I admit that I was wrong: Switch is a handheld, not a hybrid

I've fought over this issue, but after that Direct it's just not right to call Switch a serious console. Every game for it is better played elsewhere unless you buy it just for the portable experience. As a console, it's pointless and they should probably just sell it without the dock and shave off a few bucks at this point. It's just a better Vita and nothing more. It's not living up to its potential and its only selling point is console-level gaming on the go. This year is barren for anyone who owns another console. It's not really a "drought" like so many people are claiming because it's getting a fuckton of games, but to PS4 and Wii U owners it will feel like one.

My advice: If you don't own a Switch but do own a Wii U and another console or a PC, wait for Switch's first major pricecut before jumping in. By the end of next year things should be much better... hopefully.

And no you-know-who, this does not make it selling less than 50 million in its lifetime even remote possible, especially if it end up with an 8+ year lifespan like 3DS. It will still cross the 35 million mark either late this year or in the first half of next year.

Why did the Vita fail, then?

Stop the presses, OP officially called it. It's a handheld.

I use it docked about80% of the time. How is this not a hybrid? Because there are more powerful systems out there? According to this thinking Sony and Microsoft should stop selling consoles because you can get the experience with better graphics on a pc. OP doesn’t make sense here. It’s a hybrid because you can use it both docked and portable. This was never in question.

Who cares? I can play Zelda, Dark Souls, Okami, Smash, Mario Kart, Rocket League, Skyrim, and Crash Bandicoot all on the same platform.

Nah, it is a hybrid. Saying that it’s just a handheld system just because it’s not as powerful as the other systems is a pretty silly qualifier in my opinion.

Saying it's a handheld is dumb when the battery life is sub-par. It's a console with limited handheld capabilities. Hybrid fits better.

so it is not a hybrid because its is getting ports from consoles like the wiiU and ps4/xbox?

i am confused by this logic.

so it has to have movie games like god of war and the last of us and quicktime movies like spiderman to be considered a "real" console?

Oh I see. The damage control has already begun.

Dang.

At least you have some honor OP. It takes an honorable man to admit when he’s wrong about something. A lot of people here just double down on their bullshit even when there’s evidence against it.

It's a glorified tablet with terrible controls that can plug into your TV.

Because Sony sucks at supporting handhelds.

@quadknight: Except he’s wrong about being wrong lol.

Next he’ll make a thread apologizing he was wrong for making a thread about being wrong when he was right.

But you specifically call it a home console here:

its only selling point is console-level gaming on the go.

And here:

This year is barren for anyone who owns another console.

Make up your mind.

yup

classic techhog.

People use it as either a console, a handheld, or both.

It’s really not that hard to acknowledge that the Switch is a hybrid.

When bayo 3 hits and I finally get mine I doubt I will ever use it as a handheld. Just like I rarely play my vita, 3ds, gba etc..

Playing whilst in bed on a Sunday morning has its appeal but don't think that will be a regular thing..

Nah, you were right before. The Switch is a hybrid.

I've been using it as a handheld just because all the 4 HDMI ports on my TV are already reserved.

I don’t really see why it matters what it is. Can you play games on it?

The idea that it being anything other than a hybrid is up for debate is ludicrous clickbait.

A bunch of PS4 games from last year are coming to Switch, some of which I deliberately waited on so I could have the option of playing them on TV and in handheld mode. You know, on a hybrid system. Which is what Switch is by its very definitIon.

Nintendo don't even call it a handheld = It's not a handheld.

/Thread

If it’s a handheld, what is that dock for???

Xbox being in 3rd has got people shook. If the Switch is a handheld, Xbox can be in 2nd place again. It’s too bad the Switch hooks up to the TV with improved resolution and performance.

Lol, this system is so confusing for SW. Just enjoy the f*cking thing (or don't, if it's not to your taste)

Only Nintendont would even get away with people going along with their Fake marketing calling the Gimmick a console for even a short time... It's a Handheld that's able to connect to a TV and in no way is it in the same product space and should never be compared to MS/Sony Traditional home consoles. Hey, it's not my fault they can no longer compete in that space as Wii U proved all too well. :P

It is actually in a tablet form factor though.

I mean I honestly have never understood how anyone could argue it's anything BUT a tablet. It *IS* a tablet. Hello. Maybe the best gaming tablet on the market though, or at least far more popular than Nvidia Shield ever hoped to be.

LA Noire 720p handheld 1080p docked. If it was just outputting a HDMI signal to a TV then yeah, but its not your getting a boost in resolution or performance.

It's a jack of all trades game platform. Is neither a proper handheld (too big, garbage battery life), and too gimped to be a good console. It's being held up by the sheer novelty of it, and the fact it got a great Zelda game out of the gate. This is going to be the formula for Nintendo consoles from now on... lead with Zelda.

Zelda is only the third best selling game for it.

@2Chalupas: As far as I’m concerned it has a lot more going on with it then a mere tablet does. Controller input capabilities, game cartridge slots, capability to add more storage space, increased performance when connected to a tv, and probably more but those are just off the top of my head. To me it definitely fits the bill as being a console/portable hybrid.

It's a hybrid, so get the **** over it.

I don't believe the dock actually does anything though, except pass through the signal. It's a tablet, with an HDMI pass through dock.

The dock isnt actually boosting performance. If it did, THEN it would be a hybrid. As it is, they probably just let performance go slightly higher when docked because if not the handheld would get too hot and/or battery life would drain too fast.

It's more than slightly. The GPU clock doubles when docked. I think the RAM increases in speed by about 25% as well.

Its basically just the clocks speeds running at its max in docked because its running off a main power source. Handheld mode the clock speeds drop to save on battery life like you said. I think i read its about 25% speed increase in docked mode. Maybe the dock boosts more than we know? One thing i do know, if you plug the power cable into the switch itself you don't get any benefits running off the mains compared to the benefits running it docked.

Disagree OP. I never undock my console, and play AAA games on it just fine. Considering this is just the start of year 2 for that console, the lack of a game drought is amazeballs. I'm ok with them having a bit of a drought at some point, and filling it with lesser graphically pleasing handheld styles games for a while.

@Epak_: it doesn't look great on my 4k TV so I only use it as a handheld

I've undocked mine maybe three times since buying it on launch day. It's a console and a handheld.

Its a 100% increase in GPU clockspeed (and thus FLOPS) going from undocked boost mode to docked mode.

It's irrelevant what internet guys classify this system as. It's a platform to play games on, and Nintendo just giving users many different ways to play those games.

Love the pathetic damage control from Xbox and PS4... ohh no it’s not a console so when it outsells/ourscore them they have another pathetic defense....

Yeah most games don't look that great. Odyssey and MK8 looked pretty nice even from a 65".

I use it primarily as a handheld but I honestly feel these kind of dumb discussions risk lowering our IQs.

@2Chalupas: Hybrid confirmed!

Really though, the people saying that the system is downclocked to preserve batter life is only half factual. The Switch screen is only 720p, so there is no need to run at the clocks the Switch does in docked mode.

Just reading this post made me realize: no other console in the history of gaming has had all these titles in one sentence.

I can play it on my 43 inch tv and on the go.

Its a hybrid alright.

Wii u was a home console and also wii despite the fact it got less power in Tflops compared to the competition.

But hey. flash news: nintendo focus on exclusive content and nice gimmics.

Just because dark sous is better on my ps4 pro or pc it doesnt make switch a pure handheld.

And If I want to play dark souls at better graphics I can buy it for one of my other platforms

That's basically how I see it as well.

Erm, no, it's definitely for battery life and to prevent frying your hands.

If Nintendo had a platform that was as powerful as the competition and getting equal 3rd party support it would be a no-brainer the only platform I'd need to own each gen.

So why would Nintendo use the same "juice" to run a 720p version of a game that they use to run a 900p-1080p version? And why would you "fry" your hands? The joycon don't get hot... In fact, from my experience the only time the Switch gets hot is in docked mode.