Can bright games exceed a high price?

Then there is the problem of the price. Everything has become more expensive in the last ten years and the price of Switch 2 is not a surprise. It is also consistent with the original switch, compared to the largest sector; The PlayStation 4 was launched at $ 550, so the switch was launched at $ 470, the PlayStation 5 was launched at $ 750 (and then it went up to $ 800) and now the switch 2 is launching to $ 700.

But Sony and Microsoft are selling only digital versions of their four -year -old consoles (which cannot play media physical) for less than $ 700 at the moment. And during years of second -hand console and from $ 330 Lites, Nintendo seems to be an economic alternative to the decks of steam from $ 900 and to $ 1200 PS5 professionals. He also seems to join Sony by selling his biggest titles (i.e. Mario Kart World) at $ 120, while rarely exceeded $ 90 in the anterorate era. The beginning of a new generation is always time for these price adjustments, but this does not mean that the players will swallow them.

At the media event, in New York, three of the main architects of Switch 2 discussed the system construction process. And while they have not commented on retail costs and the like, they covered their priorities and desires, which said a lot about how Nintendo is adapting from Switch to Switch 2.

Firstly, this time he is adopting a much more modern hardware stack, from the high -end LCD to the AI ​​infused graphic processor, which will attract the developers who have been frustrated by how far from the rest of the Nintendo sector sector has been in terms of technology, while it will also provide Switch 2 with games that cannot simply go to the original passage.

Secondly, he is expanding the online platform. The original switch is a very naked bone machine, while this second iteration is adding systems to allow the sharing of digital games with the family, in addition to the functionality of cooked voice chat and the video chat enabled through the use of a sold camera. This is probably inspired by how powerfully social the Switch (and games in general) became on the pandemic, where friends had to move on to external platforms as Discord to speak while playing.

And above all, as always: games. The punch one-two this time is Mario Kart World AND Donkey Kong BanzaAnd also from a short comedy, they reconfire that Nintendo’s ability to innovate in his franchises is undeniable. The company is also taking advantage of some of the 1.4 billion software sales that has made on Switch with a program that updates the oldest games with new content and improved performance on Switch 2, for a game commission.

Nvidia technology under the hood

Nintendo generally does not speak of power and technology specifications in its direct, preferring to focus on players’ experiences. But switch 2 can be the most avant -garde machine that Nintendo has made from Gamecube, as indicated in the round table and detailed by Nvidiawho designed the personalized system chip.

Nvidia said that Switch 2 has 10 times the graphic power of the original interior and supports many of the characteristics and techniques that developers employ on other systems. The chip has Core RT to feed Ray-Tracing in real time and artificial intelligence core to allow the Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS), which allows games to perform a lower resolution while using the IA to refine the resulting image, saving computational costs.

Nvidia said that her artificial intelligence nuclei were also in use for the exploitation of the players’ images from the background when using the USB camera.

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Having played Switch 2, it is clear that silent attention on new technology has led to something that developers will want to go back and that players will appreciate, even if they are not technologically mentality. For example, the system displays supports updating speed variable up to 120Hz, thanks to Nvidia G-Sync. It might seem like a waffle, but it means that the games must not block at 30 or 60 frames per second target to appear smooth; If they are not quite performing to do 60, they could block at 40. Alternatively, the games could reach up to 120 for a super reactive sensation and if some frames are dropped here and there, the system updating frequency will adapt, just like a PC game monitor.

It is also a Full HD screen, and seeing the games running at 1080p and high frame rate on the device was surprising, given that the Valve steam deck has a lower resolution and a maximum maximum update, and is a much more voluminous machine.

Seeing what the switch 2 can do when attached to the dock included was equally impressive, with the incredibly dense and wide open Mario Kart World It seems that running above full HD at 60 frames per second. It was a similar story for the Switch 2 version of Breath of the Wild, Which would mean (assuming that the resolution was 1440p), a 5x increase in pixels designed per second compared to the original switch. Metroid Prime 4 It was absolutely surprising on the big screen, offering a choice of 4K full to 60 or 1080p at 120, showing that Switch 2 can still make 120 and VRR on a TV that supports that, in even higher resolutions.

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You don’t have to know all the acronyms to appreciate the update – it seems only a cutting -edge video game – and it is not so surprising given what Nvidia said about the chip and on the fact that there is a cooling fan integrated in the dock. But everything raises some unanswered questions.

If played in a portal way, the amount of power used by switch 2 is related directly to what the battery lasts. And the use of energy will increase only if it becomes too hot. It is likely that those games intended for 120 frames per second will be limited to 720p in portable mode, but they are even more than 100 million pixels designed per second. How long before the system ends the juice?

And even if Nintendo’s games are generally very efficient, it may not be the case with games of other developers. Manufacture Ring Elden OR Remake Final Fantasy VII Performing a decent resolution and also 30 frames per second on a low -fat palm like Switch 2 seems like a challenge if you want the device for a long time. I played Cyberpunk 2077 With the car in the dock, where it could suck all the power it was necessary, and it seemed to compose the resolution in occupied situations to keep the frames.

Which means everything to say that repeated success is not guaranteed. But it’s really taking a great shot. A high and slow cost of games can slow down the significant pace for its predecessor, but its technology should make sure it is still able to perform contemporary games between eight years.

The author traveled to New York as a guest of Nintendo.

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