IGN: The Switch is a jack of many trades, but a master of none - 6.7 (Not Final)

At the time of this writing, Nintendo has not officially confirmed the exact specifications of the Nvidia Tegra-based chipset that powers the Switch. That said, it’s fairly clear that the Switch is almost as far behind the power curve of its competitors as the original Wii was when it first came out. For example, Breath of the Wild, which was developed simultaneously on the Wii U, seldom quite makes it all the way to 30 frames per second in TV mode, and it even dips far south of that when lots of particles or physics objects are on screen at once. That it suffers from these performance issues despite a lack of anti-aliasing does not bode well for the system’s long-term capabilities – or its prospects for landing ports of big-budget AAA games.

The limitations of the cartridge-based media may be compounding this issue. Even the massive, sprawling world of Breath of the Wild is housed in a tiny 13.4GB file, and on a big, 1080p screen, it becomes fairly obvious that many of the textures have been heavily compressed. We can’t be certain if that’s a consequence of larger game cards being more expensive for Nintendo to manufacture or of limited video RAM on the Switch, but regardless of the cause the symptoms are noticeable. The art style hides it well in Zelda’s case, but this may be a concern going forward, especially for potential multi-platform ports.

However, these issues are soothed quite a bit by playing in handheld mode. For Breath of the Wild, the Switch renders in 720p in handheld mode instead of TV mode’s 900p, so framerates were more consistent (though some dips still occurred when there were a lot of particles and physics objects on screen). The compressed textures and lack of anti-aliasing were also far less impactful on the smaller screen, and combined with the lack of Joy-Con syncing problems, this made handheld mode my go-to when I wanted the best possible overall experience.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/03/01/nintendo-switch-review

The Nintendo Switch isn’t unlike a NASA spacecraft, in that nearly every part of it has been specially designed to pull double or even triple duty. The system’s modular design means that it has to function as a traditional home console, a portable system, and stand-alone tablet with wireless controllers. Getting a piece of hardware to do that much while also making it easy to use and understand would be an engineering miracle, and although Nintendo has come close in some regards, it has fallen well short in others.

As a handheld, the Switch is a powerful piece of hardware with a gorgeous screen, but it's too large and power hungry to feel like you can really take it anywhere. As a console, it’s underpowered, unreliable, and lacking basic features and conveniences that all of its competitors offer. It’s nicely built and cleverly designed to be used in a variety of ways, but the bottom line is that the Switch doesn’t do any one of the many things it can do without some sort of significant compromise. Our testing will continue for the next few days as we try out the online features and other functions enabled by the day-one patch, but if I had to score it now I’d give it a 6.7.

A jack'en alright...

lol

:P

The OS menu runs at 720p (TV mode) loool.

Kotaku, tech crunch and a few other sites have put up hardware reviews as well in the last 45 minutes or so.

Those are all valid complaints, especially the part about the slow downs.

My biggest issue is the fact that the Switch only comes with 25GB of usable storage space. So now I would have to buy a 64GB card to store games on.

If Nintendo put 100GB of internal storage with the sd card expansion I could see this being a great portable gaming device, as you could own all your games digitally and not need to carry around the carts.

I mean I'm not surprised honestly..

Kinda expected that.

"Jack of all trades, master of none is oftentimes better than master of one."

Yea, the people that expected this to be a huge upgrade to Wii U technically wise........well, lets just say this is not surprising. I've asked a few times what's after Zelda that would make this a must have console....crickets...

While I've come to the same conclusion as the writer I'm actually willing to overlook the hardware deficiency as mine would be docked 99% of the time. The problem I'm having is that aside from 3 classic Nintendo IP games, the NS is looking very much like the PSV in that most of its library are indie games and Japanese RPG-esq games I have zero interest in.

Nintendo has yet to really show off more of their classic games like Smash Bros, F-Zero, 2D Mario, etc. They haven't even gone the easy route of announcing ports of Wii-U games such as Zelda TP HD, Mario Maker, New Super Mario 2, etc.

The lack of good looking games is what has me worried. Worried to the point that I'm probably going to wait till after June to see if they announce anything else. That way if they don't, this won't become another massive disappointment for me that I purchased.

Who the hell expected this to be a huge upgrade to the Wii U?

What's after zelda? Sigh...do I really have to post the list again? And what's the point? You're just going to say none of it interests you. No matter what is listed or how many games available later on.

Another failure from Nintendo? Who would've guessed.

PS Vita launched with stellar AAA first party sony support. It's only later when Sony abandoned their handheld that indies took over and claimed it for their own.

So these better reviews don't count?

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-switch-review/1100-6448303/

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2017-nintendo-switch-review

In the next couple of months, what will entice someone like me to purchase (and keep) a Switch other than Zelda? It has very little third party support as it can't run most of the multi-plats that are out.

@Bread_or_Decide: That's why I have six games for it instead of the three I would have on NS. The PSV is hands down the WORST Playstation ever created; not due to hardware but because of the $hity software selection.

The two years PSV was actually a decent handheld were great but that doesn't change the fact that now it's nothing more than a dust collecting PS4 accessory that's not even charged. I won't fall for the same crap again from any company.

Do you really want another console to play the games available on other systems? Xbox one can do that and that's not helping with its sales.

The list is out there, if you come here then you already know about it. You either dig it or you don't. Some of those games may surprise you. But really I'm not gonna bother because I already know what your response is going to be. Gamers want 100 games available to play, that they have no time to play and can't afford. In the great words of grandpa simpson "I don't want it, I don't need it, but if the government misses one payment I'll raise hell!"

Switch is pretty niche. The only reason why it is "special" is because of the ability to play it on the go. If I wanted a console on the go, I'd buy a 3DS.

This is true. I understand where you are coming from. For me, I need a reason to buy it other than Zelda. I don't necessarily need "100 games" to play. Just something other than niche things, such as 1, 2 switch. VC won't even be available at launch which would be the only other reason I would keep the one I bought.

I mostly buy everything and I still can't bring myself to purchase a Vita. Which is a real shame because I was a big supporter of the PSP since it's initial launch. When everyone hated on it for daring to come into Nintendo's handheld space. Meanwhile I also supported the DS and enjoyed its exclusives.

For some consoles I wait. Others I buy day one. There's a certain risk you take when doing the latter. Being a smart consumer and doing what's best for you is always the right answer. I waited two years to get a PS4 and it's nice to know I always have a new game waiting around that I haven't played. But as a switch launch owner I'm just as excited for zelda and what they have in store for the foreseeable future. I do plan on getting an xbox one S or scorpio in the future, and again all the discounted games from years past are going to be fun to dive into. Heck, if there's a switch drought I'm never short of something to play. Keep in mind I'm not rich nor do I have money to easily waste. But this is my one favorite hobby and so this is the crazy shit I do for it.

This is a pretty damning review to be honest....hopefully it improves later.

But i have thought this from the beginning....there WILL be a "Switch Lite" or "Switch PRO" in 1-2 years. It will have better battery, better form factor, new controller styles/colours, the UI and stuff will be updated, etc.

I wonder if i should wait till the revision

I don't think it'll be so niche. Once all the switches are in the wild and people are bringing 1 2 switch to parties and handing joy cons to strangers there's going to be a cool word of mouth amongst casuals. That's my best bet. It could go the other way but I'm mostly optimistic about the switch. Everyone thought Wii was the end of Nintendo after gamecube failed to gain real momentum. The hits and misses are never quite so easily predictable as people think. Who would have thought Microsoft would blow their lead with the 360 and release the xbox one the way they did? Sony's mistakes with the PS3 helped give us the far more amazing PS4. I believe all the lessons of Wii U have been mostly rectified.

@Bread_or_Decide: I hear you. Nintendo just needs to announce more of their AAA lineup. I don't mind waiting till 2018 for another 3 stellar IPs of their's, but let the consumer know what's coming.

Are you at all interested in Splatoon 2? Mario Odyssey is the next big game. I'm sure there will be a lot of good bundles and deals this Christmas.

Do you think they count? Neither of them has stated this is a must buy. Gamespot state you should only buy it if you like nintendo's library of games and eurogamer have stated its a solid foundation but we wont quite know how good the console is for a while yet.

IGN mentions all thesep oints but also gives us a score. 6.7 is slightly above mediocre, which is what the otehrs are essentially saying. Honestly, Nintendo should have taken this subpar exmaple of a console and given it a £200 price tage and it would be comfortably everyones favourite second console.

I buy a second console pretty much every gen, last time it was the 360 and this time, I was really hoping it would be the switch (I had the GC in the PS2 generation) but it just ca't be. I think it costs £280 but I would almost instantly have to buy a memory card and a better controller, so thats probaly another £150 and on top of all that, Switch games are going to cost £15 more than the latest PS4 release.

This is a mish mash of ideas by a company with no idea how to appeal to audiences outside of Japan in a market place that has changed a lot since the mid 90s.

I just want to end with: controller sync problems in 2017? gtfoh lol

I honestly believe Nintendo has laid out a better first year list then they've given us in the past. I don't ever remember them being this upfront about when the first mario game would release. When I think about future switch purchases, I think okay, Splatoon 2, Arms, and Mario Odyssey.

I don't believe xenoblade 2 will release this year.

Oh come on now. "its a solid foundation but we wont quite know how good the console is for a while yet."

Is every console launch ever.

https://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/?toURL=https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidthier/2017/02/27/the-switch-is-much-stronger-than-the-ps4-or-xbox-one-were-at-launch/&refURL=https://l.facebook.com/&referrer=https://l.facebook.com/

No which is the problem for me buying a console I know I won't play all that often. When the 360 and PS3 came about, I went with the 360 instead because it had a few more games I wanted to play that PS did at the time(Mass Effect, Gears). I actually had GTA IV on 360 first. I eventually got a PS3 because they had some games I wanted to play that weren't on 360 (GoW, Infamous) at which point, my 360 became a DVD player until it RRoD. Point of that is Switch has Zelda (which looks like it will be a dope game) and nothing else that interests me. Even Mario Odyssey doesn't pique my interest.

It's really not. The PS4 in particular got very good reviews and where there were scores, it got way higher than a paltry 6.7.

But how good a console may be is not the only issue, itst he fact that the switch is underpowered severely, will likely not get any major aaa exclusives, its own exclusives will be few and far between (you can already by most of the launch line up on the wii u lol) andi t suffers from problems even the last gen never suffered from e.g. controlling syn problems lol Like this is 2017 dammit.

But whatever, if Forbes says Switch will kill it, I'm sure it will be the highest selling console of the gen.

Fair enough. Hopefully in time the Switch will make a good case for its existence.

I'm glad I'm waiting to get a Switch- looks like Nintendo needs to get to work on this controller de-syncing.

wii u 2.0 with more portability and pokemon/animal crossing/fire emblem

To be honest, I would have kept the one I pre-ordered if VC had worked at launch because I would then use it on a plane to play old SNES games such as FF IV. I'm selling the one I pre-ordered and will get another one later in the year when they go on sale or something.

@Bread_or_Decide: bro there are huge flaws with the Switch. The games are lacking, only Switch game I want to play is Mario Odessey. If that weird ARMS game was a Punch Out game, I'd be more interested.

The fact of the matter is I would have a MS or Sony based product like the Switch because I do want to play current games in a portable mode. I would play some of the single player campaigns or even single player games I own if I were off line and wanting to kill a little time. Because right now when I am at home playing games I'm playing with my friends and doing the Multiplayer thing, but I work in field where I have significant down time on my 12 hour shift and can do what ever I want but lugging a console around with me isn't really an option. That's why I'm so disappointed in the Switch. I want it to be successful and have 3rd party support but the writing is on the wall with this thing. I'm just hoping it has a good first year or 2 and MS and Sony sees that and copy it and do it right. I think MS is in the best position to do that with Xbox play any where and Surface tablets. I'd be all over a specifically made for play any where about 7"-9" surface tablet that can slide into some type of controller sheath but have the ability to be a fully functional tablet.

That sounds like a fair review. :)

By the sound of it, this is the console that should've been out in 2012. Seven years too late. Nothing new with Nintendo.

Super Mario Odyssey, XenoBlade Chronicles 2, DragonQuest XI, Fire Emblem Warriors, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Octopath Taraveler, No More Heroes sequel, Splatoon 2.

Seems pretty strong to me.

giving a console a score, especially at launch) is just about the stupidest click baity thing you can do

None of those games interest me enough to keeping the one I pre-ordered. Not knocking what other people are looking forward to for the Switch. It's just nothing that I want to play.

Meh. I've played on a lot of funky console hardware and crummy Windows versions over the years. Bring good games and I will come. I have a Game Gear I modified to run LEDs so that the thing can last more than 2.35 minutes on 6AAs

To quote Mr. Gerstmann's Twitter today...

Seems kinda weird to have reviews of the Switch itself hitting before its launch day firmware is out

Jeff Gerstmann

Source

Its underwhelming as both a handheld and a console. Too bulky and garbage battery life to become everyone's main mobile gaming unit and too weak to be anyone's primary home console. Its just a $300 paywall to play the next iterations of Zelda, Kart, Smash, 3D Mario and Pokemon.

You know with how Nintendo pulled the plug on the WiiU so early and no games late in it's lifespan I'm a bit apprehensive about buying a switch. I'm buying Zelda on the WiiU. I'm not rushing out to get a Swtich anytime soon.

I was a early supporter of the PS3 and Sony turned it around with the console. Unlike Nintendo who just jumped ship halfway through the consoles life. Nintendo's arrogance is really starting to get under my skin.

Yeah. So many sites will be falling over themselves to get reviews out and get the site hits as people can't wait to see the reviews. Nice to see Giant Bomb rising above that.

@the_master_race said:

@SecretPolice said:

A jack'en alright...

lol

:P

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Ever since I posted that I've had that damn catchy tune in mah head. Thanks a lot, now it will be there all day. lololol :P

So it's not LOLGN or 9GN? I thought IGN didn't matter?

Not a good review for the Switch but a console lives and dies on its games.

3ds gud though!

Raise your hands if you are buying this for the hardware