Is this Nintendo Switch HDMI cable worth buying for $100?

If you want a better picture from your Nintendo Switch games without taking a performance hit, the mCable does work.

[MadLad]

Pricey at 100. Would definitely pay half for it though.

[nitus10]

Are you joking?

Paying US$100 (assumed) is a massive ripoff, in fact paying more than US$15 is stupid but then again there is a sucker born every minute.

If you wish to display 1080p via an HDMI cable then all you need is HDMI 1.4 or better. Any higher such as 4K or even 8K you can purchase an HDMI 2.1 (released 28th Nov 2017) cable. In fact, an HDMI cable can be purchased (assuming you only need 3ft or in most countries 1m) for US$12.99 from Amazon https://www.amazon.com/UPTa... You can even get HDMI 2.0 cables (good for 4K) for less than US$10.

HDMI Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wi... It is worth a little bit of research.

Note: The HDMI cable (3ft) in the article states that one end of the cable has a graphics processor that upscales to the TV so you are paying for more than a simple cable. However, if you have a decent TV/Monitor your display should do the upscaling so you really won't need an expensive "active" HDMI cable.

[S2Killinit]

I remember when HDMI cables used to cost 50-100 dollars but these days they are 10 bucks. Is there a reason why this cable is selling for higher than market prices? Does it perform better than regular HDMIs?

[RizBiz]

@S2Killinit There is legitimate reasons to buy more expensive cables for certain applications, such as for use with Ultra-HD BluRay players or Dolby Atmos theatre systems, but there's absolutely no point to using them with the Switch.

[indysurfn]

I agree I have a expensive tv and I it detects when the SWITCH is outputting a 1080P signal. And the cheap works like the costly ones (mostly).

[Sarcasm]

This isn't a regular HDMI Cable, it actually smooths out jaggies and provides real post process anti-aliasing. It just so happens it works great for the switch.

With that said, it's still not worth $100. This should have been like $50 at most.

[MadLad]

Calm down, killer.

[darthv72]

The mCable is for any HDMI enabled device not just the switch. So you can use it on a PS3 or 360 and even the PS4 and xbo. Most people I know that have one, they use it on those upscaler boxes like framemeister with some pretty impressive results.

I wouldnt pay $100 for it though.

[rainslacker]

There is no real life advantage to buying an expensive cable for any expensive digital serial connection. So long as its rated at the proper speed, it'll deliver the signal. If the cables are longer, above 25', it is worth investing in better cables due to packet loss becoming a problem over long serial connection runs.

A $5 cable from Walmart will be just as good as a $30-40 branded cable at 6' or less

[OpenGL]

This cable has an SoC built in it that performs some upscaling functionality to improve image quality on low resolution sources. It's not really just a regular HDMI cable even if it is ultimately not worth the asking price.

[rainslacker]

I understand that. But for a general purpose HDMI there is no reason to buy really expensive cords, and it's mostly just a marketing thing to make people think they're better. Unless one needs a longer cord, or it's running through the walls near electrical cables, a basic cheap cord is fine. The cheaper ones may have flaky connectors on the end though, so there is more chance of getting a bad one, but even if you have to buy a 2nd one because the first cheap one you choose doesn't work, you're still way ahead in savings.

[Elda]

After reading the article it's not worth it,possibly 30 or 40 dollars would suffice.

[Gemmol]

Not just dock it’s joycons also in regular switch

[Duke19]

For that price, I feel like you would be better off finding some other HDMI upscaling box/solution rather than having it fit all in a cable. Still kindof neat though

[Neonridr]

The native resolution of the Switch is 720p when undocked. When it's hooked up to the dock it has the ability to render at a higher native resolution . Is this journalism nowadays?

[nitus10]

The most you are going to get from the Switch is 1080p, however, if you have a decent display it should be able to upscale and smooth an HD (720p and 1080p) signal.

[Neonridr]

yes but the article makes it seem like the Switch is only capable of 720p, which is completely false.

[fathertime4464]

Yes but the cable is also capable of upscaling and adding additional antialiasing.
Watched a YouTube video months ago on this cable. It does wonders for the switch, ps3, and 360
100 is a lot though. But it's one of the lowest latency options out there. A ton of tech is in that cable

[Amplitude]

yeah really. The Switch does 1080p native in a ton of games. I think this would only help eliminate aliasing in games that are rendered below 1080p - which a lot of third party games do, but the two examples they used are Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon 2 which are both native 1080p. Very strange.

[milohighclub]

Or any games with aliasing issues. You can have a 1080 image and still have aliasing.

[DillyDilly]

For $20 more you can get two games lol whod buy this ?

[Gemmol]

I didn’t read the article but there’s more than a dock you getting for 100 dollars more

100 dollars more you get

1) dock to play on tv
2) joycons that have hd rumble, motion controls, ir sensor, nfc reader, ability to use one as a controller so you end up with 2 controllers
3) stand so you can play in table top mode

Switch lite without these features still will sell I have 2 friends and 3 cousins who already want one so Nintendo did well to make different options for people who want hybrid system and those who just want everything the switch lite offer

Nintendo was smart thinking 2 steps ahead

[TheFirstClassic]

This article is about an hdmi cable that upscales games. Nobody mentioned the switch lite.

[Cobra951]

They mentioned it by displaying a picture of it in the middle of their article, implying that this cable is going to take the 720p resolution of the Lite and upscale it to 4K through HDMI. It's deceptive, or just plain ignorant. The Lite cannot connect to a TV at all (at least according to Nintendo, who should know).

[Gemmol]

Thanks for letting me know

[Nitrowolf2]

You probably should have read the article then....

[Gemmol]

Sorry 😐

[BlaqMagiq1]

Now you look dumb because you didn't read the article like you should have

[Gemmol]

Sorry

[prankster101]

I didn't read the article, but I know that the Switch isn't worth 3x that.

[KickSpinFilter]

A excellent HDMI Cable should not be more than $25 USD for that length.
$100...BS Price.

[TheFirstClassic]

It's not just a cable. Still might be overpriced though.

[KickSpinFilter]

sure..but it's still overpriced, and does not offer that better of improvements that a excellent HDMI cable for much less.
Look no further:
www.monoprice.com

[hanko14]

is it hdmi 2.1? if not then you re wasting your money. typical nintendo

[TheFirstClassic]

This is third party and works for all consoles

[Neonridr]

This has nothing to do with Nintendo. They didn't manufacture this cable nor are they the ones selling it.

[nucky64]

hdmi either works or it doesn't. this kind of marketing to get fools to pay high hdmi prices for a supposed "better picture" has been done before - this cable won't do anything any better than a 6 dollar hdmi would do.

[dumahim]

Did you read the article?

[nucky64]

yes. i did. your point?

[Cobra951]

@nucky: If you read it, you didn't understand it.

[nitus10]

To be fair the cable does have a signal upscaler but if you have a decent display then that display should do the upscaling, not an "active HDMI cable". If a decent HDMI (v1.4, 2.0 or 2.1) cable which you can get very cheaply as you have stated does not give good results then the problem will be your display.

[milohighclub]

It's not just upscalling, it improves aliasing.

[Dirtnapstor]

Aside from the article, there are varying degrees of quality HDMI cables. This is fact....that being said, there are none that should exceed a $50 price point.

[nucky64]

quality in materials that put it together? sure. some do have heavier outside covers and such - but i don't think it justifies the higher cost (you really would pay $50 for an hdmi cable??). blu ray movies or games - the pic will look the same whether it's a 2 dollar or 50 dollar hdmi.

[Cobra951]

There are 2 quality grades of HDMI cables: (1) those that work perfectly, and (2) those that don't work perfectly. Just like digital signals, it's a binary choice, unlike analog, where signal degradation is a thing.

[rainslacker]

Cost is in the materials used to make it. If the cord is less than 12', a cheap cord will likely be as good as an expensive one. Beyond 25' there is more risk of signal loss, and cords that may run through the walls and around the wiring of your house, need extra shielding and may require a heavier gauge wire inside the cable sheathing.

But overall, a digital serial connection of any sort is not going to have any gain along a short run, as there is already tolerance for packet loss built into the HDMI spec.

Some cheaper cords may have crappy connectors, but if you get one that doesn't, then it's going to provide the same performance good as an expensive branded cord where they put it in a fancy box and market it to people who dont know any better

[Father__Merrin]

For 100 you may as well save it together with a price of switch and get a ps5

[Cmv38]

I haven't bought an hdmi cable in over a year and it was 15 bucks. Are there any that cost 100 bucks? Can't see buying a cable that cost a third of what the system cost.

[nucky64]

so true. i get mine off of ebay - they cost between 2 - 8 dollars.

[Fluttershy77]

Can you hook it to the switch Lite? Is there any way to hook your lite into a TV?

[Cobra951]

No. The article shows a picture of the Switch Lite, but that was stupid (or deceptive) on their part. The Lite and this cable can't go together.

[343_Guilty_Spark]

CNET tends to review the most expensive products available even if there are significantly cheaper/just as good alternatives. They are not very helpful when it comes to shopping.

[Donnie81]

The switch needs more than a fancy hdmi cable to make its games look better.

[LemyAtom]

Honestly, maybe it's just my eyes, but the difference is so subtle that I wouldn't bother. Perhaps if you're gaming on a 50 inch plus TV I could see it as a benefit on a 4K TV. But $100 benefit? Honestly I would just stick with a regular HDMI.....I mean, I always think it's a bit suspect when you literally have to have two images side by side like that to notice a difference. Otherwise you are unlikely to notice at all.

[Cobra951]

This isn't just a cable. It's an upscaler with a built-in processor. No passive HDMI cable is worth $100. If you have good upscaling smarts in your TV, this active $100 cable isn't worth buying either.

[Segata]

Never pay more than $10-15 for a cable. EVER!

[Soybetaboy]

No

[Sgt_Slaughter]

This is not a "Nintendo Switch HDMI Cable", this is a cable intended to clean up the picture on older games like PS2, Xbox, GameCube, or even PS3 and the like. Could even use it on retro consoles with a converter.

Point is, that headline is misleading as hell.

[Sophisticated_Chap]

No.

[PhoenixUp]

That costs more than the dock that actually connects to the tv in the first place

[Orionsangel]

This is like the scam they try to pull at Best Buy or Brandsmart with a $200 HDMI cable because it has a gold tip. They make up tech jargon like, It has three quad levels of vertical lines coupled with trim line golding which gives you an extra enhanced 4k image. I'm like, please clerk salesman. Get out my face! I'll take my $3.99 HDMI cable.

https://youtu.be/La3U41b0WS...

[TheEroica]

Lol... No. Switch fans aren't really the type to bother with pushing graphics anyway.

[jznrpg]

No

[Stevonidas]

What's wrong with the HDMI cable that comes with the Switch?

[frostypants]

I can't believe Cnet fell for an overpriced HDMI cable scam. This stuff is a running joke in the AV equipment world. Your receiver and/or TV already have upscaling hardware, and anything they put in this piece of trash isn't worth a $90 premium. Maybe $5-10. SCAMMY SCAM SCAM.

[CptDville]

Some say this cable enhances PSVR experience. It is too expensive though.

[CrustifiedDibbs]

no

[ForNgoods]

I bought a similar cable from another manufacturer that's cheaper for my psvr and can confirm that the microprocessor does improve the image. However if you asking me if that improvement is worth 100 then I'd have to disagree.

[Nerdmaster]

I wonder if it would have a noticeable difference with my 1440p monitor.

[2pacalypsenow]

Lol no.

It’s a digital signal it either works or it doesn’t .

A $5 monoprice hdmi will work the same as long as they’re the same class.

[william_cade]

ha! the switch.