What You Need to Know About the Nintendo Switch's Garbage Graphics

The Nintendo Switch looks like it might be complete weaksauce when compared to the best consoles from Sony and Microsoft. But the real question is: does that even matter? Probably not.

[masterfox]

LOL

[rjason12]

Haha, seems like you didn't read the article.

@lol
By who Nintendo, or the optimistic fans? Cause Nintendo never talks in depth about specs. People can't base the Switches Max performance on launch games, because no one ever does that to any other systems.

All I know is the eurogamer report was proven wrong. Am I in the court who thought the Switch would be equal to the two. No. Myself I thought it would be close to a teraflop, which going by the Foxcon rumor, which successfully predicted things no one else did, at least a month before the presentation would point to that rumor being true.

@masterfox Says the guy who can't even read an article and makes a comment based off the title. Can't argue with everything I say, so you gotta pick What you wanna focus on.

[LOL_WUT]

The Switch's graphics capabilities were highly exaggerated IMO ;)

[Erik7357]

.

[Erik7357]

I think Nintendo cares more about putting out in-depth games than wowing you with hardware. More of priority to have amazing games on it than amazing hardware.

I just see so many great games coming to the Switch, especially the next pokemon game RPG on it. Will be huge.

[masterfox]

"Cause Nintendo never talks in depth about specs. " <--- You need to gather information first before posting about something you not know, not doing that it only proves ignorance.

[sinjonezp]

We all know that the graphics of the Switch is not its selling point, the ability to sell compelling Nintendo content on the go is...however, how long will that same motto last? Consumers typically want advancements with technology, not tech from 2011. I've played Uncharted in 4K with HDR. It's amazing. Period. So we have a game like Zelda which is artistic and beautiful. But when it comes to the diverse nature of games like a last of us, titanfall resident evil 7 , FF15, etc, we will have blurry less than 720p maybe 540p visuals. It's like taking a PlayStation 3 on the go. It's not a bad thing but mobile game graphics will be in par with PS4 in 2018 so what will Nintendo do once we have a Mario and Zelda ? What other first party titles will win gamers? I've always said they should have added horsepower based on longevity at the least. It's sad we have devs like respawn saying hell no to a release on the system, I think a lot of devs will say we just can't get it running well on the switch and will bypass. It's unfortunate but Nintendo with is "ways" like the network feature will alienate a lot of future opportunities....

[DashArrivals]

@Erik7357, I'd really appreciate it if you could remove Nintendo's nuts from inside your mouth. I can't understand you. I sort of gathered that you think Nintendo have 'in depth' games. What a colossal joke. Judging by the barren lands of the highly touted next Zelda game, i think it's not going to cut the mustard anymore. When you compare the ridiculous price of the Switch and it games and accessories. Joe public would rather get a PS4 or Xbox One. The Switch is going to fail. I really did not think this way, but Nintendo deserve it, because they haven't learned their lesson. It makes me angry because I've wanted to be a Nintendo fan again, but they just make it so damned hard. They're greedy and selfish.

[XStation4pio_Pro]

even at a teraflop thats pretty weak when consoles launched 3 years ago are more than that and those consoles now have new refreshes out and coming out that are 2 and 3 times more powerful than their predecessors (respectively) which are still more powerful than the switch...

it can't even compete as a regular console. it has more in common with mobile gaming that gets a slight boost when plugged into the dock. no 3rd party devs are going to support it, just like the wii u and aside from diehard nintendo fans and very casual players, no other gamer is going to get behind it because it will have no aaa blockbuster games the other consoles have. on the rare occasion a non first party game makes it on to switch, its going to be severely downgraded comparatively - all for a price thats the same as way better consoles that will have way more games.

switch with less than 1tflop and dodgy 3rd party support for $299 or ps4 pro with 4.2tflop and enormous 3rd party support for $399. seems like an easy choice for me.

[Utalkin2me]

@Erik7357

You mean the constant in-depth games that Nintendo put out on the Wii and WiiU?

[redaxis]

No matter how you spin it, having weak hardware definitely wont make it look good. Developers want to have a hardware to comfortably make games in, especially the switch came in this gen so late, when the devs need to put so much effort to make ports for it, they will think twice to even decide on porting it. That might make the switch another "nintendo titles only" device.

[JayPi3]

That awkward moment when you comment without actually reading the article.

[Quetzll]

That awkward moment when you make a redundant comment with little visibility and don't actually add anything to the discussion.

[subtenko]

Welp you'll find out most of us are awkward here then pal, especially when it comes to sites like gamingbolt

[DaGR8JIBRALTAR]

😂😂😂

[subtenko]

^ yea I like pancakes, doubt people gonna read this comment, dont expect any votes or anything, I just wanted to say I like pancakes without anyone naggin on me about how waffles are better.

[OCEANGROWNKUSH]

Talk about a loaded headline...

[OpinionSmasher]

Do you guys even know off the top of you head what a teraflop does? Yes I presumme ill get 55555555555 replies defining it by wikipedias list of details.

[XanderZane]

I think that's what 3rd party developers are doing. The problem with Nintendo staying in PS3/XBox 360 era is that 3rd party developers are not. They are not going to want to make games for a system that can barely do a game in 1080P. Especially when they are making games for PS4 in native 1800P and Scorpio games in native 4K. The Switch doesn't have the CPU/GPU or RAM that these 3rd party developers are looking for. The system is fine for Nintendo and their 1st party games, but it's going to be another Wii U and only hardcore Nintendo gamer will get it. Nintendo lost most then 1/2 of their casual gamers. All those older Mom/Dad, Grandpa/Grandma gamers have left the building. The Wii got them off their couch for one generation, but I don't think they will return for the Switch.

[Neonridr]

I think they look pretty good myself.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

Ditto.
And if we're talking honest truths, here, then when it comes to graphics, if you're playing on consoles, you're settling for less by default compared to PC's, something that Nintendo bashers from the other two camps who laugh at HD 720P seem to overlook, as they look down their noses at Nintendo fans who think games like BotW are beautiful.
Smart gamers accept that graphical prowess is not the point of consoles, and learn to appreciate the beauty of games on the big three regardless.

[Neonridr]

games like Gravity Rush are beautiful but somehow Breath of the Wild looks like garbage.. :/

I don't get it either.

[SR388]

Yes, *high five*

[Utalkin2me]

@wonderfulmonkeyman

So you're saying we shouldn't have new consoles and just keep releasing games on current machines. Cause you're saying power doesn't matter. There is more to power then pretty stuff textures on the screen, such as A.I. and more of it, better AA, better frame rates and so on and so forth.

But in the end its about price VS games. Whats going to get you the most bang for your buck.

[FreeSpeech69]

Wrong, the PS4 is 3 years old and will still be much more powerful than the Switch. Unacceptable.

[Captain_Tom]

Statistically you are actually quite wrong.

For the first 2 years of its launch the PS4 was stronger than most gaming PC's. Sure it's weaker now, but now the PS4 Pro is out and once again stronger than most PC's.

[Neonridr]

@Captain_Tom - lol, don't make me laugh. The PS4 has the graphics card equivalent of a Radeon 7850, it was not better than gaming PC's when it released. Pro is much, MUCH better but still gets outclassed by 1080 GPU's no problem..

[Fist4achin]

Regardless of the article, that's a rough title. I'm a huge proponent of games with story and substance. I'll take graphics as a far second or third place...

[jaymacx]

Reading your comment restores hope in gaming humanity lol.

[pcz]

after a large glass of kool aid, yes

[josephayal]

my galaxy S3 is more powerful

[_-EDMIX-_]

It matters if you're trying to actually get third-party support that actually gives you content in the first place.

If there's something wrong with the platform that stops IT from getting support from third-party I would believe it is something to worry about

[talocaca]

Got to play Zelda last week in Tokyo on the Switch.

The graphics were great for a handheld, pretty good for a console....The fact that some people are complaining about Ps3 graphics (or better) on a mobile console shows how far we've come.

[jaymacx]

Exactly! You said it all . Best comment in this article.. he actually played the game.

[objdadon]

Those ain't near ps3 graphics bro.

[Stevonidas]

Yeah, they're BETTER than PS3.

[Quetzll]

@ Prince Ali

TLoU is basically a rail shooter that goes for "expensive" photo realistic graphics. It already looks dated. BotW is open world sand box with its own "inexpensive" unique visual aesthetic.

Technically, this comparison doesn't work.

And MK8 for WiiU has cleaner visuals than anything Ive seen on ps3, except some indie titles, but they go for style so it actually reinforces my and other points.

[Utalkin2me]

@Quetzll

You go for cartoon look due to lack of power. Its something Nintendo has always done. As i stated above, think about cartoons. Most cartoons back in the day still hold up well against other cartoons. Cause the limitation of the art style. But doesn't hold up well against anything else. Same to be said for the cartoony games, they hold up well against each other but nothing else.

[WickedLester]

I honestly don't know what people were expecting, considering we knew this was going to be a console/handheld hybrid. Anyone who thought this was going to compare to PS4 graphics wise wasn't being realistic. Besides, looking at games like Zelda, Mario Lost Odessy, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Splatoon 2, Fast RMX, Skyrim, etc. Just what about those graphics does anyone find unsatisfying? Those games look really good!

[joab777]

The problem with this logic is that times have changed. Gaming has grown exponentially and it isn't just hardcore gamers buying the PS4 and X1, or IPads and IPhones for that matter. Also, PC gaming with YouTube and Twitch are enormously popular now.

Also, the Switch comes on the heels of the WiiU, a similarly underpowered machine that turned its back on many hardcore Nintendo fans, myself included. It won't be the populous machine this go around! VR has released, 4k is out and cheap, and streaming is huge! Add to that the billion dollar mobile industry on the App store and Google Play and Nintendo needed to be unique AND on par, taking a page out of Sony's book, and MSs from last gen.

Offer a comparably spec'd machine that can compete while enticing people through software and exclusivity.

The chosen path reeks of arrogance and narcissism. And I'm done for now!

[Quetzll]

Good points except that 4k isn't cheap. And neither is a PS4PRO

[jmc8888]

You could get 39" 4ktv's for as low as $259 three years ago. Now you can get 4k/60 name brand ones that are 40" for about $499. It's cheap. 6 years ago you could barely find a generic (like a Dynex or something) 1080 40" for $399-499. Most were like $599-649.

PS4 Pro is $399, that's the same price PS4 launched at. That's cheap.

Meanwhile a Switch costs $299, and most will need extra storage so add $50-100 for sufficient storage, add $70 for a pro controller... and guess what you are above PS4 Pro price. Why does that matter? Because the PS4 and PS4 Pro and XB1 all come with a pro controller and hard drive.

That's a MASSIVE problem for Nintendo. They aren't just more expensive then the PS4/XB1, they are above the price of the PS4 Pro.

Also since Nintendo isn't groundbreaking graphics wise, they could easily have 4k/60 on all their games with less power then the PS4 Pro.

You can have some semblance of 4k gaming, or not even 1080 with Nintendo style graphics, and Nintendo's way is to cost more. That's expensive.

People simply have far better options. More power. More games. Cheaper.

[joab777]

I grabbed a 55" SUHD Samsung for like $550. While not cheap, it is comparably cheap and I needed a new TV. Also, my PS4 was on its last legs so I sold to my brother for $100.

Basically I got both for less than $900 and I was planning on buying before.

[Quetzll]

I suppose "cheap" is an entirely subjective term in this sense. But how niche is 4k gaming/cinema? I'm looking at sales numbers and neither have taken off, comparatively. Especially in the console market.

Why would anyone buy a ps4pro UNLESS they had a 4k TV and no base ps4? Neither of you gave me a reasonable price for a 4k tv, imo. All I can find are brands I would NEVER trust for under ~$300. Anything reasonable and modern is at least $400, like you said, and that is before you buy the console.

Comparing the cost of a switch, plus an additional controller set and storage would require you to use the same points for your own end of the argument: ps4pro plus additional controller and storage space would equal 450+.

I don't do digital for anything other than indie games since I can ALWAYS find a hard copy game for less than a digital version. Ps4 has mandatory installs which kills your storage space. Take advantage of their free games every month and youre out of storage in a year, MINIMUM. (Love those free games. Still waiting to play phantom pain). No installs necessary for Switch, unless you're a digital man or prefer indie titles over all. This eliminates the need to expand memory. Unless you're the latter gamer.

End point:

The cost of a 4k set up is at least $100 more than a switch set up. And whatever you choose is entirely based on what games you would prefer to play, given your budget.

[TalesofEvil]

U think BOTW looks better than TLOU? you gotta be kidding.

[0Day]

😂

[joab777]

Even this doesn't do my emotions justice!

[Natversion1]

Got to stop thinking of this as a pure next gen console, it's a console handheld hybrid and there's nothing out there that matches it right now.

[MeteorPanda]

cross save feature on ps4/vita hell even 3ds/wii exists. I have a have a phone that acts as a memory card for my ps2 and l play that on the go...

nintendo lost my loyalty with that wiiu abandonment,

[hirobrotagonist]

.

[opinionated]

The switch looked much better last year. This launch is going to be as bad as the Xbox ones. There is bad news everyday at this point lol.

People are saying that they are doing in depth games and not trying to wow people with hardware. Really? What games have you seen in depth? The hardware is the selling point. The portable aspect and accessories. The HD rumble sounds genius but the rest seems pretty dull. The phone thing for voice chat and online options was over the top though, what idiot thought that would blow over nicely lol?😂

[captainexplosion]

The launch for the Switch will be much, much worse than the launch of the XB1.

[ninsigma]

I disagree. While a lot of their decisions for this are down right stupid and unlike Microsoft, Nintendo won't backtrack the decisions gamers don't like, they have a stronger dedicated fan base that will pick up the console regardless of the decisions.

[danny818]

For a console that will carry pokemon, skyrim mario, mario kart and many more im sure it will get the sales inn. Im sure there will be some 3rd party support. Dont under estimate Nintendos ability to sell handhelds. I thought Psvita was gonna kill the 3DS. Turns out Sony killed it before the fight ended

[Bismarn]

I'm not even going to read the article, the headline alone gets a thumbs up.

[Junebug]

Salty Nintendrones ;)

[MadLad]

What's there to be salty about? Nintendo supported the Wii U a lot longer than Sony did the Vita. And the 3DS is still dominating the market. Now we have a console hybrid that allows us to take console quality titles on the go. ;)

[Razuel]

there is zero evidence of this being possible. "If Nintendo really wanted to, it could release a dock at a later date that sports a better processor for sending higher resolution games to the TV."

[DarXyde]

I wouldn't say that. It's apparent that the technology does exist where you can add power to otherwise integrated hardware in some way . The N64 featured a rudimentary proof of concept with the RAM expansion. One of Microsoft's Surface Pro tablets gains a power boost when connected to a keyboard and converts it into a laptop.

I certainly would not rule it out.

[Thomaticus]

Another dock that has a better graphics card built in; more ram, etc. That would be amazing to improve the switch's capabilities.

[DarXyde]

Thomaticus,

Ideally, this would be the prefect way for Nintendo to introduce a sort of tier system for the people complaining about its lack of power. Those wanting more power need only upgrade the dock. It'd be a great way to achieve mass appeal.

[objdadon]

Forget just resolution, we're talking about better graphics. Textures,shaders etc.

[Stevonidas]

There are rumors circulating out of Foxconn that Nintendo is stress testing a dock with a GPU equivalent to a GTX1060 (4.4 Tflops - ABOVE the ps4 pro) that will supercharge the Switch's graphics when in TV mode. This is speculated to be the "supplemental computing device" seen in leaked patents from 2015.

Given Nintendo's history of releasing hardware revisions among their handhelds, this isn't totally out of the realm of possibility for them.

EDIT: Found the link:
http://wwg.com/2017/01/17/n...

[ShadowWolf712]

Yeah, it is.

That thing will not work with the advertised "smooth dock/undock transfer".

You'd have a game running in 4K with more draw distance, better textures, shadows, lighting, draw distance... and then you'd have to undock it and see that instantly drop to 720p with lower textures, framerate, draw distance, etc.

Those games would crash in a heartbeat. Not to mention a single game would eat up almost all the internal storage and loading it off an SD card would be ridiculously slow.

[Stevonidas]

@ShadowWolf712

Please. It's no different than me going into the settings and changing the resolution and selecting the "low" configuration when playing on my PC. Then there's the fact that the custom Tegra processor Nvidia has made for the Switch was specifically designed to be SCALABLE:

"Nintendo Switch is powered by the performance of the custom Tegra processor. The high-efficiency scalable processor includes an NVIDIA GPU based on the same architecture as the world’s top-performing GeForce gaming graphics cards."
https://blogs.nvidia.com/bl...

You seem awfully threatened over a mere rumor.

[ShadowWolf712]

Not at all, actually. In those settings, you're changing them on the exact same hardware, and manually. This would be like swapping your game to a weaker processor AND GPU on the fly, without stopping, and expecting the game to correct itself automatically with no issues whatsoever.

[captainexplosion]

I think Nintendo is the most overrated company when it comes to art design. People praise Nintendo games for it. New Mario Bros Wii u was one of the most boring and repetitive looking games I've ever seen. And you should never say that about platformers because they have a lot more to work with when it comes to art design. While people were praising the art design of Mario Galaxy I just didn't get it. There would be giant forks or a giant apple in the background and I didn't understand what was so artistically brilliant about that. A game like Rayman Legends destroys any Mario game. LBP does too. I love Mario, but the graphics are greatly exaggerated. Even games like Splatoon which was praised for its art design looked really generic. Same with Smash. In recent years the only Nintendo game off the top of my head that I was impressed by the art and/or graphics was Yoshi's Wooly World.

[NotanotherReboot]

I spat my drink out at this article heading

[Junebug]

Savage

[bluefox755]

The Switch didn't need to be a powerhouse. People are under the misconception that we all want Switch to have the latest greatest hardware because we only care about graphics, I don't think this is the case. We want Switch to have DECENT hardware, at least capable enough that 3rd party devs have an easy time porting games to the console. Right now, just like with the Wii U, that's not the case.

[DarXyde]

Nice title.

Totally professional way to introduce us to a sensible author's unbiased piece.

[StrawberryDiesel420]

Jesus Christ it's not about graphics, but more importantly the Art Style of the game. Graphics always evolve but an amazing Art Style is timeless more or less. While less powerful, Nintendo's games like Mario and Zelda always nail Art Style. Go play Super Mario Galaxy right now on the Wii in 480p and tell me it doesn't look good still.

Furthermore, I would take a game that has amazing gameplay and average graphics over a game with sub par gameplay but cutting edge graphics and tech. While I don't play their games anymore as I have moved on to other franchises, I know Nintendo makes games that look good and have great gameplay.

[captainexplosion]

Yeah, but Nintendo is terrible with art design and Mario Galaxy and Zelda are no exception.

[objdadon]

The only way you would say those games still looked good is if you've never played anything but Nintendo consoles. Art style or whatever, take one look at zelda and take one look at horizon zero dawn, you're gonna tell me zelda looks better? Stop it. And I'll be buying a switch for zelda, but Nintendo needs to stop being defended for being behind.

[Utalkin2me]

@StrawberryDiesel420

Again, When having cartoony games it will hold up to other cartoony games due the limitation of the art style. Same way as cartoons, the old cartoons still hold up to the new cartoons due to the limitations and what it is.

And no SMG doesnt look good still....

[PizzaSteve]

'Garbage Graphics' LOL. Would've liked a more powerful console but you know how Nintendo is. Graphics look fine but I won't be buying any last gen ports on Switch unless it's Wii U exclusives I missed out out on.

[senorfartcushion]

Have a minimum age limit on article submissions.

Did a 4 year old submit this?

[Junebug]

I think it is savage ;)

[senorfartcushion]

It is childish and shouldn't be allowed.

Even the Titanfall dev was drunk and apologised lol

It is a quote that expresses why video game audiences are being destroyed by conglomerates like EA and Activision. It is why we have microtransactions, why we have terrible games with nice graphics. It is all what the "children" demand.

Ganeplay doesn't matter, only the shiny shiny gwaphics. It's why we have Ryse, The Order and Horizon because the shiny shiny gwaphics come first before snack time.

And all what wraps around this silly attitude is the fact that they simply "don't get" the fact that it is 100% a handheld. Look at the specs/graphics o of the DS/Vita. This is a portable 360, we've never had one before. No one has ever been able to design one successfully.
Embarrassing.

[Junebug]

Hahaha! :)

[Dasteru]

The graphical capabilities of the system are really not that important imo. I still regularly play my SNES. The major problem for me is the cost. $399 CAD for the system, $79.99 for games, $99.99 for extra joy-cons, $39.99 for the charger grip, $89.99 for the pro controller. Then they have the nerve to charge for the online play also, which is no doubt a sub par barely-worth-the-bandwidth service anyway. This system has fail written in 20 different languages on it. There would have been more but they ran out of space.

[PlatinumGX]

Love the title lol.

[XXanderXX]

Not at all , if I had wanted graphics that were mind blowing I would be a PC gamer .

[Silly gameAr]

Aren't you one of those guys who talk about how "beastly" the Scorpio will be when it comes to power?

[XXanderXX]

Nope I don't do specs talk I do Xbox brand and games ,support .

[m2stech]

Graphics wont matter its a console aimed at 4-12 year olds.

[SgtSlaughter212]

Of course it matters. This isn't 1999. You can create a console, even a handheld, with better capabilities than this nonsense. Nintendo had a real opportunity here, I wanted nothing more than for them to take advantage of it. Bummer.

[Melankolis]

Whether it's that good or that bad, BOTW's graphic subjectively or objectively is no less than very very very acceptable. Japanese developers tends to use art than power for graphic.

And also i'm reaching a diminishing marginal utility (graphic) since PS3 era, where i think (almost) every games have beautiful graphics. Goodbye breaking up polygons (PS1 era) and very rough jaggies (PS2 era)

[VersusDMC]

Weak system means nobody is porting anything ps4/X1 to switch. When you say you can take a console quality game on the go, you also need to clarify that you can take a slightly above wiiU graphics experience on the go. Weak system also means no third party support. That's what happened in the Wii generation. So if you don't like Nintendo first party games DON'T BUY IT.

[PGRfox]

Horrible article. Firstly, 4k TVs are taking off and are the future. Secondly, the low specs worked for Wii because of one title. Wii Sports which catered to the masses. Switch does not have that game, and don't even say 1-2 switch. Gamers now want specs which is why Sony and Microsoft are upgrading their consoles mid cycle.

[hahaha]

Loving the title. Lol

[V0LT]

.

[Sathur]

I have no tv time to play games anymore. TheSwitch is ideal for me right now.

[Segata]

I don't need to know anything from this garbage click bait.

[SynestheticRoar]

2Funny.

[Eulderink]

Article was too long xD. I can understand they don't wanna get into the spec war. But the article got some errors, like movies playing at 30fps thought this was 24. Also he talks about that the audience of nintendo doesn't care about specs, and nintendo als doesn't so no they will not release an upgraded docking system, this is really contradicting. Also i thought the wii had a lot of 3rd party support which is one of the reasons for it being so popular.

[corroios]

900p at 30fps for a cell shaded game for a new console in 2017! I hope some understand that if this was a sony or Microsoft console with would get over 9999 comments.

Nintendo went again with a cheap tech wise machine, but with a expensive price to buy. They had other choices, even for portable, but went cheap.

What could Nintendo studios do with a good hardware? For me thats the question? They could set the standard, but well maybe next gen.

[windblowsagain]

Lets be honest here.

Higher rez = cleaner image. But only if a TV supports that rez.

900p on some TV'S Looks blurry, but on some it looks crystal clear and you would not notice it.

My monitor is 1080p and I recently bought a Amd rx470 that is perfect for that rez.

----------------------------- ---------------------------

Now this is another point of view.

For some reason people seem to think REZ is the only thing that matters. You can whack a PS2 title upto 4k, it'll still look shite at 4k. Shite textures, shite filtering, shite shaders, if there is any. Tons upon tons of missing features that are in modern games.

I remember people shouting woo hoo DX12, and I posted that DX12 long before it's arrival would do nothing. PROVEN to be slower in many games regardless if built from ground up or not.

Most games depend on a GPU more then anything else.

Higher texture games need tons of ram, and also for higher rez on the GPU itself.

Good cpu's etc are needed for physics(not as much today) as compute takes care of some of it.

But I know for a FACT that DriveClub was not 60fps because of the CPU. The GPU had plenty of headroom. But with the environments, aka weather systems,(much more going on then you think) it could not maintain 60fps. I spoke to a dev on the game regarding this. ( It produced 45-60fps most of the time, but they did not want to release it that way)

Also PC gamers need to remember that Consoles have lower power for a reason. To keep heat down, to keep psu size down. To keep costs down. It is a mass market device and put together that way.

A pc is there so YOU can put together the parts that you want to play the way YOU want.

[Fantasticzig]

It's a handheld. A portable. A thin MINI TABLET for goodness sake. What is going through people's minds that it should compete with PS4 and XBS?!! I am hugely, hugely impressed that they got so much performance out of a device so small! The 3rd party support could never have been like home console 3rd party support; it would always only be able to be like that of 3DS. The expectations laid on Switch blows my friggin' mind. This is Nintendo's *exit* from the home console world.

[rjason12]

I like how so many are agreeing with this article. Specially since it's not a bash piece, it's actually complimenting the system.

[OCEANGROWNKUSH]

.

[mahmoods26]

Can we just end the whole 30 fps is good enough for movies argument? I mean seriously.

[MetalNCarnet]

Until I see a game that looks like Horizon, God of War, or Death Stranding on the Switch, I'm not interested.

[Captain_Tom]

"but that’s because we’re accustomed to a console war of specs—and Nintendo doesn’t want any part of it."

Nor do they want any sales apparently.

Personally I love how this article calls the Gamecube a failure for being "powerful." Sure the Gamecube competed with the PS2/XBOX, but the N64 was stronger than the PS1 by quite a bit and ended up doing 50% better than the gamecube.

The Wii U was WAY weaker and did worse than the Dreamcast. You could certainly argue that the weaker Nintendo makes their consoles, the worse they do...

P.S. Yes I am aware the Wii did well, but that is 1/4; and btw it sold less software than the PS3 (Where the majority of money comes from).

[esmittystud101]

X1 is doing fine with lower graphics than PS4/PS4 Pro...............third parties is what Nintendo needs to survive. 1st parties are not gonna keep it alive alone

[Chinkyinc18]

Remember when Nintendo didn't need to rely on gimmicks to make a console? Pepperidge farm remembers...

[-Gespenst-]

Most graphics are good in their own way regardless of how powerful or not-powerful the technology behind them is, just so long as heart and soul went into making them.

[Manashake]

Its all about hunger for better graphics, more violence,etc. People should better meditating, like me. I'm perfectly happy with the specs, because i know i love their brilliant gameplay and music.

[OpinionSmasher]

Jesus who approves these articles anymore.

[vork77]

graphics don't make the game

[Nathan_Hale53]

What a professional, non-biased article. Seems like people want to worry about graphics over the games anymore and it is irritating to say the least.

[cell989]

It matters everything!!! *Spiderman to sandman

[JasonKCK]

This only matters mostly to one particular group of people and they're not Nintendo gamers.

[ziratul]

For me, Bomberman is a triple AAA game. I am sick of those "Call of duty"-like "Triple AAA Garbage"... I've just played Watch_Dogs 2 on my PS4... and I am about to puke. It's not about a Graphics! It's about gameplay. I hope SNES days will come back to life... a time where gameplay DID matter.

[Emme]

I am still interested to see Metroid Prime 4 but I dont like Zeldas artstyle, and particularly how dead and bland it looks. Compare the enhanced Skyrim, compare GTA, compare Darksiders 2, compare Just Cause 2, even compare Gears of War Judgement, compare Kingdoms of Amalur...Zelda looks poor, and that art style looked better in Wind Waker...even Last Guardian is visually more impressive. I am not a Zelda fanboy, loved TP to death, that was awesome, Skyward Sword...the WW remaster...but this..?

[loverlink]

Do people honestly read the article? I swear everyone just comments based on the title.

[3-4-5]

* I want fun games....it looks to have some fun games...that is what Nintendo mostly does.

[brewin]

When are people going to realize that Nintendo's art style and attention to detail equate to them not needing the most "powerful" hardware to make great looking games?! Ive got ps4, x1 and wii u and the wii u actually had some incredible looking games on much less powerful hardware. Great art style and smooth graphical performance are much more important than hyper realistic textures and other graphical features that dont add to gameplay. Unless of course you prefer to watch games rather than play them. I would pit some of nintendos first party wii u stuff against the best ps4 has to offer and see how much it doesnt matter. Wii u 1st party stuff still looked great and the Switch looks like a significant upgrade to that. Im sure Nintendo will be fine once this thing is out in the wild.

[KilKarazy]

"It is only recently that TVs cheaper than $1,000 could play back content at faster frame rates like 60fps" - You write for a tech website? "Nintendo could release a dock if they wanted to" Again are you sure you showed up for the right job? Kotaku is on the fourth floor you're in the wrong office. Every argument made here was made for the Wii U. That turned out well.

[About30Ninjas]

The Switch is a powerful handheld and a underpowered home console but look on the bright side it support unreal engine 4

[bunfighterii]

"Reports are suggesting the Switch will barely churn out 1080p graphics to a TV..." so no different to Xbox One then. Zing.

I don't have an issue with it's relatively weak power. I can get fun out of games that don't sport the latest and greatest graphics. But if the lack of power again translates into a lack of third party support, that will be the Switch's problem.