First of all, this post is mostly theory and based on the rumored specs and how I approach the situation. It's based on a bunch of numbers and other factors.
With a lower spec mode available in undocked mode, this means that most likely graphics will be less enhanced and potentially at a lower resolution than when docked. Developers would most likely be given the options and API's necessary to control exactly what gets rendered both in docked and undocked mode.
Let's start with... this screenshot of a game. Do you know what game it is? What console it's from? "Those graphics look good, I bet it's a PS4 game". If you thought something along these lines then you are wrong. This is a PS Vita game called Killzone: Mercenary.
Let's compare the specs of the Switch undocked and the Vita
| Console | CPU | GPU |
|---|---|---|
| Switch Undocked | 1020MHz | 307.2MHz |
| PS Vita | 333MHz | 111MHz-222MHz |
How I'm seeing this, if the Vita can produce such graphics with those low specs, then the Switch can produce something even better and potentially 2-3x better.
Resolutions, screen sizes, and why lower power in undocked mode does not matter at all
Switch in docked mode can go up to GPU 768MHz vs undocked 307.2MHz. This leads to the obvious assumption that games will look worse in undocked mode. My argument is that this is not true. Here's why.
Take the Vita screenshot from above. That's a resolution of 960x544 viewable on a 5 inch screen. Switch in undocked mode will obviously be played using the built in screen, which is (iirc) 1280x720 aka 720p with a size of 6.2 inches.
I can hear the shouts "ew 720p ew 544p". Something important to understand is that 720p at 6.2 inches looks so much better than it does at 40 inches on a TV screen. If you play that same Vita game on a PS TV at 1080p on a 42 inch screen it looks pixilated and jaggy and something like an upscaled PS2 game.
The Switch needs the extra docked power so that it can: enhance graphics, enhance resolution, and effectively render 1080p/4K quality games to the TV. This makes TV counterpart not look like a blown up handheld game, and the handheld counterpart look almost identical due to the smaller screen size while using less power.
Why the Wii U was ignored in my opinion and why the Switch won't be
We all know that the Wii U was a failure, even though it had decent specs and in itself was not a bad console. I simply believe that Nintendo moved from the Gamecube into the Wii with a very different approach to their target audience. The Wiimote and nunchuck controllers were very different and gimmicky than the traditional controllers seen on the PS2 or PS3 at the time. Because of this approach it didn't get much hardcore support. It just isn't fun to play those games with those controls and sales of the games which did make it were reflected. Nintendo made the same mistake with the Wii U, still riding on gimmicks like the touch screen while not providing anything over the PS3 or other consoles. With already past bad sales from the Wii and Wii U on "hardcore" games, 3rd parties didn't risk it and the result is a super low sales rate on the console.
This time it's quite different, since they returned to a normal target audience with a normal controller and pure hardcore gaming focus. They are taking both the console and handheld market in 1, and that's not a gimmick, that's a real selling point for both consumers and developers. Now every 3rd party can cut development time and costs and get both the handheld market and the console market with 1 product. Lower costs and shorter development time leads to greater adoption. An example from the Vita scene: Many games come out with 2 versions. One for Vita and one for PS4. They also sometimes get Cross-Buy (buy on 1 platform, own on the other), and Cross-Save (upload all saves between both versions). All 3rd party developers who release both of these titles have to essentially fund development of 2 games on 2 different platforms. Sometimes online play gets split between the 2, or features are cut off on the Vita version. All that is extra time and meetings and money on how to plan for both audiences. With the Switch this is no more a concern, just 1 product is needed.
Do you really think that 3rd parties will ignore a console that got 22 million views in 1 month on it's reveal trailer? This isn't a Wii U or gimmick, this is real. Every 3rd party is going to get in on it, and it will start a domino effect. Instead of nintendo having to beg 3rd parties to make games it's the opposite. They will come to the Switch on their own because everyone else is as well.
Either way, even if we see some watered down ports of games like Dark Souls 3, Overwatch or anything like that from the current generation, I would still be very happy to get that and would still buy the Switch version of every game over its PS4/Pro or Xbox One/S counterpart simply because of what the Switch offers. Hell, even if the ports suck I would still take them and I'm sure many others will follow.
Hopefully this post makes sense to some people.
tl;dr there's nothing to panic about
Submitted by Linkandzelda | #Specialdealer Special Offer Online Shopping Store 2016
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