Hardware More New/Pro Switch model evidence

[Rahkeesh]

Dunno what happened to the old pro speculation thread but here's some info from the 10.0 firmware courtesy of Hexkyz

Firmware 10.0.0 adds preliminary support for a new hardware model: "nx-abcd".
3 of the 5 new DRAM profiles are for this new hardware type and there's evidence of a secondary display of sorts being added exclusively on this model.
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

— Mike Heskin (@hexkyz) April 14, 2020

Very unclear what "secondary display" is supposed to mean, if its anything beyond a new output resolution like 4K.

 

[KiiWii]

Could just be TV out on a new Lite revision.

 

[ZachyCatGames]

Could just be TV out on a new Lite revision.

Doubt it. The dock stuff on the OG Switch isn’t treated as a second display from what I can tell.


This could be something completely outside of the Nintendo Switch family of hardware btw

 

[JonJaded]

Secondary display?

Like a DS?

 

[RHOPKINS13]

Secondary display?

Like a DS?

Please let it be this! I loved how the Wii U brought dual-screen gaming to a home console. It's a shame that it ended up failing miserably compared to the success of the DS/3DS line.

 

[MikaDubbz]

Secondary display?

Like a DS?

I think I figured out the plan. Speculation is that this new Switch is a slightly more powerful console-only Switch, capable of secondary display. I speculate that the second display is actually another Switch or Switch Lite, able to link up with the new Switch and then be used as a second screen on only a single copy of the game, not unlike the Wii U GamePad. They could start with 2 versions, one that is just the new console version, and one that includes both the home console version and a Switch Lite. They could push patches for Wii U games that were ported or got sequels to have optional 2 screen control. A great game to start with such a patch would be Super Mario Maker 2. It would be important that 2 screens were never a requirement, only an optional setup that you could play in if you had the hardware for it. They could also restore the feature from games that clearly had second screen initially planned, like BOTW with on the go inventory and map management.

I don't think it's an insane idea at this point, if they handle it right, they can get people that already own a Switch to happily buy the new one and not trade in their current one in the process, not to mention giving new players yet another option for how they want to game, the beauty being that if they get the console only version or portable only version in the Lite, and decide down the line that they'd like to play on the go or at home, they could then get the version they didn't get, get that ability and the added new benefit of optionally being able to make use of 2 displays.

 

[ZachyCatGames]

I think I figured out the plan. Speculation is that this new Switch is a slightly more powerful console-only Switch, capable of secondary display. I speculate that the second display is actually another Switch or Switch Lite, able to link up with the new Switch and then be used as a second screen on only a single copy of the game, not unlike the Wii U GamePad. They could start with 2 versions, one that is just the new console version, and one that includes both the home console version and a Switch Lite. They could push patches for Wii U games that were ported or got sequels to have optional 2 screen control. A great game to start with such a patch would be Super Mario Maker 2. It would be important that 2 screens were never a requirement, only an optional setup that you could play in if you had the hardware for it. They could also restore the feature from games that clearly had second screen initially planned, like BOTW with on the go inventory and map management.

I don't think it's an insane idea at this point, if they handle it right, they can get people that already own a Switch to happily buy the new one and not trade in their current one in the process, not to mention giving new players yet another option for how they want to game, the beauty being that if they get the console only version or portable only version in the Lite, and decide down the line that they'd like to play on the go or at home, they could then get the version they didn't get, get that ability and the added new benefit of optionally being able to make use of 2 displays.

This system and calcio (the console only one) are separate pieces of hardware.
This new one is almost identical Icosa/Iowa (normal Switch) besides the extra display thing according to hexkyz.

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

Current list of known hardware types:
nx-abca2 (icosa/iowa): normal Switch
nx-abcb (copper/calcio): console only Switch
nx-abcc (hoag): handheld only Switch
nx-abcd (???): unknown (possibly has two screens(?))
abca2 and abcc have public versions (regular Switch and Switch Lite respectively)
abcb and abcd have not yet had public versions.

abcb has been in development for a long time, I wouldn’t be surprised if it released fairly soon. Dunno about abcd

 

[MikaDubbz]

This system and calcio (the console only one) are separate pieces of hardware.
This new one is almost identical Icosa/Iowa (normal Switch) besides the extra display thing according to hexkyz.

Whatever the plan, I think the idea will be allowing the new Switch have a second Switch connect as the second display. Incentivizing people who already own Switchs to get another one. I like the idea if that is it. You can kinda already do this with some multiplayer games I suppose like Pac Man Vs. but if they allowed them to connect while only one player owning the title and then marketed it by pushing a bunch of patches for already released games to have optional 2 screen support, I'd be all over it.

Obviously Super Mario Maker 2 would be a huge beneficiary of such a move, but I could see BOTW getting great new implementation of a second screen restored from while they worked on the game, allowing you to quickly jump to other players again in Splatoon 2 much more easily like you could in the first game, giving 2 player games to each have their own screen (again with only one copy of the software needed to be owned between both devices). Key though would always be ensuring that it's optional though, else you're setting yourself up for failure again.

 

[cyberkevin]

What about just a switch lite with hdmi output actually ?
Like, I don't even understand why it's not already the case :/

 

[masagrator]

It's not pro. This model is still using Tegra X1+.

 

[Rahkeesh]

A great idea I saw about the secondary display is a VR unit. Two small displays properly calibrated for eyes instead of the current hackey face mounted tablet solution. Sufficient motion sensors for full head tracking instead of holding the joycons to your face. They could aim for something like the oculus quest here, a wireless all-in-one. They could use the Mariko chip to maybe raise the "handheld" GPU clocks slightly to get better resolution on the two displays than Labo VR. Aside from VR specific games and the current swathe of little VR modes in their first party games, this could also just be another way to play the standard Switch library as if staring at a flat or nearly so screen.

 

[hippy dave]

Possible the secondary-display model might be for dev purposes only?

 

[MaxToTheMax]

Maybe nintendo is about to bring back the VMU

 

[Nemix77]

VR makes the most sense. A second display on an already pretty heavy portable sounds kinda dumb. Besides, a second display would render future games useless on the current Switch/Switch Lite.

Another possibility would be Switch Lite with wireless display.

 

[willfr]

So nx-abcd and Calcio aren't the same thing? This is kind of confusing

 

[masagrator]

So nx-abcd and Calcio aren't the same thing? This is kind of confusing

Ask Nintendo why they are confusing dataminers.

 

[cearp]

Could just be TV out on a new Lite revision.

lite plus? lol. i doubt it (i'll be annoyed if so, i have a lite and it would be cool to be able to dock it)

 

[DJ-Yoshiman]

I don't understand where this secondary display is coming from. Nothing in that tweet explains how he came to a conclusion that it's a "second display," unless I missed something.

 

[willfr]

Also I believe some of the new RAM hexkyz mentioned is 10nm (I hope that means it'll be faster?)

- Original T210 hardware has 4GB (retail) or 6GB (dev) LPDDR4 DRAM;
- New T214 hardware has 4GB or 8GB LPDDR4x DRAM with planned support for 10nm chips;

— Mike Heskin (@hexkyz) July 11, 2019

(this guy asked him if he means SoC or DRAM and hexkyz clarified he meant DRAM)

Do you mean Tegra X1 10nm chips or DRAM ones?

— jeronymod (@jeronymod) July 13, 2019

And lets not forget the virtual confirmation of IGZO displays. Something is definitely coming, probably next year though, I'd be shocked if it came out this year