New rumour suggests the "Super Switch" might be a pretty hefty upgrade afterall

[Master Disaster]

Rumour, not confirmed, take with salt, blady blady bla.

 

A few months ago we heard from a legendary Switch modder about references to an upgraded Switch he had discovered while datamining the devices firmware. Quick recap for those who missed it (all speculation on his part), bigger battery, 4K support for docked mode with a 4K media encoder built into the dock and probably no resolution bump for handheld mode.

 

Well now we have a trusted industry leaker claiming to have heard more info about the device and it sounds like this will be more of an upgrade than anyone thought.

 

Posting on ResetEra, leaker NateDrake seemingly confirmed some of the original rumours and went even furthur claiming the new Switch will be getting DLSS support and a screen upgrade with a resolution bump for both docked mode and handheld mode.

Quote

The next Nintendo Switch revision, which has been rumored to be in the works for a while, is apparently going to support NVIDIA DLSS technology alongside 4K "functionality", according to rumors circulating online.

 

Reliable insider NateDrake recently talked about the next Nintendo Switch hardware revision on the ResetEra forums, revealing that the console is going to support NVIDIA DLSS technology as well as 4K functionality, which was already suggested by datamined information. NateDrake also revealed that this next Nintendo Switch revision will also feature an improved handheld mode, most likely a higher resolution display.

He also claims Nintendo plans to announce the device pretty soon and it should be coming before the end of this year, if Nintendo decide to delay until 2022 development partners will be told "in the next few months"

Quote

As for the release date of this new Nintendo Switch revision, NateDrake is confident the console will be announced this year. The console is apparently still scheduled for a 2021 release, but if it will be delayed to 2022, it will be communicated within the next few months.

First party support for both Switch variants will last for at least a few years.

 

Source - https://wccftech.com/nintendo-switch-pro-nvidia-dlss/

Source 2 - https://www.resetera.com/threads/based-on-how-tech-has-progressed-since-the-switch-how-powerful-could-a-switch-pro-in-early-2021-actually-be.168144/post-58950081

 

I was considering picking a Switch up last year but I never bothered (I really want to play Mario Odyssey) and I'm glad I didn't now.

 

Can I just say though, "Super Switch" is a TERRIBLE name, it sounds like a third tier superhero.

 

Edit - Oh and BTW, anyone who was pissed at the lack of BOTW2 footage on the recent Direct need look no further than this. When Nintendo show BOTW2 you can bet your ass it will be on the upgraded console.

[minibois]

9 minutes ago, Master Disaster said:

Can I just say though, "Super Switch" is a TERRIBLE name, it sounds like a third tier superhero

It would be a nice homage to the Super Nintendo.

Plus, I'd prefer 'Super' over 'New' (like what they did with the "New Nintendo 3DS (XL)".

[Kisai]

3 minutes ago, Master Disaster said:

 

 

Can I just say though, "Super Switch" is a TERRIBLE name, it sounds like a third tier superhero.

Probably leaning in on the "Super Nintendo" nostalgia brand. Like if they throwback to a SNES-colored version that wouldn't surprise me.

 

However the reason I never bought the Switch (short of not being able to find one when everyone got one) is that I basically noped out all the consoles after the Xbox 360 S hard drive died on me and the Wii U still works. PS4? Xbox One? Not a serious upgrade, and microtransaction creep. 

 

Fast forward to day, nobody can find a PS5, Xbox Series X, nVidia GPU of any kind, or high end CPU, and it's just like ... "well I'll take what I can get" point or just use Stadia if my PC isn't quite good enough for it. My PC has been "good enough" to run everything until FFXV and CP2077 came out, both I can't play at a performance level on the PC that doesn't require nerfing the games visual appeal, so I'm just going to have to wait to play those until the cryptocoin speculators lose their shirts.

 

Hopefully Nintendo has learned from ... well every console they've released since the Gamecube that they under-produce (Wii, Wii U, Switch, 3DS, NES-mini and SNES-mini) them, and scalpers are the only ones benefitting from this garbage marketing gimmick.

 

[UpTheDons]

29 minutes ago, Master Disaster said:

I was considering picking a Switch up last year but I never bothered (I really want to play Mario Odyssey) and I'm glad I didn't now.

I bought a switch just after it came out and I personally didn't have much fun at all, apart from Mario kart and BOTW 1 (which was a masterpiece imo). I got bored really quickly at the lack of games and the prices, these are pretty normal issues with a new console but because I found the TV dock mode kind of horrible to look at I ditched it after a few months. Looking back I definitely would have kept it as the games Nintendo have put out recently look like a whole bunch of fun. If this is true I will definitely pick one up as 4K dock support and a better screen on the actual switch itself would totally change the experience for games that even looked good before (like BOTW). 

 

35 minutes ago, Master Disaster said:

Can I just say though, "Super Switch" is a TERRIBLE name, it sounds like a third tier superhero.

I was hearing that it might just be switch pro from earlier rumours about this, I kind of like the super switch as a throwback to the classic Nintendo's.

 

20 minutes ago, Kisai said:

Hopefully Nintendo has learned from ... well every console they've released since the Gamecube that they under-produce (Wii, Wii U, Switch, 3DS, NES-mini and SNES-mini) them, and scalpers are the only ones benefitting from this garbage marketing gimmick.

I think because of how highly the switch sold (pretty sure its sold around 70M which is bang in the middle of the Xbox one sales and PS4) they will up the production. I hope they take into account the recent hardware and console launches and try to have enough stock to move effectively. 

[Master Disaster]

25 minutes ago, minibois said:

It would be a nice homage to the Super Nintendo.

Plus, I'd prefer 'Super' over 'New' (like what they did with the "New Nintendo 3DS (XL)".

 

17 minutes ago, Kisai said:

Probably leaning in on the "Super Nintendo" nostalgia brand. Like if they throwback to a SNES-colored version that wouldn't surprise me.

I hadn't made that connection (and I have no idea why) but honestly, it doesn't make it any better for me.

 

The SNES was very much a product of the era, when the amount of bits was more important that the consoles actual capabilities and Nintendo were locked in a fight to the death with Sega. Meaningless marketing for the sake of it. Fun fact: Blast Processing is totally made up by Sega.

 

I guess Super Switch is no worse than Series X but with Marvel being what it is today (and having just finished Season 2 of the boys) the word "Super" has a different meaning to what it did in the 90s.

[LAwLz]

32 minutes ago, minibois said:

It would be a nice homage to the Super Nintendo.

Plus, I'd prefer 'Super' over 'New' (like what they did with the "New Nintendo 3DS (XL)".

Putting "new" in your product title is one of the worst things you can do. It is mind boggling how any company can greenlight such a terrible name.

[leadeater]

1 hour ago, Master Disaster said:

Posting on ResetEra, leaker NateDrake seemingly confirmed some of the original rumours and went even furthur claiming the new Switch will be getting DLSS support and a screen upgrade with a resolution bump for both docked mode and handheld mode.

Do we know what hardware it's supposed to be running? This would be a new mobile SoC design right? Using Turing/Ampere technology?

[Master Disaster]

Just now, leadeater said:

Do we know what hardware it's supposed to be running? This would be a new mobile SoC design right? Using Turing/Ampere technology?

Unknown though ScriesM found evidence of the dock containing a 4K encoder.

 

If DLSS really is a thing then it has to, right? The current Switch GPU doesn't support DLSS. If I had to guess I'd say the same SoC as what's in the new Shield TV, probably downclocked a bit.

[leadeater]

3 minutes ago, Master Disaster said:

If I had to guess I'd say the same SoC as what's in the new Shield TV, probably downclocked a bit.

That looks to be using a Tegra X1+ which is a node shrink, clock bump and LP4X support. Tegra X2 is also only Pascal GPU 

[Master Disaster]

8 minutes ago, leadeater said:

That looks to be using a Tegra X1+ which is a node shrink, clock bump and LP4X support. Tegra X2 is also only Pascal GPU 

Interesting, the new Shield TV supports DLSS, Linus did a video on how good it is...

I wonder how they pulled if off using a Pascal GPU?

[kaiju_wars]

I honestly don't think they'll call a "switch pro" the super switch.

The Super Nintendo wasn't an NES revision, it was the successor.  If we get a Switch revision, I honestly have no doubt that Nintendo will call it the "New Nintendo Switch (XL)."

I mean, this is the same company that thought Wii U was a great name for the successor to the Wii, while New Nintendo 3DS was a great name for a 3DS revision.

 

[Master Disaster]

13 minutes ago, kaiju_wars said:

I honestly don't think they'll call a "switch pro" the super switch.

The Super Nintendo wasn't an NES revision, it was the successor.  If we get a Switch revision, I honestly have no doubt that Nintendo will call it the "New Nintendo Switch (XL)."

I mean, this is the same company that thought Wii U was a great name for the successor to the Wii, while New Nintendo 3DS was a great name for a 3DS revision.

The problem with the Wii U wasn't the name, it was that Nintendo didn't make it clear what the product was which IMO was deliberate and backfired on them.

 

Remember it wasn't just gamers that bought Wii's, parents & grandparents were buying them to stick in the living room. When the Wii U came along those people didn't really understand it was an entirely new console.

 

Wii > Wii U is much less dumb than Xbox > Xbox 360 > Xbox 1 for example.

 

Maybe Nintendo will market the "Super Switch" as a next gen successor? it would make sense given how both MS & Sony are now a generation ahead. Jumping from 720p/1080p to 1080p/2160p is a fairly hefty upgrade.

[kaiju_wars]

Just now, Master Disaster said:

The problem with the Wii U wasn't the name, it was that Nintendo didn't make it clear what the product was which IMO was deliberate and backfired on them.

 

Remember it wasn't just gamers that bought Wii's, parents & grandparents were buying them to stick in the living room. When the Wii U came along those people didn't really understand it was an entirely new console.

 

Wii > Wii U is much less dumb than Xbox > Xbox 360 > Xbox 1 for example.

 

Maybe Nintendo will market the "Super Switch" as a next gen successor, it would make sense given how both MS & Sony are now a generation ahead.

Oh the name Wii U was very much part of a much bigger problem with the Wii U.  I was there for it all.  I owned one since the beginning.  I remember that entire generation.

Marketing was the biggest issue with the Wii U.  But the name Wii U didn't help, at all.  Wii U sounds like another Wii accessory or game in the Wii series (Wii Play, Wii Sports, Wii Music, etc).

Instead of being cutesy, even with the bad marketing, Nintendo could have fixed part of it by calling it the Wii 2.  At least people wouldn't get confused that it was in fact, not an add on. 

At that point in history, people were tired of gimmicks.  People were moving on from the Wii and motion controls.  People saw this tablet of a controller, crap marketing, and showing people using Wii remotes as second controllers turned people off hard.  It didn't help that when the game launched, the big Nintendo first party title was a New Super Mario Bros game, when we already go New Super Mario Bros 2 that same year.

Now you can just try to invalidate all this by going, "well the switch is a gimmick."  Which, sure, it is.  But it's a gimmick that fills a niche.  For once, you have actual uncompromised AAA gaming on the go.  Sure you can bring a laptop, and a mouse, and a headset, and a gamepad, and the charger, and find a place to sit down and plug it in.  Or if you're in an area with good enough reception, assuming you got a phone Stadia or XCloud works on, you can stream.  But the Switch?  I pop in my cartridge of The Witcher 3, or Doom Eternal, or whatever, or any AAA Nintendo first party release, and I'm.... playing the full game.  No content is cut out.  I don't need to worry about extra controllers or cables, or worry about the charger, it has decent enough battery life to get you at least a few hours of playtime. 

 

And also, it doesn't matter what Xbox>Xbox 360>Xbox 1.  We aren't discussing that.  But bad marketing on top of a bad name helped the Wii U flop.  

 

I can go over various reasons why the Wii U failed, because it had multiple reasons.  Hell without going into too much detail I'll list them here:

• Marketing
• Name
• Gimmicks
• Game Library
• Initiative 

[Kisai]

14 minutes ago, Master Disaster said:

The problem with the Wii U wasn't the name, it was that Nintendo didn't make it clear what the product was which IMO was deliberate and backfired on them.

 

Remember it wasn't just gamers that bought Wii's, parents & grandparents were buying them to stick in the living room. When the Wii U came along those people didn't really understand it was an entirely new console.

 

Wii > Wii U is much less dumb than Xbox > Xbox 360 > Xbox 1 for example.

 

IMaybe Nintendo will market the "Super Switch" as a next gen successor? it would make sense given how both MS & Sony are now a generation ahead.

 

Well the "new 3DS" vs the 3DS, vs the 3DS XL, vs 2DS wasn't confusing. Except of course if you bought a game that needed the "new" version.

 

I think this is part of the problem. If the console retains the same "name" it's implied it's backwards compatible, which the Wii U certainly was with the Wii and GameCube, though it was mechanically incompatible with putting GC discs in. So if you had all three (like I so) you typically only needed two of them, but since only the Wii U has HDMI, well so much for playing GC games on a HD screen.

 

The NES and SNES and N64 had no means of having backwards compatibility though the SNES had the SGB (Super Gameboy) and the Gamecube had the "Gameboy Advance Player" which both of those units were simply headless versions of the portable console run through the console's video and input.

 

The Super Gameboy in particular was not a portable gameboy. It did however play gameboy games on the SNES. 

 

So even using that logic, there's a risk of Nintendo making a mistake in marketing by calling it a "Super Switch" if they don't make it clear it's a stand-alone console, or some kind of "stand alone console that works with previous Switch games." Like I could see the Super Switch working with both the original Switch dock and original Switch working on the Super Switch dock, as they're both essentially just USB-C docks. Third party docks that didn't implement PD correctly, killed Switch units. Though only TB docks support 4K, so that does throw a question in there if the docks would be compatible.

 

 

[Master Disaster]

18 minutes ago, kaiju_wars said:

Oh the name Wii U was very much part of a much bigger problem with the Wii U.  I was there for it all.  I owned one since the beginning.  I remember that entire generation.

Marketing was the biggest issue with the Wii U.  But the name Wii U didn't help, at all.  Wii U sounds like another Wii accessory or game in the Wii series (Wii Play, Wii Sports, Wii Music, etc).

Instead of being cutesy, even with the bad marketing, Nintendo could have fixed part of it by calling it the Wii 2.  At least people wouldn't get confused that it was in fact, not an add on. 

At that point in history, people were tired of gimmicks.  People were moving on from the Wii and motion controls.  People saw this tablet of a controller, crap marketing, and showing people using Wii remotes as second controllers turned people off hard.  It didn't help that when the game launched, the big Nintendo first party title was a New Super Mario Bros game, when we already go New Super Mario Bros 2 that same year.

Now you can just try to invalidate all this by going, "well the switch is a gimmick."  Which, sure, it is.  But it's a gimmick that fills a niche.  For once, you have actual uncompromised AAA gaming on the go.  Sure you can bring a laptop, and a mouse, and a headset, and a gamepad, and the charger, and find a place to sit down and plug it in.  Or if you're in an area with good enough reception, assuming you got a phone Stadia or XCloud works on, you can stream.  But the Switch?  I pop in my cartridge of The Witcher 3, or Doom Eternal, or whatever, or any AAA Nintendo first party release, and I'm.... playing the full game.  No content is cut out.  I don't need to worry about extra controllers or cables, or worry about the charger, it has decent enough battery life to get you at least a few hours of playtime. 

 

And also, it doesn't matter what Xbox>Xbox 360>Xbox 1.  We aren't discussing that.  But bad marketing on top of a bad name helped the Wii U flop.  

 

I can go over various reasons why the Wii U failed, because it had multiple reasons.  Hell without going into too much detail I'll list them here:

• Marketing
• Name
• Gimmicks
• Game Library
• Initiative 

Fair and I don't disagree with any of it. My point was the name and marketing was (IMO) a deliberate choice by Nintendo to try and confuse all the non gamers into thinking it was a must have accessory for the Wii.

 

Game Library is an interesting point for me, IIRC Nintendo did something to piss off the third party developers back in the SNES days, it resulted in third parties all but abandoning Nintendo (most famously Squenix jumping over to Playstation) which is why the N64, GC, Wii & Wii U were almost entirely devoid of any non Nintendo (or second party) games. The Wii did get more attention than the rest which makes sense considering the thing sold something like 120 million units.

18 minutes ago, Kisai said:

So even using that logic, there's a risk of Nintendo making a mistake in marketing by calling it a "Super Switch" if they don't make it clear it's a stand-alone console, or some kind of "stand alone console that works with previous Switch games."

I think confusion is much less unlikely with a handheld device.

18 minutes ago, Kisai said:

 

Like I could see the Super Switch working with both the original Switch dock and original Switch working on the Super Switch dock, as they're both essentially just USB-C docks. Third party docks that didn't implement PD correctly, killed Switch units.

You might be right on this point, how else would ScriesM have found evidence of 4K encoder support in the old Switch firmware if Nintendo weren't patching it in for future support?

[kaiju_wars]

Just now, Master Disaster said:

Fair and I don't disagree with any of it. My point was the name and marketing was (IMO) a deliberate choice by Nintendo to try and confuse all the non gamers into thinking it was a must have accessory for the Wii.

 

Game Library is an interest point for me, IIRC Nintendo did something to piss off the third party developers back in the SNES days, it resulted in third parties all but abandoning Nintendo (most famously Squenix jumping over to Playstation) which is why the N64, GC, Wii & Wii U were almost entirely devoid of any non Nintendo (or second party) games. The Wii did get more attention than the rest which makes sense considering the thing sold something like 120 million units.

The game library issue is more first party games, the Wii U has fun games, a lot of them are a lot of fun and worth playing.  The issue is Nintendo would then invalidate the library with straight ports to the 3DS or just, similar enough games.  So like, why spend $300 on the Wii U, then $60 per game, when you could buy a 2DS for $70, then spend $40 per game.  Spoilered to not take up to much space.

Spoiler

So here's like, 11 games on Wii U.  I'd consider some of my personal favorites on the console anyways

1. Super Mario 3D World
2. Kirby and the Rainbow Curse
3. Super Smash Bros for Wii U
4. Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze
5. Yoshi's Woolly World
6. Hyrule Warriors
7. Captain Toad Treasure Tracker
8. Super Mario Maker
9. NES Remix
10. New Super Mario Bros U (I have a soft spot for the New Soup series)
11. Mario Kart 8

Here's similar or just ports for those 11 games on the 3DS

1. Super Mario 3D Land
2. Kirby Planet Robobot and Kirby Triple Deluxe (more traditional kirby titles but you got two on 3DS)
3. Super Smash Bros for 3DS
4. Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D
5. Poochy and Yoshi's Woolly World
6. Hyrule Warriors Legends
7. Captain Toad Treasure Tracker
8. Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS
9. Ultimate NES Remix
10. New Super Mario Bros 2
11. Mario Kart 7

This isn't an exhaustive list of all ports/similar games, this is just to show some of them.  These 11 were some of the heaviest hitters on the Wii U at one point.

Also what happened with Nintendo and 3rd parties started with the N64.  When they stuck with cartridges while everyone switched to CDs.  It got a little worse with GameCube with the mini DVDs.  The Wii was underpowered but it got games cause it sold 101 million units (even Activision had CoD on the Wii). Then the Wii U, devs were just done.  It still had the same PowerPC architecture (oh I forgot to add that earlier, the hardware of the Wii U helped it fail), and the tacked on inclusion of the gamepad, on top of the low install base (the Wii U's lifetime sales are 13.56 million, less than the Vita). 

But yeah, on the CPU.  So the gamecube used a PowerPC 750 based CPU (same CPU architecture used in the iMac G3 from 1997), which was overclocked in the Wii, which was made tricore for the Wii U.  

 

(sorry btw, the Wii U isn't my favorite Nintendo console but it holds a special place in my heart, and I just love discussing both why I like it, and why I was so frustrated with it and why it failed at the same time).

[Master Disaster]

16 minutes ago, kaiju_wars said:

(sorry btw, the Wii U isn't my favorite Nintendo console but it holds a special place in my heart, and I just love discussing both why I like it, and why I was so frustrated with it and why it failed at the same time).

Don't apologise, I love learning about retro tech as well. Some of the stories from back in the early days are fascinating.

 

Heck most of my fave YouTube content creators do videos on retro tech (LGR, The 8 Bit Guy, Techmoan, Adrians Digital Basement, Jan Beta, Retrospector76). A few weeks back I watched Techmoan do a 20 minute video on a dishwasher

[Master Disaster]

7 minutes ago, huilun02 said:

Not exactly stoked at the idea of paying even more for a plastic toy that plays recycled games

 

Being able to render a 4k desktop or video means absolutely nothing for 3d rendering performance

You have to stay in context though, the Switch could play Mario Odyssey at 1080p 30 FPS which is no mean feat for a portable. Remember that Nintendo have always focused on fun gameplay mechanics over shiny graphics.

[Master Disaster]

12 minutes ago, huilun02 said:

So a hardware upgraded Switch would bring nothing to the table? Thanks for clarifying

If you want to call 720p to 1080p in handheld and 1080p to 4K in docked mode "nothing" then sure.

[TetraSky]

I sure hope if they make any kind of "exclusive" games for this "variant", that it is properly labelled as such.

[Master Disaster]

24 minutes ago, TetraSky said:

I sure hope if they make any kind of "exclusive" games for this "variant", that it is properly labelled as such.

They've apparently committed to 2 years of first party support across both variants, obviously they have no control over third parties.

[AndreiArgeanu]

4 hours ago, Kisai said:

under-produce (Wii, Wii U, Switch,

The Wii was over produced if anything, it was the best selling console of that generation, too bad the Wii's game library was overpopulated with shovel-ware. Not to mention that many Wii's ended up rotting in the entertainment center of many people after a few games of Wii Sports

[StDragon]

4 hours ago, Master Disaster said:

The SNES was very much a product of the era, when the amount of bits was more important that the consoles actual capabilities and Nintendo were locked in a fight to the death with Sega. Meaningless marketing for the sake of it. Fun fact: Blast Processing is totally made up by Sega.

The SNES wasn't based on meaningless marketing in terms of specification. It could paint 256 colors at once from a palette of 32,768 with a Sony DSP for digital audio. For its time, it blew everything out of the water from a price/performance ratio. 3D capability wasn't added until the SuperFX chip co-processor, but even then it was limiting. It was the only 16-bit console that could come close to replicating "Arcade quality" at an affordable price. The only thing better was the NeoGeo, and that was legendary stuff (with a legendary price); in fact, it was the same hardware as in the NeoGeo cabinet.

 

Sega OTOH, used a synth with limiting graphics. It did have a faster CPU, and in fact was good enough that basic 3D could be done (LHX Attack Chopper, Steel Talons, etc) without the aid of a co-processor. If anything, Sega was a master of marketing as they've managed to fight Nintendo toe-to-toe when clearly the SNES was the superior hardware platform. Yet, the Genesis / Mega Drive had some awesome exclusive titles for it with music composition that took direct advantage of what otherwise would be limiting audio compared to digital PCM.

 

Nowadays, modern consoles are x86 SoC systems. The devil is in the details between all of the modern units.

[Master Disaster]

8 minutes ago, StDragon said:

The SNES wasn't based on meaningless marketing in terms of specification. It could paint 256 colors at once from a palette of 32,768 with a Sony DSP for digital audio. For its time, it blew everything out of the water from a price/performance ratio. 3D capability wasn't added until the SuperFX chip co-processor, but even then it was limiting. It was the only 16-bit console that could come close to replicating "Arcade quality" at an affordable price. The only thing better was the NeoGeo, and that was legendary stuff (with a legendary price); in fact, it was the same hardware as in the NeoGeo cabinet.

Which was exactly my point, at the time the industry cared more about advertising "xx-bit" or "Blast Processing". We had the CDi & 3DO which were touted as 32-bit. Atari even claimed the Jaguar was a 64-bit console despite it only running a 32-bit instruction set.

 

To the average 11 year old 64-bit was meaningless and the console manufacturers knew it, it was purely a "bigger number therefore better console" mindset.

 

I'm certainly not claiming the SNES was a bad system, its my favourite system that's ever existed and arguably the greatest gaming console of all time (basing the metric on amount, variety & quality of the games the system had).

 

Back then they all wanted the same thing, playground arguments over who had the most bits.

[minibois]

4 hours ago, Master Disaster said:

the word "Super" has a different meaning to what it did in the 90s.

lol, to me it still rings the same "Super Nintendo" bell in my head.

Super hero movies - and the character "Superman" - were quite big in the 90's too.

 

Nintendo has a history of using Super, other than the SNES too.

- Super Mario Bros.

- Super Smash bros

- Heavily used in the Pokemon series too (in names for items, like Super Potion and Super Repel, in names of moves like Super Fang and Superpower, in the name of Mystery Dungeon game "Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon").

 

If anything, they should avoid the "Super" moniker to avoid clashing with any of the listed above.