Nintendo Switch Wi-Fi Issue Could Be Why Your Games Keep Dropping Frames

Our anonymous developer has confirmed that Nintendo is aware of the problem and that a fix will be included in a forthcoming firmware update.

[PhoenixUp]

It's like Nintendo didn't even test out this shit

[DaFeelz]

It's not that bad. Just turn off auto connect in the settings and poof, all better. I've tested it on Zelda. It works. It doesn't completely eliminate the slowdown but the game frame drops pretty much vanish. Nintendo is already aware of it. They'll do a firmware update. Problem solved. Moving on...

[InTheZoneAC]

How was this NEVER noticed in testing, seriously

[pwnsause_returns]

yea, because they rushed it, and its pretty obvious, thankfully like what DaFeelz Said, its not that bad. its all about optimizing the software and adding features to it from here on out

[UltimateOwnage]

I can't remember a modern console/hardwre launch that didn't have firmware bugs, missing features, and things that had to be resolved or improved afterwards. Nintendo isn't special in this case.

[InTheZoneAC]

so let us run internet via ethernet to the dock.....OH WAIT THIS IS 2017 WHO USES HARD WIRE FOR INTERNET!!!!??!?@?!??! i MUST BE STUPID!?!?!?!1$!@#$@#$$#@1

[Lightsbane]

You have to pay extra for that.

(Not even joking, you actually do.)

[d3nworth1]

Its still nice to have the option.

[UltimateOwnage]

Second that. I never missed it before, and don't use it now even for my PS4 Pro. I'm glad its there for people that care about hard-wiring things in any case.

[COMMENT-OF-THE-YEAR]

Oh ya know.. pretty much anyone who plays any game competitive and wants a quality signal. All of Twitch and YouTube Streams. Most YouTube. All of the networks from all service providers around the world.

[InTheZoneAC]

are you directly replying to me in a serious manner or are you tagging along? You know I was mocking the system, right? I run cat6 to my ps4...

[COMMENT-OF-THE-YEAR]

Cat6 eh. That 600mhz from your router to the PS4... wow. You must get all the ladies.

[InTheZoneAC]

It's $20 for a flat cable on Amazon, so I can run from one room to another since there's only one room to connect the router...are you ok.

I was simply acknowledging the hardwire is relevant, since you suggested I was against it. But my op was obviously being sarcastic...

[COMMENT-OF-THE-YEAR]

Yeah I'm okay man. I'm just fucking with ya. It's just fun sometimes to see how much people actually care about others opinions on here. Especially when it comes to video games as in they can't think for themselves and need re-enforcement from ratings and other people to justify their preferences. So easily offended lol. For a second their I thought you were gonna cry. Good on ya. Cheers.

[badz149]

remember the original 360 when you have to pay for wifi adapter? Nintendo was looking at that and thought that it was such a noble idea, so they implement it with the switch.

thanks again MS! /s

[Krangs_Uncle]

Wait.. The Switch has no ethernet port?

If so, that is just plain terrible.

[UnHoly_One]

I could hardly believe it when I saw that you can't use wired internet with the Dock.

I don't use WiFi for any of my consoles.

[-Foxtrot]

Nintendo is aware of the problem?

But I thought there wasn't a problem. I thought everything was in tip top shape and people were lying.

Well strangle my Tingle who would have thought /s

[TeamIcoFan]

"Strangle my Tingle"?

...Gonna steal that.

[game4funz]

Im confused. what problem? Frame drops? I thought that was already very clear. If you wanted no frame drops its portable switch that will do that.
But good to know there is a reason for those drops.

[rainslacker]

Means it's not a problem with the game, but the system itself. There should be no reason for a system task like this to interfere with a game task. This means there is less isolation of the OS from the game itself, and too many system resources are required to manage the OS/system tasks. Game loops should always be independent of anything on the system beyond what is required from the system itself. That's why consoles use hypervisors, because it provides isolated resources.

[V3Jay]

Stupid of Nintendo releasing the Switch without being tested first. Either that or they have the worst testers.

[Nu]

Nvidia has a bad track record for these types of issues. Nintendo receives the flack though. I wonder what guarantees Nvidia has given Nintendo and how much it cost Nvidia.

[_-EDMIX-_]

But it is still Nintendo's product.

[badz149]

stop trying to divert the blame to somebody else. there's no where on the console nVidia's name is displayed. not even "nVidia inside" or "powered by nVidia" etc....nothing! Just Nintendo!

while you are at it, do you also blamed foxxconn or whatever company that was assembling the 360 for the atrocious RRoD problem? or the battery company that supplied Samsung for Note 7's exploding batteries? geez...can't believe stupid fanboys are still trying their best to defend Nintendo after all these! play away from other sources of wireless signals, and dead pixels are normal? WTF? criticize them damn it! demand better from them or you are just a sheep!

[StormLegend]

I hope they fix this ASAP, I'm not playing it since I know a fix is coming.

[OtakuDJK1NG-Rory]

there already a fix

[game4funz]

Yea. He and others mustve skipped over the fix part. lol

[strayanalog]

Turn off the auto connect to wi-fi and continue playing.

[DillyDilly]

So why or how would Wi-Fi speed effect how a game runs ?

[Cobra951]

". . . a known issue with the console's Wi-Fi connection which places additional load on the processor."

[ninsigma]

That's pretty poor if a simple thing like searching for Web connection puts too much strain on processing that it affects game performance.

[Lightsbane]

"Switch trying to periodically auto-connect to WiFi where there is no network available."

[badz149]

like how Just Cause 3 was at launch. not sure if they already solved that issue

[rainslacker]

Trying to connect to Wi-Fi would be a system task. The console is likely spending too many resources trying to connect to the Wi-Fi, which takes resources away from the game itself. You can see this on some slower computers as well, which don't isolate system tasks from overall program tasks. Same principal here.

Unless a connection is required for the game, there is no reason why it should have any effect on the game itself.

It's a poor OS design, or maybe a hypervisor management problem. It should be correctable in firm ware, but really shouldn't exist in the first place, as OS tasks on a system should always be isolated from the game except those which are needed for the game itself. To my knowledge, BOTW does not require any kind of ongoing connection.

If you look at PS and Xbox, they allow the games to have a certain amount of resources, and the OS has it's own resources dedicated to it, both in memory, and on the processor itself. Nintendo probably doesn't have as much of this in their system, or they have poor resource management in the system itself.

[itemdrop]

ive tested this and tbh i've seen no noticeable difference.

[sampson3121]

frame drop nintendo game 10/10
frame drop sony game 6/10
frame drop xbox game 5/10

please tell me I'm wrong lol

[thekhurg]

Not just frame rate drops. Zelda got a pass on many issues that other games have been blasted for by reviewers.

It's all fake crap anyway though. Reviews have been a joke since they started getting advertising revenue from publishers.

[SinkingSage]

you're right

[deafdani]

You're wrong.

Reviewers in general won't care too much about occasional frame drops as long as they aren't gameplay breaking, no matter the game.

And sometimes they're even lenient on more serious issues, if the game is amazing enough. The PS3 version of Mass Effect 3 had one of the worst framerate issues I've ever seen on a major AAA game.... it literally froze on me several times, and one time the game even crashed (near the end). It still got a 93 in Metacritic.

[The 10th Rider]

Not to mention GTA V and the Witcher 3 have similar frame rate drops. They're both some of the highest rated games this gen.

[badz149]

"Reviewers in general won't care too much about occasional frame drops as long as they aren't gameplay breaking, no matter the game."

LOL you haven't read many reviews for other games have you?

[deafdani]

@badz149: actually yes, I have.

But sure, keep pretending that this "free-pass" attitude only applies to Nintendo games. Thing is, a game is much more than the sum of its parts, and because of this, game reviewers often overlook minor annoyances in a lot of superb games, not only Nintendo ones.

I swear, I've never seen this much butthurt, salt and dismissive attitudes for a game getting critical acclaim on this site. N4G's community is a cesspool of hate against everything Nintendo.

[jamstorr86]

this nintendo bashing comments make me laugh. you would think that neither Sony or Microsoft ever had issues which they had to patch to fix hahahahaha honestly, fanboys, go and diddle yourself over your chosen platform, and leave these boards free of your verbal diarrhoea.

[vergilxx3]

Not vita the ps vita they hadn't, console was in pretty much completed state at release date with all the things like media players and web browser and a lot more , so tell me why can't Nintendo do that .
Last time i Have checked there is still no firmware update on my switch , Nintendo is taking there sweet time fixing those issues.

[Moonman]

It's amazing how the exact same naysayers and their followers flock to any remotely negative Switch or Zelda article. It's beyond obsession. It's almost as if it's become their lifestyle.

[InTheZoneAC]

Logic=downvote, gooddaysir!

[jamstorr86]

this nintendo bashing make me laugh. you would think that neither Sony or Microsoft ever had issues which they had to patch to fix hahahahaha. Honestly, fanboys, go and diddle yourself over your chosen platform, and leave these boards free of your verbal diarrhoea.

[quent]

So similar to the watch dogs 2 issue

[zivtheawesome]

digital foundry already confirmed this ain't the problem

[rlow1]

mine is not affected at all, pointless article.

[CrimsonWing69]

There's thing called Product Testing, Nintendo...

[Smokingunz]

All these problems I'm hearing about the switch and I have no problems with mine none at all.

No wifi problems, nfps dropping, no dock scratching my switch, no dead pixel no nothing. Come on people, it's a new console, every console day 1 has problems. I don't think it's a large percentage of people who's having problems either just a small amout. What's worst guys? The red ring fiasco or the first launched nintendo switches?