The Real Reason the Switch Is So Weak

Now you're playing with (less) power
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#NintendoSwitch #NintendoLife #NintendoSwitch2

[@EhurtAfy]

I don't care about the Switch being weak, I'm just tired of Nintendo allowing games with performance issues to be sold on the Switch for $60

[@Adamtendo_player_1]

The thing is the Switch is as powerful as Nintendo intended it to be I don’t see it as weak either especially if you don’t compare it to the PS5 or Xbox series X which is silly Home consoles as the Switch is a portable hybrid I like to call a portable 360. Its graphics capability are in line with an Xbox 360 or PS3 only more powerful with more modern features. The Switch was never designed to compete with the PS4 or Xbox one let alone the PS5 or Xbox series X people need to get a grip

[@ruekurei88]

You should retire from gaming in general then, because other consoles do that all the time(current and all past gen included)...and god help you with PC gaming even on a beast rig where that's concerned. The amount of bullshit publishers get away with on release there is criminal. Always best to wait for patches and sales for PC gaming than getting anything at full price on day 1.

[@EhurtAfy]

@@ruekurei88 To be more specific, games that cost the same or are cheaper on other platforms, but on Switch, it's a much worse experience. Switch has games that run at 480p and 360p while capped at 30fps with frame drops. People say Switch games are worth it for portability, but there are numerous ways to play games portably that give a better experience. Witcher 3 has no business being $60 on Switch while being $12 on PC/Steam

[@chiquita683]

​@@EhurtAfy Also even many of Nintendos first party games suffer from performance issues and should not cost full price like Pokemon

[@XanderVJ]

Distinction without a difference

[@logicalfundy]

Also to avoid overheating. Even when docked, it's not taking full advantage of the SoC.

[@adam145]

The chip being just an off the shelf underclocked unit is the biggest reason for power shortcomings. Nintendo needed a new unit quick and just couldn't allocate any time for development. It's still amazing what they cooked in such a short notice.

[@bandito241]

I do wonder if they could make a dock that air cool it somehow. That would make the Switch mildly better at running games without throttling

[@sly2792004]

Well if is just for efficiency rather then power. Apples chips could be more powerful too but at cost of battery life. Both companies found balance point

[@corey2232]

1) Its specs were finalized in 2015 & based off older tech 2) Its using an older mobile chipset 3) Its a low wattage, efficiency device 4) Its GPU/CPU is downclocked from what the Tegra X1 is actually capable of, as a way to improve battery life 5) Its often trying to run games developed for more modern powerful tech

[@cheerful_crop_circle]

Yes

[@netweed09]

Yes.

[@Saroku1000]

No. When they where finalized in 2015, the x1 was not old tech. It came out in that exact year and was the newest tablet gpu from nvdidia and also the most capable mobile graphic gpu for tablets in 2015. There was no better alternative.

[@cheerful_crop_circle]

@@Saroku1000 But it is 2024 bro

[@corey2232]

@Saroku1000 My 1st point wasn't meant to sound like the X1 was old in 2015. What I was trying to say is the Switch is based on old Tech, the Tegra X1, which was finalized in 2015. Pointing to the fact that the Switch hardware will be 10 years old by the time Switch 2 comes out.

[@Dairunt1]

I think that, at least for 2017, they were prioritizing battery life and margin profits (considering this was a make-or-break console for the company); they wanted to have just enough power to competently port Wii U games to the Switch, specifically Breath of the Wild. They left the door open for a potential upgrade when the PS5 launches, as the Tegra X1's architecture had a little bit of space to grow without changing architecture completely, from 4K output, compatibility with 8GB of RAM and higher clock speeds. The Switch Pro was something extremely feasible if they wanted to. But why didn't they release a Switch Pro in 2021 then? Because of the pandemic. The PS5 and XS had a really slow start, there was the chipset drought and New Horizon's success as well. The Switch was at its highest point in 2020 and Nintendo probably realized they didn't even need a mid-gen upgrade; they could just release games throughout a couple more years and go straight into the Switch 2. If Switch 2's main thing is the generational leap, then skipping a mid-gen upgrade would make that leap feel even better. This already happened before with the Game Boy. It released in 1989 and didn't have a full generational upgrade until 2001 (12 years after launch), with the Game Boy Color being its mid-gen upgrade in 1998 (9 years after launch).

[@hist150project5]

Game Boy Color was the successor to the Game Boy though, it wasn't a mid gen upgrade.

[@Dairunt1]

@@hist150project5 That's debatable A mid-gen upgrade has upgraded specs but has the same hardware architecture; saying it's a different generation because it has exclusive games is like saying the New 3DS is the generational succesor to the 3DS because it also has exclusive games on it.

[@natdaqt]

@@Dairunt1 2x processing power and 2x the ram, gbc is it own system.

[@Nathan-mu1pz]

​@@natdaqt Not according to Nintendo themselves. The GBC does behave like its own system in a lot of ways, the massive library being a key argument for that. But if there were vast amounts of New 3DS software not compatible with the original 3DS, would that make the New 3DS its own system? I'm not sure where I sit on the debate entirely myself. These are just some of the things I consider with it 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@Adamtendo_player_1]

It wasn’t make or break for Nintendo with the Switch despite the failure of the Wii U because Nintendo has $11 billion in revenue Sony and Microsoft have much more to loss especially Sony.

[@TheBigBigSean]

I just bought a switch last week. I love it. It feels great to play Zelda, Mario, and Metroid again.

[@misterlexx2721]

Those games are exclusives and that is why Nintendo is special.

[@TheBigBigSean]

@@misterlexx2721 - I know, I've been an Xbox guy for the last 20 years. I've missed playing those IPs. In fact, those exclusives are why I bought a Switch.

[@misterlexx2721]

@@TheBigBigSean I am 43, a dad of a 7 year old soon to be 8 year old son. In Christmas 2022 when my wife and I were looking for his first video game at age 6 , we noticed all the fun games are on Nintendo Switch and suitable for the whole family. I grew up with NES and Super NES.

[@Ramms95]

i played it on switch before i sold it. now I'm playing all of those zelda, metroid, animal crossing splatoon on my android phone

[@pencilcheck]

Mario TTYD is a banger, you bought it at the right time. I recommend playing all the JRPG on it.

[@DaveysGaming]

The steam deck uses more power in idle than the switch does in full wank. Absolutely love it.

[@tacothunder2298]

I love my deck oled but it is very annoying to drain half the battery in less than an hour. I'm starting to use my switch oled actually more than the deck. Battery is king.

[@Adamtendo_player_1]

@@tacothunder2298the Steam Deck is overrated and will always be a niche device to appeal to PC master nerds.

[@M00nlightOfficial]

​@@Adamtendo_player_1 Ironic because I use my Deck more than actual PC. It's more fun than the Switch.

[@PulseOfMe]

Overrated how? I can literally play all switch games at double the frame rate 😂 if anything is overated its the terrible switch. ​@Adamtendo_player_1

[@tountoes1677]

@@PulseOfMe No need to get so defensive about it and insult the other console. Both devices are great for their respective audiences, while you prefer the Deck I prefer the Switch, and both have their pros and cons, thankfully we have the free will to pick and choose which console fits our needs the best and be happy with what we got.

[@denisruskin348]

In one word: battery. The Switch is so underclocked to get high numbers. An overclocked unit can get TOTK 60fps outside stuff like Kakariko. The potential is quite huge. I myself OC a bit so games with dynamic resolution stay on the upper end. Crash 4 for example is a game changer, very blurry without OC in handheld.

[@SrUnr3al]

i´m playing TOTK at 60 fps handheld with OC and the fps cheat.

[@denisruskin348]

​@@SrUnr3al Yeah, the potential is insane. I get it, they wanted a simple system for the mainstream crowd. But OC opens so many doors and can really make it a budget Switch Pro at times. It´s really nice to have the option with a, ehm, enchanted Switch.

[@nowonmetube]

Imagine they'd give us the option

[@JohnvanCapel]

Here's the thing though, if you're doing that in handheld mode, it's going to have a battery life of "No, it doesn't have a battery life" - which would just give the same people a different reason to complain.

[@hododod246]

Overclocking won't work all the time. Switch's ram is also huge bottle neck. It is very slow. And it is very small. I think people run bayonetta 3 with overclocked switch. It didn't make much difference.

[@anglo-saxonconnor817]

People might find switch old and weak by now but with it around i am still able to buy alot of games and play them without having to fiddle with emulators and roms all the time.

[@Adamtendo_player_1]

The thing is, the switch is not that weak as people seem to think it is yes it is under clocked but for good reason because of battery life and I would rather have a under clock system if it means battery life is better I think overall when it comes to getting the best out of the Nintendo switch, I think only Nintendo panic button And retro studios are capable and maybe some developers.

[@NinSense]

You missed a crucial part and that the fact that the tega x1 was a off the shelf style so and not one designed especially for Switch l ( Yes it is a custom version of that chip but not made just for switch) I imagine a custom Switch 2 design would yield higher efficiency.

[@redring4083]

Because it is a handheld. Nintendo have never pushed for power on handhelds. Even when their previous handhelds had competition it was the same thing. Gameboy was weaker than Gamegear, DS was weaker than PSP and 3ds was weaker than PSP Vita.

[@HoltAlex]

And they outsold the lot. Game library and battery life > performance

[@HebrewGamer100]

The only people who complain about Nintendo and it's lack of power are the hardcore gamers who are a niche audience. These are the people who buy Xbox.

[@byssmal]

Nintendo was the winner when talking about game titles

[@RedFriction]

@@HebrewGamer100 they get angry because not enough games

[@SaviorGabriel]

I've gotten to the point where I care more about efficiency than raw power. Work smarter, not harder, I say. It also helps when you have lots, and lots of games available I want to play. I probably own more games on my Switch than every other system I ever had combined. That's including systems more powerful than the Switch.

[@Adamtendo_player_1]

I only own a switch and I’m going to stick with Nintendo because they understand what matters at least to me which is physical media gameplay and most important of all making games fun.

[@Nukatha]

4:55 Watts are power, Amps are current.

[@shadowside8433]

I've just made a similar comment, you draw current, not watts!

[@eric7591]

@@shadowside8433 I was confused about that. So, if you "draw" current, what is the word for watts? Do you "use" watts?

[@shadowside8433]

@@eric7591 Good question! Watts are "produced" by the mathematical product of voltage and current. If you imagine current to be electrons drawn from the supply, a higher voltage means there is more "pushing force" to attract more current out of the supply. Multiply them together to get the wattage.

[@jaycegarcia2830]

Alex isn’t an electrician. Let’s all take a deep breath.😂

[@shadowside8433]

@@jaycegarcia2830 I agree - but people are interested in what these terms actually mean. It's nice to see.

[@lowelldolney2986]

As an Electrical Engineer I loved this video despite the lack of true science. A few notes though. Wh is the superior unit to Ah because Wh includes the voltage. If you have flexibility with voltage (higher is more efficient with I2R losses) you could half your Ah but keep the same Wh by putting two batteries in series. Anyway, it also doesn't take Digital Foundry to call out the performance/efficiency differences between docked mode and hand held. Also, in general as batteries age they lose Wh due to deposits on the annodes/cathodes, etc.

[@Matthew_Murray]

I always appreciate the efficiency of Nintendo consoles. Especially their handheld but their consoles as well the Wii U was amazingly efficient compared to the Xbox One/PS4 and even compared to the 360/PS3

[@Brinta3]

Why would you want an efficient console when it’s plugged into the wall? Electricity isn’t expensive.

[@meric12131415]

Really?

[@meric12131415]

​@@Brinta3 that's debatable

[@jonathanjoestarjojolion98]

@@Brinta3 It is expensive in places like the US, just imagine paying 600 usd for electricity only

[@witherwraithmc]

@@jonathanjoestarjojolion98true, but an overclocked switch would not change your electricity bill more than having a ps5 plugged in for example

[@garvensman]

It’s 7 years old. That’s why. When it was conceived and they began production, the chipset was still very much state of the art. It wasn’t underpowered u less you had the unrealistic expectation that they would halt production, redesign it and use the X2 chip that came out a few months before launch day.

[@secureb00t39]

Well not quite. The X1 was solid when it came out... In January 2015. By 2016, the X2 was out which dwarfed the X1. By 2017, the switch shipped with a good-not-great mobile chipset. With terrible Memory specs (which was the primary bottleneck for third party developers). The Switch was no powerhouse even when it came out. With the state of mobile chipsets these days, it's ancient. Look at the Odin. It runs android on a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (which is also found in many popular smartphones) and seems like space age technology compared to the switch.

[@garvensman]

@@secureb00t39 As I said, they were deep into manufacturing when the X2 came out. They didn’t start building the Switch in 2017, and it came out very early 2017. They had to build dev kits, send those out and literally design the Switch. That all happened when the X1 was brand new. Changing over to X2 was impossible, regardless of when it was created. It was too late. As for memory, yes, Nintendo could have done more, however, they were very trepid after the Wii U flop. They didn’t want to go nuts. If the specs are correct, the Switch 2 will have a performance that will rival Series S docked and PS4 pro handheld. That’s pretty damn good

[@Adamtendo_player_1]

@@secureb00t39 at the time of the conception of the Nintendo switch the Tegra X1 was the current Nvidia chipset and I’m pretty sure that the X2 wasn’t even used by Nvidia themselves they stuck with the X1 themselves and also at the time the memory specs were inline with current smartphones of the time so it was pretty current if you don’t unnecessarily compare it to the PS4 and Xbox One.

[@mectainea5575]

⁠​⁠@@garvensmanexactly like every console in existence uses hardware and specs that are somewhat on the older side as they need to finalise stuff years in advanced for dev kits to be sent out. Even the steam deck which some people praise like its gods gift to man is using hardware thats at least 2-3 years older than its actual release with the only difference being that the switch came out earlier when portable chipsets were not as powerful as nowadays. Another thing people forget is that consoles historically were designed to be a long term devices by nature with specific expectations that every game released should be playable on the system for years to come until a successor takes over whereas PCs has no such expectations. That and technology in the last couple years alone has advanced faster than the entirety of the 20th century, the 2000s and even half of the 2010s

[@Saroku1000]

​@@secureb00t39by the same logic the ps4 and xbox one where no powerhouse when they came out. There was already much more powerful and newer hardware on the market, they werent even a competition to the current existing hardware of the year those consoles came out.

[@brutal2417]

I'll answer the question quickly for you. It is using the tegra x1 which is a mobile chip from 2015.

[@TimDespairBear11]

Hot take: the switch isn’t weak, it was an impressive handheld when it came out and the games still look good. People who compare it to consoles like the PS5 and series X are stupid.

[@rodNantz]

yeah, the hardware is clearly a choice to be silent, durable and for the battery to last longer, while still being impressive.

[@TimDespairBear11]

@@rodNantz exactly people compare it to the steam deck and other handhelds which are twice the size and more expensive. It doesn’t make sense.

[@M00nlightOfficial]

​@@TimDespairBear11 It does when you consider what both can do: Make games portable.

[@drunkenbuttons606]

​@@M00nlightOfficial So comparing two different consoles that were released 5 YEARS apart is valid? That would be like holding a PS5 and an XBox One to the same standards.

[@misterlexx2721]

Exactly. It came out 3 years before and was able to have PS3/360 level graphics on a handheld device that is dockable to TV. Damn innovative. I love Nintendo.

[@HarpaxA]

To be fair, u need to run TOTK / BOTW in Korok forest when you compare Doom in Steam

[@Lucrei.]

Runs great on Cemu ;)

[@Mr.Chimpazee]

Runs perfect 60fps on my modified Switch Oled 😎

[@bandito241]

Korok forest ran great on TotK but on BotW lagged a lot.

[@MrMonoYT]

It's a deliberate design choice for Nintendo to use older technology and repurpose it because it's cheaper, And people have figured out to get the best out of it already... It's a strategy that has served them well many times

[@StarForce99]

It's that "Lateral Thinking with Withered Technology" philosophy Nintendo has been following for years. It's how they remain relevant by making creatively looking games despite having the weakest hardware out of the 3.

[@mightza3781]

@@StarForce99 Nintendo doesn't have the same resources as Sony or Microsoft; trying to offer the best power per dollar was always a losing proposition. Gamecube wasn't much of success, but the Wii was. Their handhelds have always been less powerful than the competition. Nintendo is a games company that happens to make hardware and games are what matter. Sony did well in the PS1 days by offering 3rd parties powerful for the time hardware that was easy to develop for and dropped the ball with the PS3 where the Xbox360 filled that niche. PS2 wasn't the most powerful of its generation; it was a DVD player sold at a loss that happened to play games which decentivized people from buying a dedicated games console. By the time came with PS3 and BluRays; streaming services displacing physical media. Nowadays game discs don't contain anything but a link to download stuff online making them the worst of both worlds of both physical and digital.

[@aranthos]

I’m hoping the next dock will be more than just a hdmi dock and actually has some extra gpu power and cooling

[@DaniPooo]

The reason the later models could potentially be more powerful as I understand it is because because they went from 20 - 16 nm technology which should give you 2 options, more battery life at the same performance or higher clockspeeds at the same batterylife, or a third option where you get a slight increase in both areas. Given that the OG switch was already quite under clocked to get more battery life out of it, it's really not surprising that the X+ could be more 20% more powerful (or even more)

[@SwitchUpYt]

Yep. They underclock every element. The memory can happily run at 2ghz the CPU is a Tegra 1 which can happily run at double the current speed in handheld mode. The GPU can be clocked up to 1ghz. With everything cranked up you'll draw around 8 watts. Even in handheld where it wouldn't be able to draw enough power to hit the higher GPU it's still way more powerful than Nintendo allow it to be, annoying. Heat and battery life are the reasons but yeah it's frustrating. 😅

[@user-fh6pw5dx1d]

Where did you find that grizzco light! I need it

[@davidknightx]

The thing only makes sense as a handheld. Your average 60in-70in 4K TV goes for a few hundred at Walmart (Switch only does 1080p).

[@VGamingJunkie]

If I'm not mistaken, the Tegra Chip is underclocked even when the system is docked. What reason does Nintendo have not to crank it up to 100% power at that point?

[@StiffAftermath]

Because Nintendo isn't stupid. In the tradition of the original Gameboy.

[@Adamtendo_player_1]

The Switch isn’t weak like the original gameboy was, the Switch is a portable 360 and PS3, only more powerful than those consoles, the Switch wasn’t designed to compete with the PS4 and Xbox One or PS5 or Xbox Series X.

[@StiffAftermath]

@@Adamtendo_player_1 not what I meant. Unlike its contemporaries (the Atari Linx, The Game Gear, The handheld Turbographix 16) the Gameboy was under-powered compared to those for the same reason.

[@Adamtendo_player_1]

@@StiffAftermath The Game Boy did some 3D games that the other 2 didn’t and the Game Boy had a much better sound chip than the Gear Gear which used the crappy SN76489 chip in the Master System which it’s basically a portable MS of course the Game Gear and TG16 Express were more powerful but both lacked the game library of the Game Boy which makes the Game Boy the superior handheld. Same with the Switch.

[@steveybiggunzgaming8118]

i remember going through 6 double A batteries in less than an hour on my sega game gear, which was supposed to be better than the gameboy,, which is wasnt. the game boy only used 2 batteries and lasted way longer, and had bettter games.

[@mattigi]

Just wondering, if you play with the joycons removed and use the pro controller (or other wireless controllers) will the switch give you more battery life?

[@nintendolife]

In theory, yes, but it likely won't make a noticeable difference.

[@zultriova89]

maybe like 10 minutes more.. switch joycon using little power to run for days..

[@CaptainEseesE]

Would have been nice to know the power consumption when docked. Or did he say it and I missed it??

[@leonidasvonsparta]

"weak" can play almost everything that came out on the past pre ps4 and ppl say weak 😂 At this point we are just spoiled

[@shadowside8433]

You don't 'Draw Watts', you draw current. Power is 'produced', as a product of Voltage and Current.

[@purpledittozac3188]

Thank you, say it louder.

[@shadowside8433]

@@purpledittozac3188 I made this comment elsewhere: Watts are "produced" by the mathematical product of voltage and current. If you imagine current to be electrons drawn from the supply, a higher voltage means there is more "pushing force" to attract more current out of the supply. Multiply them together to get the wattage.

[@purpledittozac3188]

@shadowside8433 Ahh, yes. I noticed your comment. Thank you for the clarification, as many seem to be confused by this.

[@shadowside8433]

@@purpledittozac3188 No probs!

[@EkkoGaming20K]

Don’t forget to add resistance to the equation V = I x R (Voltage = Current x Resistance)

[@SanderEvers]

Would be cool if the Switch 2 had power profiles. (like the Steamdeck has) Where you could limit or increase the amount of power used.

[@Jalex0021]

Yes but it's a console for children, so never going to happen sadly.

[@Da-iken]

Nah, Nintendo will do it much better than Steamdeck ever could. It will use more power if needed (like Switch 1 does). It should stay simple without tweaking.

[@snichelsticks8653]

unfortunatly the probably dont want kids changing the power settings and parents complaining about low battery life

[@DaniPooo]

It already has 2 power profiles, you just need to put it in the dock to access one of them :D

[@Adamtendo_player_1]

@@Jalex0021 that notion is outdated the Switch is a console for everyone, get your facts right!

[@evermillcreek]

I love that the fan is mostly quiet

[@robertwahlstrom]

For comparrisson the Rog ally runs on up to 30 Watt. The lowest I been able to run anything at with decent performance is 12 Watt.

[@joeyfarris2543]

The Nintendo Switch..... Now you're playing with power, less power !!!! But it's better than being powerless

[@Adamtendo_player_1]

When did Nintendo switch was launched back in 2017? It was the most powerful handheld on the market.

[@ZackSNetwork]

⁠@@Adamtendo_player_1It was the most powerful portable console. It never was the most powerful mobile device not even in the top 10.

[@Adamtendo_player_1]

@@ZackSNetworkI said the Switch was the most powerful handheld at the time of its launch, I never said it was the most powerful console.

[@M64bros]

​@@Adamtendo_player_1 Also, the sucker sold a lot of units to the public!

[@Adamtendo_player_1]

Wrong Nintendo Switch now you’re playing with power portable power.

[@Mastercar77]

you should have tested the steam deck oled. It has a 6nm node which is also more power efficient.

[@jelleluyten5017]

"Two hours of smash! Not bad!"

[@peterjordansonthe2nd731]

I played my new Nintendo Oled Switch whilst at the airport/flying for probably 4-5 hours and it still had 38% battery afterwards. Granted I was using headphones (obviously) via Bluetooth and I had the brightness set very low, but I was impressed that I didn't need to charge it during the day

[@DiscostewSM]

Sorry, but it's sort of nonsense to say that because the Tegra X1 in the Switch wasn't fully utilized, that the Switch 2 will suffer the same thing with its SoC. The reason being is that they are not the same situation. We're looking at an off-the-shelf TX1 vs a custom-made T239. The former was made for Nvidia's devices first and foremost, like the Shield TV which make use of the top specs (though it's known to throttle). The latter is made specifically for Nintendo under Nintendo's requirements for it. If we were to assume it's capable of more than whatever the clocks get set to, then can't we say the same for so many other devices? PS5? Series? Steam Deck? No one does because they don't look at them that way, yet assume that way with Nintendo with what seems to be "because Nintendo" to explain it when it's not an explanation at all. Something to note though is that back in 2017, there wasn't really anything that could match the Switch in terms of portable gaming. Not even the GPD Win could match it, and the GPD Win 2 in 2018 was on par at best.

[@issen2291]

"7 watts of current" I see you have chosen to anger the engineers...

[@FTChomp9980]

It is a portable 360 I see that as an awesome thing and the next gen Switch 2 is rumored to be as strong as a base PS4.

[@Adamtendo_player_1]

I’ve always said that about the Switch being a portable Xbox 360 it’s just a shame that a lot Xbox 360 ports were poorly optimised for the Switch because the switch could easily handle Xbox 360 ports if they just used the Xbox 360 assets and clean it up a bit and make the visuals sharper the graphics engines that weren’t designed with the Nintendo switch in mind or optimised like the unreal engine even though the Switch supports unreal engine 4.

[@RedFriction]

@@Adamtendo_player_1 they stll havent ported a single just cause game

[@Dlf212]

What's the kirby wallpaper behind him?

[@rodNantz]

"I'm weak but I can keep going for longer" is actually a good pick-up line

[@janstrom3482]

So why does Nintendo not speed it up when it is docked?

[@mekman4]

Thank you, this was very informative. Great Stuff, as always!

[@markvicferrer]

MVG ran tests on the older paperclip hackable Switch & when everything is maxed out, you get a handful of additional frames running Crysis. The modest downclock to the stock CPU & GPU speeds on the Switch are presumably for battery life.

[@MarkiTechYt]

You can get 60fps in Most games that won't even hit 30 FPS

[@simonbedeau9603]

Yeah but what about it being docked why lower when battery isn't being used

[@nickah1]

Honestly wish that Nintendo would give us two performance options, one being battery life optimized and the other optimized for maximum performance. I never play my Switch in handheld mode, so I’d love a high performance option.

[@danielboucher510]

ultimately the original switch s\already does this it is more perforate when on a power source that in theory is higher that will not run out after a specific amount of time when docked

[@Elchinodawn]

Docked switch already does just that, it doesn't go to 100% but sits around 78%

[@chocolocojames213]

Shoud have released the Power Glove along with the Switch for a boost.

[@sanraith]

Where is the background music from? I cant remember for the life of me

[@sanraith]

Okay I thought it was from a WarioWare title, but I heard it in this video: Workout Session [ by minus8 ]

[@crobinson2624]

So the question is, why isn’t it when playing in docked mode there isn’t a performance boost?

[@zultriova89]

because increase resolution in docked mode eat up GPU power? Also need to consider low speed Ram on Switch.. Only OC Switch can add performance to the games that struggle on OG Switch.

[@Elchinodawn]

Dock increases the resolution, and many times even the graphics, that's why

[@vanillalife422]

Nintendo should make an options for battery saver, performance, or quality mode

[@ph8808]

The new revision of switch with tegra x1+ isn’t just more power efficient it’s also physically smaller (16nm vs 20) and the switch itself got an upgraded heat sink which gives them more room for overclocking which modders have utilised to get games to 60 fps

[@taker610]

This is exactly why I would love a Switch 2 family of systems. We already had the portable only Lite and the main Switch but why not a dedicated home console that maxes out the SoC? I'm sure there's a large portion of the Switch player base that solely plays at home like myself.

[@samuelgraham5585]

I swear Alex could be talking about all the efficient ways to spread butter on toast and i’ll still watch from start to finish

[@RidiculousReviews-ii9ky]

Damn, I wouldn't have minded to trade some battery for improved performance/graphics in my switch oled. Maybe support docked resolution and FPS while in portable mode

[@kennethlee1977]

atleast when docked and running on a power source. shouldv been OC or on performance . and when in handheld goes to effeciency mode

[@ddnava96]

I agree, mAh is stupid because it depends on the V to have any meaning at all. It's specially stupid when power banks have different V outputs but they still label their capacity in mAh

[@PCs454]

what if you homebrew the switch can you clock up the SOC and get 60 /120FPS?

[@Mr.Chimpazee]

YES…on modified Switch Oled 😎

[@danielgrezda3339]

While the switch 2 will probably be underclocked from what it could be, the t239 is a custom processor while the tegra x1 was an existing product for a system that wasn't as efficient as the switch was. So there will be underclocking, but it won't be the drastic underclock the switch has (plenty of games performance is fixed just by tweaking the ram, you can safely overclock the switch to double the speed, that's how badly underclocked the switch is), I can expect a 20-30 percent underclock or even less.

[@dcashley303]

Should have docked the systems as the screens would make a difference to power drawer.

[@FeedMeRugbyLeague-pb7yp]

I bough one on Saturday. Absolutely in love with my new purchase. I also have 2 series X at home that hardly ever use.

[@reeseseater12]

I’m pretty sure the Tegra also wasn’t specifically designed for gaming in mind either, Nintendo just made it work. Rumor is Switch 2’s chip is more customized, so it should definitely be better while hopefully still as efficient

[@deenorado7233]

First part is incorrect, Tegra X1 has always been tuned to cater to gaming. It was on Nvidia Shield way before it debuted on the Switch

[@reeseseater12]

@@deenorado7233 really? I thought I heard it was more of a stock mobile chip that they put into the Switch, but possible I heard wrong or misremembered

[@reekhavoc2932]

I started playing my switch a couple weeks ago and that battery life is so dreamy next to the steam deck lol

[@robmorris8456]

I had to pause the video. I used to comment on Nintendo Life's website about the Wii U and it's strengths over it's weaknesses. I've never seen so much hate for the Wii U at that time and now people are scrambling to get one aftermarket. 😂

[@lordeilluminati]

The PSP at the time had a similar issue. True, it was powerful at the time but the CPU speed was kinda of an issue. After a system update they allowed games to put a toggle to enable a slightly higher CPU speed at the cost of battery life. It is not true overclocking because the processor is intended to work with this speed.

[@nunomartins4265]

battery life (and now overheating) were always concerns for nintendo

[@xtranathor8143]

We need a performance/graphics option like on the next gen consoles. Personally I'd want to keep the Switch plugged in (but still handheld) and game with maximum settings. If I was on the go, I'd want to prioritise battery life.

[@CroakPad]

I love how the wallpaper on Alex’s monitor is explained over the course of the video.

[@paulnewhouse5126]

What about docked mode?

[@sebastianfernandez6146]

Nintendo is smart for keeping Iwatas philosophy alive. It matters more than ever now even if people don’t get it.

[@TeamJayniaK]

Playing my weak switch which sat beside a non used series x(now sold) and loving the switch action

[@orlof507]

Tegra x1 uses arm, steam deck uses x86 chips, that's why it draws so much more power

[@customsongmaker]

The Switch has been selling for over 7 years and they've never even dropped the price. Therefore it's the strongest console ever made.

[@steveybiggunzgaming8118]

4 watts is absolutely incredible, personally I would have test totk or something real heavy such as Arkham knight, but still, makes sense Nintendo would go for efficiency. i usually play my oled at full brightness and my lite with full brightness {wish the lite had an oled model!} and I can say my oled always lasts a good 4 to 6 hours, depending on what im playing, and the lite is closer to 2 maybe 3 hours. I never thought the battery was that tiny, 14 wh is crazy small compared to what we see now a days. Cant wait to see the wizardry nintendo comes up with on the next switch.

[@EvangelistAidan]

I hate that some games don’t run at 30fps. And I hope that we get to play all switch games on switch 2 with 60 fps 1080p handheld. And I hope that games who came out broken and glitchy get updates to look better like Pokémon scarlet and violet

[@HenrikMyrhaug]

I have an original Switch, and BotW was quite choppy at times, but TotK is so choppy you could literally count frames at times.

[@Riz2336]

I've had a good run with the switch and played a lot of games on it, personally I'm ready to move onto the next console

[@robenvilla1500]

I really think Nintendo was more worried about it over heating. Considering the switch is known to warp because how hot it gets.

[@canosisplays5152]

I know this goes against Nintendo’s nature but I’d love them to give the option to pick a battery optimized mode vs overclock mode.

[@omariwalker1006]

At least you guys acknowledged this, go on you! I love most of the games on switch, but the next generation ports have been mostly excused since it's "the switch"; and we can expect that much from it.

[@jarde1989]

Switch - released 2017 Tegra 1X - released 2015 Tegra 1X - designed 2013 It’s a chip from 2013 lol

[@zultriova89]

cant argue with the facts.. its using 10 years old chips now, with generation leap over 10 years nowadays, it interesting to see how successor will performs compare to PS4/PS4 Pro..

[@Elchinodawn]

Its 2015, you can't just pull the 2013 thing and be that spoiled, things require time to be developed and properly tested, also guess what, the console that is considered god's gift to humanity (steam deck), when it released also had 3 years old tech, the chip was ready like a year before it released and the development of said chip started somewhere in 2019, which is not that mucb of a difference compared to how old tegra x1 was in 2017, even less if we consider Nintendo intended to release the switch in november of 2016 at first

[@thefilodough8066]

So the point of this video is to tell me I should light my house with switch oleds instead of lightbulbs to save on the electric bill, right?

[@Dk-re4rf]

That power efficiency is important to me. Building towards self-sufficient, reducing every expense.

[@jaysonmanman]

Switch 2 should have a PERFORMANCE option that will use all of its capabilities.

[@Tommy-gm7uo]

I always thought that the dock was going to be upgraded like a PS4 Pro giving more power to games when playing in the docked mode. I don’t know how it would work technically but seemed the most logical way forward but then again we are talking Nintendo here lol

[@stonerdemon5653]

Some months ago I got a Switch Lite and I think it's an awesome portable. Coming from the Vita and the 3DS, I can't believe I can play the Quake 2 remaster on a portable console. Or games like Star Wars KOTOR, Metroid Dread, Cuphead, among others. I don't need more eye candy. The console is just fun to use.

[@Channelisunderconstruction]

The switch is the best system I’ve ever played. And I have them all!

[@MartindeBoer2]

You forget that the SoC is not the only part that draws power. OLED is more energy efficient than LCD screens because the black pixels don't need power.

[@ThroneRoomGaming]

When it comes to portable gaming, battery is king.... That's exactly right. I have an Ally and generally still only play at home, tethered you the wall by a charger. It's a great machine but hand-held doesn't=portable. When I travel it's still my Switch that I use.

[@GreenBlueWalkthrough]

So um why not have a docked mode? Like all the consoles of the switches gen or even better have an effecny mode, handahld mode, docked mode and an over clocked mode like my 2024 M18 R2 aleinwear laptiop has per game?

[@Elchinodawn]

Switch has docked mode and was the first with that concept, in dock the console clocks are 2x portable mode

[@spencer5163]

They wanted to give the console a boost in battery life and in doing so they manually throttled the performance. That's not mentioning the heat generation from the energy being used.

[@maxrichards5925]

Man I remember the days of pre-battery upgrade. Playing on a launch switch on the go would always die more & more often. Ever since I’ve gotten a Mario OLED switch last year I’ve been having a much much better Nintendo switch experience :)

[@Hyowatta]

I hope that Nintendo will allow the Switch 2 to run at full capability while it is docked.

[@oscargomezrivera]

I sold mine and got a rog ally and never looked back

[@William.Kelly7]

I was really hoping that they'd make a home console again

[@MaisistkeinGemuese]

The Switch was weak when it launched in 2017 but it was never a Problem. The Problem being no Performance Upgrade for a System that was already weak when it launched.

[@gene081976]

The simple technical and logical answer is because it’s over 7 years old based on an even older technology and is designed to consume little power and dissipate as little heat as possible at the form factor it needs to be to be carried in the hand by anyone 8 years and older and at the price point under $300 (original switch release). An engineering team can only do so much with those targets. Then why game perform the same on different Switch SKUs? To give a consistent experience. I’m sure there are MORE reasons, but even these as a bare minimum should satisfy the question.

[@whitefata104]

Oled use 3.6w playing zelda, 2.1w 2d games, 2.6w playing basic 3d games like re5

[@carlstevenwilletts]

I like the desktop wallpaper. Maybe you could have Sherlock Ohms and Dr Watt's son on the next one.

[@guxtavo14]

I appreciate this video. Although it adds the emulation overhead, I think you should've shown the steam deck running the same game you ran on the switch. It'd be interesting to see that comparison. But in hindsight you probably thought about that but didn't want to upset your relationships with Nintendo.