I don't see Nintendo making the commitment and spending the money on such an advanced process. As far as I can remember, Nintendo never has (at least in the past 20 or so years). The company knows it can do more with less (see the Switch). Also, because the SoC will run at such low clocks and low voltages, I wonder if (other than density improvements) the cutting edge is worthwhile. I'd put money on a Samsung process and, in particular, the same process as Orin (Samsung 8nm or a mobile optimized variant thereof).
Switch 2 Speculation
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I don't see Nintendo making the commitment and spending the money on such an advanced process. As far as I can remember, Nintendo never has (at least in the past 20 or so years). The company knows it can do more with less (see the Switch). Also, because the SoC will run at such low clocks and low voltages, I wonder if (other than density improvements) the cutting edge is worthwhile. I'd put money on a Samsung process and, in particular, the same process as Orin (Samsung 8nm or a mobile optimized variant thereof).
D
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It seems really un-Nintendo-like but if Nintendo are going to stick with a device that is also a mobile device, the predicted increases in costs of raw lithium must be something they are thinking about. Assuming Nintendo are going for a significant increase in performance over Switch, then eating the cost of a more energy-efficient process may be the less costly option over larger or higher-capacity batteries. That might be achievable with 7nm, 6nm, or 5nm rather than 4nm though.
The situation on the horizon for lithium supply for battiers is not looking great. It might all just go away, it might not.
I was bullish on the idea that if Switch 2 were going to launch in 2023, it would most certainly launch next to Zelda TotK. Mostly because there is some history of success when launching with Zelda. However, both the Wii and Switch launched after poor performing consoles and the Zelda titles would basically be releasing on dead consoles if they didn't move them to their next platform. Switch has done extraordinarily well and continues to sell well. Even if Switch 2 were to launch with Zelda TotK, most of the games sales would be on OG Switch hardware thanks to huge userbase and limited supply of Switch 2 units. I have warmed up to the idea of Switch 2 for the Christmas holiday 2023 with a new 3D Mario.
The power consumption will be around 5watts TDP for the SOC when in portable mode. In portable mode, this gives a lot more performance when on 4nm compared to 8nm. I believe the form factor will be very similar to Switch so I do not see Nintendo opting for a battery with much more capacity than the current Switch. Possibly even less capacity for reasons @DSoup mentioned. The Switch Mariko OLED models get about 5 hours of battery life, if the Switch 2 processor were to be set at the same TDP and battery life was targeting 3 hours they could reduce the capacity and physical size of the battery.
Oberon Plus (Playstation 5) is already on a 6nm process from TSMC.
I think @stiftl means a mobile SoC optimized process when he says "low power."
Frenetic Pony
Veteran
But what would the name be?
"Switch 2" isn't very Nintendo, and Nintendo has been nothing if not itself. Super Nintendo worked out before, so Nintendo Super Switch would work. But the Wii-U failed. Is "Super Switch" too close to Wii-U? It's a bit but the "Super" part means it's obviously better than the normal. But (there's a lot of buts) now with the PS4 Pro and wotnot people might think it's a "Pro" Switch and not a "New console gen" and get confused.
"Switch 2" isn't very Nintendo, and Nintendo has been nothing if not itself. Super Nintendo worked out before, so Nintendo Super Switch would work. But the Wii-U failed. Is "Super Switch" too close to Wii-U? It's a bit but the "Super" part means it's obviously better than the normal. But (there's a lot of buts) now with the PS4 Pro and wotnot people might think it's a "Pro" Switch and not a "New console gen" and get confused.
I like Super Nintendo Switch (SNS). It's simple, plays on nostalgia (so many of the potential buyers had a SNES as a kid) and definitely conveys the upgraded nature of the device. It's a far cry better than the "New" nomenclature used in the 3DS line. Wii U failed, in part, because the name suggested confusingly that the tablet was an accessory to the original Wii. Wii 2 or Super Wii would have been better (though the ultimate fate of the console wouldn't likely have changed much).
Much like Richard on this week's DF Direct, my biggest question and curiosity is whether Nintendo feels it must offer a new signature hook to differentiate the new device from the Switch (e.g., the Wii's motion controls, the Wii U game pad, Switch's hybrid gaming). I think not. With the Switch, Nintendo has adequately differentiated its console's feature set from its competitors, enabling a very different scope of gaming. Sure, there will be minor revisions and upgrades, but I suspect the new device will, for the most part, focus on improving the Switch's central conceit, hybrid gaming.
Much like Richard on this week's DF Direct, my biggest question and curiosity is whether Nintendo feels it must offer a new signature hook to differentiate the new device from the Switch (e.g., the Wii's motion controls, the Wii U game pad, Switch's hybrid gaming). I think not. With the Switch, Nintendo has adequately differentiated its console's feature set from its competitors, enabling a very different scope of gaming. Sure, there will be minor revisions and upgrades, but I suspect the new device will, for the most part, focus on improving the Switch's central conceit, hybrid gaming.
It's going to be so interesting to see what they come up with, and how it competes against not only the Steam Deck, but other handheld PCs of the time.
My concern is basically that despite better hardware, Nintendo will undoubtedly be more sensitive to battery life and thermals than any of the PC devices.. which will limit the potential of the device in portable modes.
Of course, Nintendo has the benefit of running natively on the hardware and not messing about with compatibility layers and such.
What I'd LIKE to see.. it something completely different... but I can't see them messing around too much as they have in the past. If they release a new, more powerful Switch, ensure that all of your library carries over, and improve some basic things like the joycons... they have a guaranteed hit on their hand.
My concern is basically that despite better hardware, Nintendo will undoubtedly be more sensitive to battery life and thermals than any of the PC devices.. which will limit the potential of the device in portable modes.
Of course, Nintendo has the benefit of running natively on the hardware and not messing about with compatibility layers and such.
What I'd LIKE to see.. it something completely different... but I can't see them messing around too much as they have in the past. If they release a new, more powerful Switch, ensure that all of your library carries over, and improve some basic things like the joycons... they have a guaranteed hit on their hand.
Inuhanyou
Veteran
Is Nvidias architecture and/or process node way more efficient than AMDs? I thought it would easy for them to reach steam deck levels of power if they launch in 2024...but Richard on the last podcast said that steam deck went all out in terms of thermal management for a system like this to pack as much power in there as possible. Including making the steam deck as big as it could feasibly be.
whereas Nintendo will probably not be anywhere near as ambitious on the assumption that they don't really need to be competitive on that level with the other consoles or hardware competition due to their exclusives which to be fair, is a fair assumption considering where they are.
And if their hw has been locked in for a while which if orin is switch 2 it probably will be, I wonder where that leaves the machine
Swiitch or Super Switch/Super Nintendo Switch. Former allows some stylisation in roman numerals, maybe i going to ii, with a fading in Sw_tch around it during a reveal. It's a call back to the Wii and they could couple that with a "gameplay innovation" line if they have a new gimmick - standard marketing slogan "wii stands for innovation and redefined gaming for a generation - we're doing it again with the Swiitch". Might have a Wii U problem though, less obvious it's a direct upgrade to some and they might think it's a motion controlled switch. Super Switch/SNS is great because it's clearly a new product so no Wii U problems, nostalgia callback and Super Switch sounds good
Switchin'2 Electric Boogaloo myselfTwotch
You can make a screenshot
Silent_Buddha
Legend
I chuckled at this suggestion.
"Mom, can we get a Swiitch (pronounced Sweeeetch)."
"You already have a Switch."
"No, I want a Swiitch now."
"Are you f***ing around with me?"
A curious report from Bloomberg today: Nintendo Reportedly Beefing Up Switch Production
Even assuming Bloomberg's sources are accurate (the agency has an inconsistent history with recent Nintendo news), the article appears to assume without clarification that the increase in 2 million Switches doesn't include new hardware in the Switch family. Who knows? But, as the article notes, it is unusual for a console to maintain this sort of consistent popularity, especially as we potentially veer into a global recession.
I like "Nintendo 8". It's minimalist, confident, safe and it's a reminder that they've been in the game the longest. But I don't think Nintendo will consider it because their ego is too big and they don't want to make it seem like their only business is consoles and games
arandomguy
Veteran
This isn't specific to this article or discussion but what I find in general is people often seem way to simplistic in terms of attributing how macro economic conditions and the potential (or already occurring) recession will affect consumer spending. Not all consumer spending will be affected the same way and also not all consumers will be affected the same way. Some items will be more affected negatively, some will be more resilient, some items will actually increase in sales. Yes if you say go back and look at the the Great Financial Crisis for example you can find that some discretionary spending increased. Saying a recession will lead to down sales across the board and all businesses should combat that by offering more (newer, better) for less (cheaper prices) is more like consumer wishful thinking than reality.
I don't know whether or not this will be the case with the Switch, I mean if you accurately predict this stuff you'd make a lot of money. However just giving an example scenario, if families want to tighten their entertainment expenses a Switch for example would be considered relatively much cheaper than taking their kid to Disneyland. It's also still cheaper than the newest generation consoles (including likely a potential new Switch). The general consumer would also not really look at comparing them from a general specs/performance stand point as hardware/gaming enthusiasts would, they'd just look at them all as gaming devices to entertainment their child, and one is cheaper than the rest.
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Switch 2's SOC could be on the 4N process and will use ARM CPU's, so its likely that it will be more power efficient than the Ryzen powered APU in Deck. With that said, Deck is allowed to run full tilt in portable mode and Switch 2 wouldn't be doing that due to thermal limitations and battery life. Deck has a max TDP of 15w while Switch 2 will likely be around 5w for the SOC in portable mode. I do not see them getting beyond 1Tflop of performance in portable mode. Considering Switch is maxed out at 235Gflop in portable mode and assuming the screen remains at 720p, this will still be a big upgrade over Switch. Proper DLSS support will be the silver bullet for Switch 2. The results are pretty good at taking 720p to 4k and even better for 1080p to 4K. Perhaps Nintendo allows the DLSS profile to be changed depending on the display output resolution. For example, if your Switch 2 is hooked up to a 1080P display and the game renders at 702p internally, it will use DLSS quality mode instead of performance mode because it is only scaling to 1080p, or perhaps to 1440p and them downsample to 1080p.
I had a friend of mine run some games on his Deck while setting the TDP down to 5 watts and played Doom 2016. He was able to render at 580p with medium settings at a solid 30fps. The Deck starts to really come alive when its APU is set at 10 watts and up, but this a power draw that wont be supported for Switch 2 in portable mode. It just goes to show that its not easy delivering PS4 quality visuals on 5 watts of power.
