Hardware Nintendo Switch Technical Specifications Discussion

[Yil]

1) Reference 1080 got its a handed by an overclocked 980 ti once reaching similar teraflops (which requires custom power and liquid nitrogen)

That brings me to my next idea, do you guys think this console will get a lot of 3ds ports that are just upgraded for switch? The basic code wont require much changing thanks to ARM.

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@Xzi Where did you get this info? Cant find it anywhere.

Well, apu can handle citra.
Fundamental theorem of computing (made up of course): You always start counting from 0. Though for some settings 0 probably means disabled.
+CVars=r.ScreenPercentage=66 seems to confirm the 720p rumour. Also indicate very huge power gap between the two.
Also 16nm is both far superior and cheaper than 20nm. And just look at intel core m, little cpu monsters with lacklustre lower power gpu.

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[Switch DeviceProfile]
+CVars=sg.ViewDistanceQuality=2
+CVars=sg.AntiAliasingQuality=2
+CVars=sg.ShadowQuality=2
+CVars=sg.PostProcessQuality=2
+CVars=sg.TextureQuality=2
+CVars=sg.EffectsQuality=2
+CVars=r.ScreenPercentage=100
This translate to high view distance, FXAA x4, shadow quality high, post process quality high, texture quality high, effect quality high, resolution 1080p.

[SwitchConsole DeviceProfile]
DeviceType=Switch
BaseProfileName=Switch

[SwitchHandheld DeviceProfile]
DeviceType=Switch
BaseProfileName=Switch
+CVars=sg.ViewDistanceQuality=1
+CVars=sg.AntiAliasingQuality=1
+CVars=sg.ShadowQuality=1
+CVars=sg.PostProcessQuality=1
+CVars=sg.TextureQuality=1
+CVars=sg.EffectsQuality=1
+CVars=r.ScreenPercentage=66
This translate to medium view distance, FXAA x2 (0 means disabled), shadow quality medium, post process quality medium, texture quality medium, effect quality medium (or low cause 0 could mean disabled but I doubt that), resolution 720p.
Edit: This is just speculation. I don't use UE4.

 

[nmkd]

That brings me to my next idea, do you guys think this console will get a lot of 3ds ports that are just upgraded for switch? The basic code wont require much changing thanks to ARM.

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@Xzi Where did you get this info? Cant find it anywhere.

Nah.

Porting itself would be easy, but it would take week to months to optimize a dual-screen game for single-screen.

//Sent from my glorious OnePlus X

 

[TheDarkGreninja]

But how many games a

Nah.

Porting itself would be easy, but it would take week to months to optimize a dual-screen game for single-screen.

//Sent from my glorious OnePlus X

How many games actually require the second screen though? most could be quite easily ported with minor changes like ALBW for example.

 

[Yil]

Oh how I miss dual screen. Remember a fan sketch a while back with a screen add-on on the bottom?

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https://docs.unrealengine.com/latest/INT/Engine/Performance/Scalability/ScalabilityReference/
Also from unreal engine. Seems like it could even be downscale to 720p with internal 1080p.

 

[nmkd]

Oh how I miss dual screen. Remember a fan sketch a while back with a screen add-on on the bottom?

Yes, that was an interesting mockup

Anyway, dual screen is one of the "gimmick factors" that make porting games harder.

Basically:

Port probability = System sales + 0.5*tech - Gimmicks

0.5*tech means that tech matters, but is not as important as how the console sells.

I mean, ROTR is a 2016 game ported to a 2006 console - and it doesn't even look too bad.

//Sent from my glorious OnePlus X

 

[TheDarkGreninja]

Oh how I miss dual screen. Remember a fan sketch a while back with a screen add-on on the bottom?

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https://docs.unrealengine.com/latest/INT/Engine/Performance/Scalability/ScalabilityReference/
Also from unreal engine. Seems like it could even be downscale to 720p with internal 1080p.

Maybe with USB-C pretty much anything is possible.

 

[Yil]

Maybe with USB-C pretty much anything is possible.

Not powering your high end gaming rig. No can do.

 

[TheDarkGreninja]

Not powering your high end gaming rig. No can do.

Thats why i said pretty much anything

 

[Yil]

That said, I think we will have something like thunder bolt 4 with 200w and pcie 4.0 x4.

 

[TheDarkGreninja]

That said, I think we will have something like thunder bolt 4 with 200w and pcie 4.0 x4.

for?

 

[Yil]

for?

for?

Better Bandwidth and multi cable. Since PCIE is all about clock, it will not require more lanes to setup and the other problems can be solved with a better cable or direct connection.

 

[DocAmes1980]

5. Switch will probably sell better if marketed like the 3DS.

They should market the Switch by emphasizing my bathroom use case scenario. The tag line could be, "Now you're playing with power. Pooper power!"

 

[Xzi]

That brings me to my next idea, do you guys think this console will get a lot of 3ds ports that are just upgraded for switch? The basic code wont require much changing thanks to ARM.

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@Xzi Where did you get this info? Cant find it anywhere.

What info? I'm just guessing in regard to how the custom Tegra chip will be structured.

Nvidia's blog verifies that this will indeed be a custom Tegra and not your stock-typical Tegra X1.

 

[TheDarkGreninja]

What info? I'm just guessing in regard to how the custom Tegra chip will be structured.

Nvidia's blog verifies that this will indeed be a custom Tegra and not your stock-typical Tegra X1.

I was talking about UE4

 

[Yil]

I was talking about UE4

He has link.

 

[TheDarkGreninja]

He has link.

Ah, found it.

 

[Yil]

So right now we have:
Local multiplayer with joy cons held sideway and shoulder buttons.
Motion and IR in addition to using the hidden shoulder buttons that might be somewhat optimized for vr.
Multitouch screen with 720p and 6-inch-ish screen that could be 6.2'' or 6.8''. If Nintendo wanted they could even add a professional stylus.
Gyro in the tablet.
Close range communication that are not found on smart devices.
USB 3.1 that can do many different things, including proving up to 100w of power, dual usb 3.0 or video output.
Decent battery.
Support gaming on a toilet.
Also have some more power if needed.
Possible refresh with Volta that might allow it to catch up to PS4 Pro.

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@TheDarkGreninja I cannot keep up with the pace of update right now.

 

[Foxi4]

Just because the device is USB-C does not mean that Nintendo will expose the PCIe lanes. They should, but such access opens the doors to vulnerabilities. The port will be just for charging and data, I'll be very surprised if it accepts any external devices not branded by Nintendo, especially not GPU's - that'd require a driver framework which Nintendo will not implement because their device is supposed to be casual plug and play, not power user-oriented. Moreover, I doubt they will implement Thunderbolt as it's owned by Intel. They skimped on the DVD and BluRay licenses, y'think they'll pay for a TB implementation? Forget about it. MXM would be the only available alternative for external PCIe, and they won't do that.

As for "catching up with the PS4 Pro", first it needs to catch up with the regular PS4. The amount of power necessary to do that surpasses what a mobile device can provide in that form factor, I just don't see it.

 

[Yil]

Just because the device is USB-C does not mean that Nintendo will expose the PCIe lanes. They should, but such access opens the doors to vulnerabilities. The port will be just for charging and data, I'll be very surprised if it accepts any external devices not branded by Nintendo, especially not GPU's - that'd require a driver framework which Nintendo will not implement because their device is supposed to be casual plug and play, not power user-oriented. Moreover, I doubt they will implement Thunderbolt as it's owned by Intel. Forget about it.

It may not support PCIe 3.0 x4 but this thing is at least usb 3.1 gen 2 with higher than 12w power delivery and.
Usb-c ports possibly have 4 or more lanes of data that is enough for pcie 3.0 while a standard 3.1 gen 2 controller occupies two gen 2. That's why Intel can make thunderbolt in the first place. Proper hardware can make use of that. That said, I do not believe Nintendo will allow it either.

 

[Xzi]

So right now we have:
Local multiplayer with joy cons held sideway and shoulder buttons.
Motion and IR in addition to using the hidden shoulder buttons that might be somewhat optimized for vr.
Multitouch screen with 720p and 6-inch-ish screen that could be 6.2'' or 6.8''. If Nintendo wanted they could even add a professional stylus.
Gyro in the tablet.
Close range communication that are not found on smart devices.
USB 3.1 that can do many different things, including proving up to 100w of power, dual usb 3.0 or video output.
Decent battery.
Support gaming on a toilet.
Also have some more power if needed.
Possible refresh with Volta that might allow it to catch up to PS4 Pro.

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@TheDarkGreninja I cannot keep up with the pace of update right now.

It'll be a helluva bargain price : performance-wise, no doubt. Still I question this device's ability to do VR properly even on a basic level with a 720p display. Unless they also thought of that and concentrated pixels to be denser in certain areas of the screen, but that would almost be over-designing for VR specifically. Hell, based on all these new developments, what do I know, maybe Nvidia found a way to simulate that effect. More likely than not that aspect of the device will be the worst part of it, and drain battery the quickest nonetheless.

That said, I don't blame Nintendo for wanting to focus on making this the best next-gen gameboy/SNES hybrid they can, that'll run most PC ports in 720p/1080p just fine.