Hardware Nintendo Switch - Controllers

[osirisjem]

Switch Pro Controller

2 Joy-Con controllers (sides) with the Joy-Con GRIP in the middle.

The Grip with the side controllers removed.

Joy Con controllers detached as mini-controllers.

Joy Con controllers on the sides of the Switch 6.2 inch screen.

Theoretical attachable controllers

Nintendo Switch specs
- these are likely wrong. for example the Switch unlikely supports 4K.

Spoiler: Specs

CPU:
Four ARM Cortex-A57 cores, maximum 2 GHz
L2 cache, 2 MB
64-bit ARMv8
Crypto extension enabled

GPU:
NVIDIA second-generation Maxwell architecture
256 CUDA cores, maximum 1 GHz
1024 FLOPS/cycle
Texture: 16 pixels/cycle
Fill: 14.4 pixels/cycle

Main memory:
Capacity of 4 GB
Bandwidth: 25.6 GB/s
VRAM: shared

System Memory:Capacity: 32 GB, Maximum transfer rate: 400 MB/s
USB
USB 2.0 and 3.0
Video Output
60 fps, at a maximum of 1920×1080 pixels
Or 30 fps at 3840×2160 pixels
The screen
6.2" IPS LCD, 1280×720 pixels
Capacitance method, 10-point multi-touch

NOTES:
No motion control ?
Notes: the Joy-Con controllers (one in each hand) seem like a wiimote and nunchuck (but without motion control).

 

[osirisjem]

Insert Joy-Con controller info here.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

Anyone think my WiiMotes could work with the Nintendo Switch ?

 

[osirisjem]

Obviously the detachable Joy-Con controllers are Left (-) or Right (+).

Not know if they have any motion sensors in them.

 

[Bladexdsl]

the top one would be the one i would use i wouldn't even want to use the 2nd one it looks as bad and fugly as the original xbox controller!

those specs are FAKE too for start it's not doing 4k

 

[ChaosRipple]

I think the biggest thing people don't realize is the fact that we will probably have to charge those mini controllers if you want to use them disconnected from the switch.

 

[dimmidice]

I think the biggest thing people don't realize is the fact that we will probably have to charge those mini controllers if you want to use them disconnected from the switch.

Hopefully they charge from the screen when connected. If not that's just beyond stupid. I'm not seeing any obvious ports where the joycons connect to the screen though, hopefully they're there though.

But yeah charging them's gonna suck. Hopefully nintendo's not gonna use AA batteries like they did with wii controllers.

 

[ChaosRipple]

Hopefully they charge from the screen when connected. If not that's just beyond stupid. I'm not seeing any obvious ports where the joycons connect to the screen though, hopefully they're there though.

But yeah charging them's gonna suck. Hopefully nintendo's not gonna use AA batteries like they did with wii controllers.

My guess is that it wouldn't need to use any battery if it's directly connected to the screen. If it does charge from the screen, it would only take away power from the screen itself which would lower overall battery life.

 

[WiiUBricker]

You posted specs. What's your source?

 

[Dr.Hacknik]

Does anyone know what type of Firmware or OS it's running? Possibly Android?

 

[Sick Wario]

there ARE data/power friction connectors for the joy cons, you can see them inside the slide mechanism of the grip frame screenshot

 

[osirisjem]

Possibly Android

Possible.
Wonder if Nintendo will have it's own OS and maybe an android emulator ? Sorta like Bluestacks emulating Android for PCs ?

Full on Android would be a major development.

 

[Dr.Hacknik]

Possible.
Wonder if Nintendo will have it's own OS and maybe an android emulator ? Sorta like Bluestacks emulating Android for PCs ?

Full on Android would be a major development.

Heard of Android x86, the Open-Source version of android? That would go perfect with these games, and the hardware. It'll make it far easier for devs to port and release games for it, including the power of OpenGL ES 3.x+.

 

[specht]

There's an interesting idea which could make cheaper controller options available through some patents Nintendo filed. The basic idea is that there are IR sensors on the side of the Switch which can pick up the movement of physical buttons without the controller being powered. I imagine it's been posted here before but it seems more relevant than ever now. Obviously it's not set in stone as there are a ton of unused patents filed by Nintendo but it's food for thought.

They'd connect to the side of the device similar to the Joy-Cons:

The below 2 images show how buttons and analog knobs could be detected. Not sure how analog sticks would work, perhaps in some similar manner to the knob:

For the Joy-Cons, as we already know they work wirelessly they'd have to use a combination of this method and a standard electronic connection. Though if Nintendo or a third-party wanted to bundle their own controllers they would be much cheaper to produce and sell at the cost of not working wirelessly. Some people have brought up that this could introduce input lag, though we do see similar tech being used in Valve's Lighthouse tracking in a setting where input latency is absolutely critical to be as low as physically possible.

I'll state again that this doesn't mean Switch will use this tech. It could be used in a later model, another device entirely, or live forever in patent purgatory.