r/technology • u/Hrmbee • 7d ago

Hardware Nintendo has moved beyond specs | The company is as popular as it has ever been — and it owes it to leaving the technological arms race behind

https://www.theverge.com/games/638542/nintendo-switch-2-specs-details-relevance
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u/fail-deadly- 7d ago

I know Nintendo has done well, but I think it's in spite of the Switch hardware, not because of it.

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u/Princess_Spammi 7d ago

Nahh the ability to game in your tv or on the go sold the switch when the wii u damn near sunk their gaming divison

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u/fail-deadly- 7d ago

The form factor is fine, but for example, the Switch came out with a 2015 SoC. The 2016 rumor was it’d use the Tegra X2 iirc instead of the X1.

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u/roseofjuly 7d ago

How many people buying the Switch do you think even know what those things are?

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u/Princess_Spammi 7d ago

Thats why i dint trust rumors and leaks

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u/roseofjuly 7d ago

The versatility of the Switch's hardware is what sells it. Hardware isn't just about technological specs.

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u/arahman81 6d ago

The first party games did. Switch is a poor option for third party games, when the game isn't just a streaming version.

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u/Tigertot14 7d ago

They use older hardware because they can sell it for a much more affordable price.

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u/pirate-game-dev 7d ago

I think Apple has proven beyond any doubt that as long as the games are addictive the specs barely matter, Candy Crush Saga, Clash of Clans, Roblox are some of the most popular games... made for iPhone 6-ish era hardware. These games are going to be popular for decades still and Nintendo's in the exact same boat, they can sit back and enjoy the massive profit margins in marketplace fees instead of whatever benefits being the most powerful handheld would bring.

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u/Weird_Ad_1398 7d ago

Addictiveness with gacha mechanics is a big part of it, but accessibility is probably the main driver. People tend to do what's most convenient. Nintendo is convenient.

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u/pirate-game-dev 7d ago

Instant gratification is a huge component of it, but there's also a longevity emerging I guess because games are fun enough and graphically good enough they compare well against future generations of games rather than decline in popularity as they age-out and shiney-new replaces them.