Early beta Nintendo Switch menu design discovered on prototype Switch console

GEc_WP1W8AAhpMV.jpg

If you've ever owned a Nintendo Switch, you'll no doubt know what the system's menu looks like. However, a prototype Switch NAND that's been discovered shows that Nintendo had a much grander home menu for the Switch, in the early days of the system's development. The UI images are taken from a mockup that was found on the NAND of a prototype Nintendo Switch unit. The user who shared the images notes that they must be moderately early on in the Switch's planning cycle, as the final UI style was locked in around late 2016. The early menu images are dated 2015, though it's uncertain if the album date is correct.

In the images, you can see a large banner would have been displayed for each game, with the game icons shown at the bottom, as well as the battery for individual JoyCons, the Switch itself, and the internet connection all being shown in the bottom right corner of the screen, instead of the top. The mockups also show 3DS and Wii U titles being used as placeholder images.

:arrow: Source
 

Ethelbert

Well-Known Member
Member
Joined
May 4, 2023
Messages
121
Trophies
0
Age
38
XP
201
Country
Serbia, Republic of
I'm gonna be real with you bros, but I don't really care about the menu. Not something I look at a lot.
Same with themes. When Atmosphere updates you always see people having issues with broken themes. It's always funny to me. I'm on default, launch a game and that's all I see of the menu.

That said, this early one looks nice.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mrcroket

SylverReZ

Certified GBATemp Boomer
Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2022
Messages
7,372
Trophies
3
Location
The Wired
Website
m4x1mumrez87.neocities.org
XP
22,767
Country
United Kingdom
Why would they care, you already bought it!
Well, I bought a used Switch Lite on my birthday, and after getting it, the D-PAD started screwing around with the controls. Doing a little endeavor with a camera, reveals that the membrane underneath has been either damaged or squished. So, I believe that Nintendo should fix D-PADs for drift, not just for the sticks.
 
  • Sad
Reactions: StrayGuitarist

TheStonedModder

Well-Known Member
Member
Joined
Dec 25, 2022
Messages
895
Trophies
0
Age
27
XP
1,751
Country
United States

If you've ever owned a Nintendo Switch, you'll no doubt know what the system's menu looks like. However, a prototype Switch NAND that's been discovered shows that Nintendo had a much grander home menu for the Switch, in the early days of the system's development. The UI images are taken from a mockup that was found on the NAND of a prototype Nintendo Switch unit. The user who shared the images notes that they must be moderately early on in the Switch's planning cycle, as the final UI style was locked in around late 2016. The early menu images are dated 2015, though it's uncertain if the album date is correct.

In the images, you can see a large banner would have been displayed for each game, with the game icons shown at the bottom, as well as the battery for individual JoyCons, the Switch itself, and the internet connection all being shown in the bottom right corner of the screen, instead of the top. The mockups also show 3DS and Wii U titles being used as placeholder images.

:arrow: Source
We where robbed
 
  • Like
Reactions: AngryCinnabon

kb7cxWMSrPwL

Member
Newcomer
Joined
Dec 3, 2016
Messages
24
Trophies
0
XP
2,056
Country
New Zealand
So not too dissimilar to the PSP, or to a lesser degree, the Vita. In a sense the Switch is also spiritual successor to the Sony handhelds, in more ways than one.
 

osaka35

Instructional Designer
Global Moderator
Joined
Nov 20, 2009
Messages
3,757
Trophies
2
Location
Silent Hill
XP
6,016
Country
United States
Maybe switch 2 will have something more fun and useful.

The less clicks i have to do before i get to what i need, without it becoming a jumbled mess, the better. This ui would seem to do that, but i guess speed was an issue.

They did get raked over the coals with the wii u's load time, so they most likely tried to optimized as much as humanly possible. But that's me thinking it was for reasons other than a desire to not listen to their employees.
 

Viri

Well-Known Member
Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2009
Messages
4,246
Trophies
2
XP
6,871
Country
United States
It looks okay, so does the current one. I don't really care about features on a menu. I just want the menu to load up asap, so I can pick my video game and play. I personally disliked the Wii-U/Wii menu for different reasons.
 

jesus96

Pinkboi
Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2015
Messages
380
Trophies
0
XP
1,235
Country
Mexico
I really hate how companies are still on the lame and simplistic style for new products like how the ps5 can't get themes but the 4th did and the switch was supposed to be like this but we got a lame menu
 

Site & Scene News

Popular threads in this forum

General chit-chat
Help Users
  • The Real Jdbye @ The Real Jdbye:
    but they don't seem to have done any of those for the switch yet and maybe never will
  • ColdBlitz @ ColdBlitz:
    I think we all forgot breath of the wild released for the wii u tbh
    +1
  • Xdqwerty @ Xdqwerty:
    @The Real Jdbye, tbh the HD collections are more justified since they include more than just 1 game per copy
  • Xdqwerty @ Xdqwerty:
    @SylverReZ I read that non-binary people identify as a blend of male and female. The point is i think i'm a blend of those and thus non binary
  • SylverReZ @ SylverReZ:
    @Xdqwerty, Non-binary people are those who don't identify themselves exclusively as male or female.
  • cearp @ cearp:
    I don't identify as anything, unless I need to get on a plane then I show ID
    +3
  • AncientBoi @ AncientBoi:
    👈 [homo, queer, fag, coksuqr, etc......]
    +3
  • Xdqwerty @ Xdqwerty:
    @SylverReZ, I meant that I read that they can also identify as what i mentioned
    +2
  • BigOnYa @ BigOnYa:
    I identify as Long Rod Johnson, cause a cat called me that once.
    +2
  • AncientBoi @ AncientBoi:
    [takes a 👀 in your pants] Liar :angry:
    +3
  • Xdqwerty @ Xdqwerty:
    @SylverReZ, and thus that would make me non binary since i feel like a blend of both male and female
    +1
  • AncientBoi @ AncientBoi:
    @Xdqwerty only time will tell, what/whom you are. At 14, its a bit early to "Define" yourself. :)
    +3
  • Psionic Roshambo @ Psionic Roshambo:
    I only recently have learned who I am and how much I am capable of and I'm 50 lol
    +3
  • Psionic Roshambo @ Psionic Roshambo:
    A thousand epiphanies and unbelievable pain and growth.
    +2
  • Psionic Roshambo @ Psionic Roshambo:
    I wish I could sum it up for children to understand but it truly takes living a lifetime of learning
    +2
  • Psionic Roshambo @ Psionic Roshambo:
    It's more than knowledge it's understanding
    +1
  • Psionic Roshambo @ Psionic Roshambo:
    Both are required
  • Xdqwerty @ Xdqwerty:
    @Psionic Roshambo, ask chatgpt or Google gémini to summarize it
  • Psionic Roshambo @ Psionic Roshambo:
    Lol summarize life's lessons
  • BigOnYa @ BigOnYa:
    My wifey tells me all the time "You need to grow the fuck up." Which I don't understand, cause I'm full grown already.
    +2
  • Xdqwerty @ Xdqwerty:
    @BigOnYa, she means grow more
    +1
  • Xdqwerty @ Xdqwerty:
    Yawn
  • AncientBoi @ AncientBoi:
    farrrrrrrrrrrt
    +1
  • BigOnYa @ BigOnYa:
    @AncientBoi I imagine it don't make the fart sound anymore, probably sounds more like letting go of a balloon you just blew up.
    +1
    BigOnYa @ BigOnYa: @AncientBoi I imagine it don't make the fart sound anymore, probably sounds more like letting go... +1