Nintendo Switch

[deKay]

Hello! And welcome to the Official rllmuk Nintendo Switch (neé NX) Thread!

 

 

I'm your host, deKay, and I'm here to EXCITE and DISAPPOINT you in equal measure as we look at Nintendo's newest console, and followup to both the Wii U and the 3DS - the home and portable hybrid: Nintendo Switch.

 

Latest update: 3rd December 2017

 

Firstly, @Orko's FAQ!

 

Quote

Do I need a screen protector?

Up to you. If you're going to use the switch undocked a lot, or intend to take it out and about, it's better to be safe than sorry. 

 

This orzly one is cheap and comes recommended

 

Do I need a case?

The switch is a robust little thing, but if you're planning to take it with you when you go out, and intend to chuck it into a bag, a case is probably a safe bet. 

 

This tough shell Hori one is recommended. 

 

The other official Nintendo ones are pretty good, and come in a number of themes

 

Just make sure you get one with little pockets for the cartridges, because they're tiny and liable to fall out of a case without you noticing otherwise. 

 

Is the pro controller essential?

Essential, no. Preferable to the joycons or grip thing? Definitely. It's a great controller, but it's expensive. Many people swear by it. But it isn't essential as everything is perfectly playable without it. 

 

My left joycon drifts/isn't responsive - help!

A known and, unfortunately, fairly common issue. There are two ways to fix it:

 

Send it back to Nintendo for repair.

 

This is free, but takes a couple of weeks. Literally all they do is put a piece of conductive foam inside. 

 

Option 2 - Fix it yourself. 

 

You'll need some conductive foam

 

And a tri-wing screwdriver

 

Follow a video guide like this one

 

What are the best games?

 

S tier

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Super Mario Odyssey

 

These two are stone cold classics. 

 

The rest of the tiers are subjective, but mine would be:

 

A tier

Splatoon 2

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

 

B tier

Mario + Rabbids (yes, really and no, none of us could have predicted it'd be as good as it is, either)

Arms

 

Everything else 

There are hundreds of games available already. You're bound to find something you like. 

 

Essentially, unless it's a big budget, multi-platform, visually stunning extravaganza, it's probably better on switch. Because everything is better on switch. 

 

OLDER STUFF:

 

OK! Time to update the post based on the announcement. Activate "underconstruction.gif"

 

LAUNCH DATE AND PRICE

 

3rd March, 2017 in Japan, US, and "major European countries".

 

Because it's Nintendo, there is no RRP in the UK. Nintendo haven't done UK RRPs for many, many years. However, most retailers are using £279.99 as the standard, base price. 

 

 

LAUNCH DAY TITLES

 

Currently confirmed for the UK, links are to threads on rllmuk:

 

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo)

1-2-Switch (Nintendo)

Just Dance 2017 (Ubisoft)

Skylanders Imaginators (Activision)

Super Bomberman R (Konami)

 

OTHER TITLES

 

Confirmed for Switch, some confirmed for UK, not all dates confirmed correct:

 

Has Been Heroes (March 2017)
I am Setsuna (March 2017)
Snipperclips: Cut it Out, Together! (March 2017)
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (April 28, 2017)
Sonic Mania (Spring 2017)
Lego City Undercover (Spring 2017)
The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ (Spring 2017)
Redout (Spring 2017)
Splatoon 2 (Summer 2017)
NBA 2K18 (September 2017)
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Autumn 2017)
Fire Emblem Warriors (Christmas 2017)
Super Mario Odyssey (Christmas 2017)

Ultra Street Fighter II (2017)

Arms (2017)

Disgaea 5 (Spring)

Project Octopath Traveler (not confirmed final name)

Xenoblade Chronicles 2

Minecraft

Steep

Rayman Legends Definitive Edition

Puyo Puyo Tetris

FIFA

Seasons of Heaven

Rime

Just Dance Unlimited

Stardew Valley

Dragon Quest X

Dragon Quest XI

Dragon Quest Heroes I & II

Cube Life: Island Survival

Minecraft Story Mode

Constructor

Farming Simulator

Fast RMX

Syberia 3

Shovel Knight

 

HARDWARE

 

We still know little about the specs. What we DO know, however, is:

 

The CPU is a custom Nvidia one, based on their Tegra processor.

The screen is 1280x720.

 

It would seem the output produced sits somewhere between the 360/PS3 and Xbone/PS4, how close to either end of the scale is indeterminate right now.

 

IS THERE A FAQ?

 

Yes! From Treble:

 

Shall I get grey or Neon?

Your choice dude, but this is Nintendo so every colour and design of Joycon imaginable will be available in 6 months, right? Spice Orange ones, Zelda-themed ones, you name it.  If you like red/blue then fine.  If you’re just after ‘not grey’ then maybe wait for the cascade of accessories

 

Which SD card should I buy?

Most folks on here are recommending this one: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Toshiba-Exceria-128GB-Micro-Memory/dp/B01EAKAUUK/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics-accessories&ie=UTF8&qid=1488552128&sr=1-3&keywords=128gb+micro+sd

 

I’m based in Europe… can I log onto overseas Eshops?

YES! 

1)      Use a browser to go to accounts.nintendo.com

2)      Create a new account

3)      Set your region to the one you want, e.g. Japan

4)      On the Switch, go to SYSTEM SETTINGS > USER > ADD NEW USER.

5)      Set icon and nickname (anything memorable will do, but you might want to add ‘JPN’ to the end of the nickname for easy reference)

6)      Link this to the account you created in step 2

 

How do I log on to an overseas eshop?

Simple: click/press on the Eshop icon, then choose the account you want to log in with.

 

Do I have to swap accounts to play overseas games?

NO (yippee!).  All games show against all accounts

 

Will Japanese/overseas language games show in my local language when I use my local account?

Not so far.  Game languages support is always on the 'disk'

 

My Switch won’t connect to my Wifi… help!

Try power-cycling your router (i.e. ‘Have you tried turning it off and on again?’)

Make sure your Switch isn’t in ‘Airplane’ mode

 

Is the left Joy-Con dodgy? Really?

Some people are having problems (reportedly) with range and connection, even after the ‘day one’ update.

Some say it makes a difference whether you did the day 1 patch when the JCs are connected to the console; others refute this.

Current answer? Too early to be sure. Watch the skies.

 

Do I have to still use Friend Codes?

Essentially yes, except in handful of circumstances.

This will change ‘soon’ with an update

However, for now only one of you needs to send the code, then you’re connected.

 

Can you format the SD card outside the machine, or does the Switch need to do it?

Joffocakes: “I put a 128GB one in and it prompted a small (it took seconds) System Update and now it works. It does format it, I'm sure.”

 

I heard you have to get off your pasty arse and turn your docked Switch on physically.  What is this, the 1990s?! Please tell me it's not true.

It's not true:  press and hold the HOME button to wake it remotely.

EDIT by deKay: it is true. You can't power the machine on remotely, you CAN wake it from sleep.

 

FRIEND CODES? WTF?

 

They're not essential, as you can add friends you've already added on Miitomo or Super Mario Run, and "soon" there'll be other ways like Twitter and Facebook. Until then, you can still use Friend Codes. Don't have any friends? Make some here!

 

Rllmuk Switch Friend Codes

 

WHERE CAN I BUY ONE?

 

See the pre-orders thread!

 

Old stuff:

 

 

 

 

I'll update this post when we get new news, but for now, here's the launch trailer:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here is the January 2017 presentation:

 

 

GAMES

 

The games currently known for certain:

 

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Just Dance 2017

 

The trailer also shows some other games, but they are not confirmed and several don't have names. However, they appear to be:

 

Skyrim

Unknown Mario Title

Splatoon followup

Mario Kart followup

A basketball game (presumably NBA 2K17)

 

Third parties confirmed to be working with Nintendo on Switch titles are (spoilered for length):

 

 

 


505 Games

LEVEL-5 Inc.

Activision Publishing, Inc.

Marvelous Inc.

ARC SYSTEM WORKS Co., Ltd.

Maximum Games, LLC

ATLUS CO., LTD.

Nippon Ichi Software, Inc.

Audiokinetic Inc.

Parity Bit Inc.

Autodesk, Inc.

PlatinumGames Inc.

BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.

RAD Game Tools, Inc.

Bethesda

RecoChoku Co., Ltd.

CAPCOM CO., LTD.

SEGA Games Co., Ltd.

Codemasters®

Silicon Studio Corporation

CRI Middleware Co., Ltd.

Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.

DeNA Co., Ltd.

SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.

Electronic Arts

Starbreeze Studios

Epic Games Inc.

Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.

Firelight Technologies

Telltale Games

FromSoftware, Inc.

THQ Nordic

Frozenbyte

Tokyo RPG Factory Co., Ltd.

GameTrust

TT Games

GRASSHOPPER MANUFACTURE INC.

UBISOFT

Gungho Online Entertainment, Inc.

Ubitus Inc.

HAMSTER Corporation

Unity Technologies, Inc.

Havok

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

INTI CREATES CO., LTD.

Web Technology Corp

KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD.

Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.
 

 

 

 

WHERE TO BUY

 

Here's a link to The Pre-Order Thread

 

 

TECH SPECS

 

We currently don't know the tech specs, but Nvidia have provided some of the tech, and it seems likely it is based on the Tegra 2 chip.

 

Here's all the bits, and how they fit together:

 



 
 

[deKay]

Well, technically it's a "new gaming platform".

Which, frankly, sounds worse than "new console".

[Goose]

The translator said it would bridge the gap between mobiles and consoles.

[Robo_1]

Wow, these are E3 tier announcements. Shit, wish I wasn't going out today, lol

[deKay]

Wow, these are E3 tier announcements.

Yeah, they are pretty disappointing.

[Mr. Gerbik]

How many GameCubes taped together do we expect in terms of graphical oomph?

[stefcha]

1/2 more than whatever they're currently at.

[Mr. Gerbik]

Oh, as powerful as an Xbox One then? Scott will be very happy about that!

[Barnard]

a 2DS android hybrid with Nintendo designed hardware controls to bridge the gap. Apple beat Nintendo to the punch with their QoL/Health stuff, in the west at least, so maybe the hybrid is the next best option.

[SMD]

Isn't this the thing got emerging markets?

[DC Lemon]

Some didn't understand what Wii U was when it was first announced. I understood then but they've completely messed with my silly little brain on this one. No idea what they're going on about.

[deKay]

Sorry guys, this should probably be in the tech folder.

[Jarik]

I've heard a lot of speculation that Nintendo's next console will be some kind of portable/home hybrid, like the Wii U Gamepad but without the console component, which I think sounds like the worst of both worlds.

I would miss having a 'true' portable like the 3DS that I could take in my travel bag, & having slim everything down to fit into the form factor while still being affordable would mean the device would take a hit in power too. Nintendo have finally joined the HD age & their games look awesome on a 1080p TV, so designing for a portable screen again would be a step back IMO.

[stefcha]

Some didn't understand what Wii U was when it was first announced.

Some? Some?! Christ, a lot of people don't understand what the Wii U is even now, so Nintendo trying to explain whatever the fuck this ends up being is a near guaranteed disaster.

[Alex W.]

Wasn't there that rumour that the new handheld and new home console would share a platform, so you'd be playing the same software on the handheld, just at a lower resolution? Kind of like how most of the PS4 indie games are also on Vita, but by sharing actual hardware similarities it could be implemented more gracefully.

I could see that working. Android microconsoles have been trying to crack that for ages but the failures have more to do with lack of software support than any issue with the concept.

[chris on the moon]

N=nintendo

X=eggs

With the word "platform", I'm not sure that it's a physical thing at all.

[Robo_1]

Wasn't there that rumour that the new handheld and new home console would share a platform, so you'd be playing the same software on the handheld, just at a lower resolution? Kind of like how most of the PS4 indie games are also on Vita, but by sharing actual hardware similarities it could be implemented more gracefully.

I could see that working. Android microconsoles have been trying to crack that for ages but the failures have more to do with lack of software support than any issue with the concept.

Yeah, I think that's right. Whenever I hear about a new micro console, my heart always sinks when I read it's going to be based on Android. Nothing wrong with the platform in of itself, but the big games just aren't there. If Nintendo put their software houses behind the problem, they could well crack it, although they'll need all sorts of copy protection to protect software sales if they're going anywhere near Android.

[scottcr]

Oh, as powerful as an Xbox One then? Scott will be very happy about that!

yay!

[MDY]

If they're saying next to nothing aside from 'more info next year' - why even bother to announce it now?

Probably a tablet that slots into a Wii U style controller with a charging doc/receiver so you can play it on your TV also..

[Moz]

Sorry guys, this should probably be in the tech folder.

It's a game console. Rllmuk is a games forum. So it's on topic. If it were off topic, it'd go somewhere else.

I'm going to out my hand up and say the NX is a Steambox. Can you imagine the rivers of tears?

[Alex W.]

Are you just coming up with the least plausible answers, Moz?

I'll do one: NX is a potato.

[Moz]

Why yes it is.

http://www.dailydot.com/lol/reddit-pranks-google-with-potato-photo/

[SweatyTravolta]

It's obviously Next eXperience or New eXperience. They're just gonna jack straight into our brains.

[jon_cybernet]

If they're saying next to nothing aside from 'more info next year' - why even bother to announce it now?

Probably a tablet that slots into a Wii U style controller with a charging doc/receiver so you can play it on your TV also..

I think their hand was forced by the mobile announcement - they had to reaffirm their commitment to hardware to avoid the 'Nintendo abandons consoles' headlines.

Still, it does rather cut the legs off of the Wii U. I reckon we'll see a late 2016/early 2017 release for whatever this is.

[Rev]

It's clearly just going to be a phone you can't phone people on.

[mansizerooster]

If Nintendo managed to make an iPhone competitor? And actually pulled it off?

With added Nintendo games?!?

They'd own the world again.

[MDY]

Touchscreen controls are the antithesis of how most Nintendo games have always worked - they rely on (and are known for) precise control..

Put buttons and a pad on it large enough to be worthwhile and it's no longer a slim phone..

There doesn't seem to be any workable solution to either of those things..

Even a controller add-on means something else to carry round with it..

[deKay]

Nintendo have never been one for a multitude of peripherals.

[Keyboard Koala]

Seems like only yesterday...

[Halo]

My shot in the dark: it's a new DS (with easy porting from consoles yada yada), except the top screen now has a capactive touchscreen that can swivel around so you can play the touchscreen phone ports too. Game-changer! Or something.

If Nintendo managed to make an iPhone competitor? And actually pulled it off?

With added Nintendo games?!?

They'd own the world again.

They wouldn't. And Nintendo aren't good at software (not games), they're years behind the times. I mean, they've just announced an account system.