Lilbits: The next Nintendo Switch could have 10X the graphics power, a DIY eReader with mechanical keys, and more on the new Fire HD 8’s processor upgrade

1. Knowing Nintendo, even if they adopt this new chip it will definitely be cut down and underpowered. And the proprietary OS will make sure that you cannot access features that the chip is more than capable of. Can’t watch local movies, Plex or Netflix on my Switch despite the Tegra basically being designed as a media powerhouse (for its time and form factor.)

   1. I can confirm that this will not be the case for the next Switch… at least when it is plugged into the dock.

2. Everything related to Switch performance is based on completely uneducated guesses and fanboy-grade hopium.
   Does anyone ACTUALLY believe Nintendo will pay for a full fat Orin? At best they would use a 512 CUDA Core variant like in the base Orin Nano SBC or even ask for a custom, further cutdown version.

   1. Nintendo will stop at nothing to make sure they make a tidy profit on every unit sold.

      1. Nintendo used to be competitive, but their business strategy changed starting with the Wii. They introduced an old-gen console into a new-gen era. And they’ve been one generation behind since. Just think backwards in history:

         Switch vs PS4 Pro, XB1X
         WiiU vs PS4, XB1
         Wii vs PS3, XB360
         GameCube vs PS2, Xbox
         N64 vs PS1, Sega Saturn
         SNES vs MegaDrive, TGfx-16
         NES vs Sega Master, Atari 7600

         …which means if we follow the same pattern, then their upcoming new console (let’s call it Nintendo EVO) will be one generation behind the competitors. So we’re talking about performance slightly above the PS4 but below the PS4 Pro. Which is inline with the Valve SteamDeck, funny coincidence. But if Nintendo wants to do better, they absolutely can but I doubt it. I’ve outlined in a comment below how they can catch up by another half-gen to hit parity with the Xbox Series S performance.

         1. Well… the list is only correct from the wii and beyond. Before that, their consoles were more powerful. The GameCube was better than the ps2 in graphics power, but the lack of a normal DVD player worked against them. There was not enough space available on the mini “dvd’s”. Same goes for the N64 vs PS1, the cartridge was the bottleneck, devs thought it was too expensive and it could store less info than a cd-rom. So nintendo had a lack of games which resulted in a lack of sales. Besides that, the ps1 was a very cheap cd player as well and the ps2 a very cheap dvd player, this helped boost the sales together with the big library of games

            1. Yes, so Nintendo was the powerhouse and they got complacent. Sony came in and seized the opportunity, and they didn’t learn their mistake with the N64 and GameCube.

               …with that said, you do realise none of that matters? It’s been almost 2-decades since the Wii, and the whole business has shifted a long time ago. They are firstly a software company, that also makes some hardware and services. They can easily shut down those divisions, and move themselves into a new platform like iOS, PS, or Xbox and make exclusive accessories. They have the resources and money, it’s all about if they can do some negotiations, otherwise they will move forward with their current business model.

3. Keyword: Could. For the Nintendo Switch I mean… xD

   But unless Nintendo breaks tradition, they are not likely to adopt anything on the current high end… it has to do with the price of the portable/console hybrid, but also on platform stability, Nintendo’s own experience in development, plus a few other things. But mainly pricing.

   I dunno if they’ll go with a Switch Pro or an entirely new platform next, and I don’t really know when next is… because I don’t think they’ll be changing platforms much while the Switch is still selling like hotcakes.

   But when they do, I think they’ll still be aiming for this 350-400 bucks final price target, in which case they are unlikely to be adopting something 10x faster than the ancient Tegra X1. Well, perhaps, depending on timeframe. At least imho, it’s much more likely that they’ll just go Tegra X2 or Xavier at most. For reference, X2 of course comes after X1, then Xavier, then Orin which is where T239 is at, and then Thor, the newly announced thing.

   By which I mean, they’ll likely be going with mid range hardware at the time it comes out.

   So actually, perhaps they really go with T239… like a couple of years from now. xD
   This all of course also depends on the deal with nVidia, what they can muster for mass production. If the deal with nVidia gets cancelled, then all bets are off… M1, Snapdragon, Exynos, Mediatek… now that Nintendo moved it’s platform to work with ARM, and developers are comfortable with porting games to it, they can shop around all they want.

4. I wouldn’t put much thought into that article from “notebookcheck”. As for mobile processors, the fastest out there is the Apple M2 when it comes to the same TDP. So at best, that’s what Nintendo could do.

   I think the smarter move would be a New Console, let’s call it the “Nintendo Evo”, with a slightly different design. It would be similar portability to the Switch, more ergonomic, and have a much better screen, speakers, mic, cameras. And it would also have crazy long battery life. It would only play regular Switch games, cost a lot more, and come with a Dock.

   Now the Dock itself will have a special purpose. It will fast charge the device. It will have active cooling. And it will have an on-board eGPU. When Docked, the weak iGPU switches off, the dormant CPU clocks high, and the eGPU is functioning. And this time it plays “EVO Games” which are games at the same fidelity of the cheap Xbox series S.

   Rational people will argue you should just get a regular Switch and a separate XsS. But you will see people lineup for these, and them flying off the shelves like hot cakes.

   1. So a windows handheld with amd 7xxx chip and usb4 with egpu support. Sounds good to me.

      1. Honestly, most of Nintendo’s games that are remembered and played alot are offline. So there’s no “limited time” window like you see with online multiplayer games (eg Call of Duty).

         You could literally wait out the whole generation, then get into it later on a discount. Or even emulate them instead.

         …so a Windows10 Pro Handheld with an AMD r7-6800u is going to be a fine alternative for a Switch or Switch-Pro. And it won’t change unless Nintendo actually gives us formidable hardware, which they haven’t done since 2005 nearly 2-decades.

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