this post was submitted on 26 Mar 2024
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This is the same conversation we had throughout the entire rumorwave about this project: Who is going to buy this and which developers will actually anything worthwhile with the new hardware? Because all signs points to an expensive console (at least $600) with the only upgrades being a slight graphical bump and higher resolution. There are no new gameplay features.
I think people would be much more happy with a smaller, more power efficient version of the PS5 instead.
There's also questions around the game industry as a whole. I think the recent layoffs at major companies aren't just another cycle, but systemic. The market no longer bears production of giant games with crazy graphics that cost $70 and have a bunch of DLC and gambling mechanics attached.
Games won't go away, but they'll play fine on something like the Steam Deck, Switch 2, or modest gaming PC. What would high end console hardware bring to the table anymore?
Graphics are no longer a major selling point in most cases. Most people would be fine with a good game that works and isn't saddle with microtransactions, even if it means it will look somewhat worse.
Consoles themselves are a source of microtransactions. Just look at how much money you have to spend to have online play.
Guess how much it costs on Steam. Come on... guess!
About $3.50?
I wouldn't say graphics have zero bearing for sales but the scales have definitely tipped towards gameplay over the last several years. Minecraft added rtx graphics and the mass majority of people, even with rtx capable cards, just yawned.
Digital game sales, outside of sports titles, are pushed by streaming engagement and riding coat tails of previous games. Look at the recent history and it's pretty obvious.
Switch 2 will be underpowered and boring.
I'm saying the Switch 2 does not need power, because nothing will be pushing graphics so hard anymore.
the switch 2 IMO needs a power upgrade for sure, my switch 1 struggled to actually play higher ended games, and the actual graphic quality on those games wern't bad but not the great either.
Nintendon't Rant
That being said, I decided recently that Nintendon't is a company that doesn't need my money, between the actively hostile acts to its fan generated content with the shut down of third party non-profit games, it's prosecution of Gary Bowser(which was the extent of charging a sales associate for the entire companies fraud) and it's downright abusive treatment of the right to repair and archival/emulation communities. They are basically the Apple of the game development world. I won't spend money on their stuff anymore.
Current switch needs to stream current and last gen games, they will still need power.
Switch 2 is likely to be around the power level of a PS4, which is good enough for this hypothetical.
Not even higher resolution. I mean, potentially on paper but consoles have been UHD capable(-ish) since the PS4 Pro and higher resolution’s are neither viable nor necessary. So it’ll just upscale a few titles a little less or run some games with a little higher fps…