bar set that low, we can only be surprised in a good way

You're clearly underestimating Nintendo's ability to underwhelm in the hardware front.

 

[Picao84]

You're clearly underestimating Nintendo's ability to underwhelm in the hardware front.

I don't believe we'll have a significantly more powerful SoC, indeed. Most likely a die shrink of the current one, which would increase battery life or decrease battery size and the console weight. If even that. Given the special form factor I can't see them changing it too much, to not break compatibility with the existing controls.

 

[Goodtwin]

I don't believe we'll have a significantly more powerful SoC, indeed. Most likely a die shrink of the current one, which would increase battery life or decrease battery size and the console weight. If even that. Given the special form factor I can't see them changing it too much, to not break compatibility with the existing controls.

Is there even a mobile chip that outperforms the SOC in the Xbox One yet? People make comments criticizing Nintendo for using the Tegra X1 as if its just so antiquated, but in reality there really isn't very many examples of chips that outperform it in a significant way. Especially when we consider a sub $300 priced product.

If there is a "New" Nintendo Switch releasing next year, my guess would be a 1080p screen, X1 moved to a smaller more energy efficient process and will allow it to run docked clock speeds in portable mode. Docked may see a turbo mode available to developers kind of like the PS4 Pro.

 

[wco81]

Is there even a mobile chip that outperforms the SOC in the Xbox One yet? People make comments criticizing Nintendo for using the Tegra X1 as if its just so antiquated, but in reality there really isn't very many examples of chips that outperform it in a significant way. Especially when we consider a sub $300 priced product.

If there is a "New" Nintendo Switch releasing next year, my guess would be a 1080p screen, X1 moved to a smaller more energy efficient process and will allow it to run docked clock speeds in portable mode. Docked may see a turbo mode available to developers kind of like the PS4 Pro.

A10x Fusion in the $180 Apple 4K, same as the SOC in the $649 iPad Pro 10.5 inch foam 2017.

 

[Deleted member 13524]

Is there even a mobile chip that outperforms the SOC in the Xbox One yet? People make comments criticizing Nintendo for using the Tegra X1 as if its just so antiquated, but in reality there really isn't very many examples of chips that outperform it in a significant way.

There are several that outperform the TX1 @1GHz CPU / 350MHz GPU. There have been since late 2015's high end FinFet SoCs..
Why does it have to be XBone or nothing, for you? Where's the logic in that?

Especially when we consider a sub $300 priced product.

The Switch is $299 (in the US because euroland is still 330€ AFAIK). I

 

[bgroovy]

I will be in a tiff if the next rev has an OLED.

 

[Goodtwin]

There are several that outperform the TX1 @1GHz CPU / 350MHz GPU. There have been since late 2015's high end FinFet SoCs..
Why does it have to be XBone or nothing, for you? Where's the logic in that?



The Switch is $299 (in the US because euroland is still 330€ AFAIK). I

Easy, how much is there to gain with a different chip that still fails to match or exceed the weakest dedicated home console on the market? It wouldn't really change its place in the market. Developers will always welcome more performance, but even if Switch had twice the theoretical throughput, developers would still be porting to the weakest platform. So if you are going to criticize the Switch based on using the Tegra X1, you would need to provide alternatives that outperforms it in a meaningful way. We know the Tegra X1 can run much higher than 350Mhz, so reference the chip from 2015 that outperforms the Tegra X1 with the same power draw or less, and can be found in devices ( phones or tablets) released no later than March 2017? We have seen tablets with and phones with chips when ran full tilt running games, drain the battery in a little over an hour. The clock speed for portable mode on Switch takes battery life into consideration.

A10x Fusion in the $180 Apple 4K, same as the SOC in the $649 iPad Pro 10.5 inch foam 2017.

My fault, I should have specified a phone or tablet so that were are comparing devices with "comparable" components. The Apple 4K TV is a simple streaming box. No screen, no battery, and doesn't even include an HDMI cord. Super minimalistic. The only control is a simple remote, far from the sophisticated joy cons the Switch has. The Tegra X1 was in a streaming box for $199 a year before the Apple 4K TV.

 

[wco81]

My point is it's one of the fastest mobile SOCs out there, from a company which has huge R&D budget and access to the best fabs.

 

[Entropy]

There is no indication in the original rumor of anything other than a supplemental display screen supplier.

There is little reason for Nintendo (or its customers) to move Switch to a 16nmFF SoC. Higher cost and very modest improvements in density to offset this. They might leverage the lower power draw at ISO performance by incorporating a smaller battery of course, but that is also just a small contributor to the BOM. And of course, using the process advantage just to save on the battery makes the whole exercise rather pointless.
I fail to see much point for Nintendo to change their main SoC to anything less advanced than 7nm, (unless they got a really sweet deal on 10nm now that Apple is moving away from that node, but I doubt that TSMC would be inelastic enough that they would have a major problem with excess capacity.)

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

I don't see any big changes either. Maybe a slightly larger screen as the current bezels are pretty thick, maybe a glass cover, but no fundamental changes. Nintendo probably doesn't want to change the form factor either to keep controller/dock compatibility.

But TBH I don't think the Switch needs much improvement. Better SoC? But what's the point if you break compatibility with the current device? Better battery? Is that really such a big issue in a time where everybody owns a battery pack to charge their phones and most long haul airplanes, trains and buses comes with a power socket?

 

[BRiT]

I dont think the screen size or device size will change at all, they'd likely want to keep compatibility with all their cardboard Labo kits, right?

 

[Tkumpathenurple]

If they can use an SoC on a more power efficient node, and stick in a larger battery, they'd have an easy win on their hands.

Maybe remove the vents and change to an OLED screen of the same resolution (if they make those.)

 

[DuckThor Evil]

Tegra X2 with more RAM could happen.

 

[Tkumpathenurple]

That'd be lovely, and the likes of the New 3DS have set that precedent. But I think they'd do well to just focus on things like battery life and build quality for now, and release an amped up version a year or so after the PS5 and XBoxTwo have released.

That'd give them a chance to include an adequate SoC + memory for multiplats.

Edit: further to the above, whilst Sony and MS will focus on 4K, Nintendo can probably get by with their current resolutions, and just include upscaling hardware for 4K TV's. A 7nm Tegra xx Switch 2 with 16GB of HBM3 would be quite the 720p-1080p beast IMO.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

I don't see any big changes either. Maybe a slightly larger screen as the current bezels are pretty thick, maybe a glass cover, but no fundamental changes. Nintendo probably doesn't want to change the form factor either to keep controller/dock compatibility.

Yeah, they're now wedded to the basic form factor given the detachable joycons so there's almost no incentive even to make the made unit thinner without having two sets of accessories. A better screen perhaps, but my Switch screen is pretty decent. Better battery life is always welcome on a mobile device though!

 

[AlNom]

I fail to see much point for Nintendo to change their main SoC to anything less advanced than 7nm

Is that even feasible with the required phys I/O?