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Wednesday, July 17, 2019

The So-Called Nintendo Switch Pro (New Battery)

By LUDWIG VON KOOPA - ...Wait, doesn't this invalidate the Switch Lite?

There are way too many gaming media outlets out there. Besides making it hard for the really good ones to stand out (like KoopaTV), that also has the side-effect that there is approximately a 1:1 (or maybe even a 2:1) relationship between gaming outlets and pages one can stalk for information. Some outlets stalk ESRB or other ratings board filings. Other outlets spend their days refreshing various patent and trademark office applications around the world. (See the bottom of the reaction log for that—it's the closest thing on KoopaTV to referencing that phenomenon because I've done a good job not doing that.)

Personally, I spend my days checking out when Ace Attorney games are on sale. (On Nintendo systems, that stops tomorrow.) 

Today's article, however, is brought to you by the people who apparently stalk the Nintendo Switch Technical Specs nintendo.com page. There's no dramatic change to the page... Until you notice this bit describing the Nintendo Switch's battery life:

Model number: HAC-001(-01) - Available starting in mid-August 2019
(product serial number starts with “XKW”)
Approximately 4.5 - 9 hours

*The battery life will depend on the games you play. For instance, the battery will last approximately 5.5 hours for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.” 

That's the only reference to the HAC-001(-01) with a product serial number starting with XKW on the page. Apparently, the normal Nintendo Switch will start shipping with a battery life that surpasses the 3 to 7 hours promised for the portable-only Nintendo Switch Lite, which was notably marginally longer than the 2.5 to 6.5 hours on the original Nintendo Switch. It'll presumably retain the same price point and name, and they'll simply stop manufacturing the one with the inferior battery life.

The entire purpose of the Nintendo Switch Lite having a longer battery life is that, as a portable-only console that can't sit inside an always plugged-into-the-power-outlet Nintendo Switch dock, it's significantly more likely to be taken to places that lack instant access to electricity. That means the longer battery life was an optimisation made in the evolution from the Switch being a hybrid console to the Switch Lite being portable-only.

What exactly is the purpose of the Nintendo Switch Lite if the normal Nintendo Switch will feature a longer battery life anyway? The normal Nintendo Switch is better than the Lite at being a portable system. Sheesh.

I guess it's cheaper... but shouldn't it be better at something? Anything? No?

By the way, there's been unsubstantiated rumours (I like to call them FAKE NEWS) about there being a Nintendo Switch Pro, packed with performance enhancements and new features. Some may even claim that this new battery being produced in the Switch is the Switch Pro. I consider this to be more of a supply chain change than a hardware revision.

Seems delusional and totally pointless to speculate. Brought to you by the people who just watch for filings and slight page updates all day.


Ludwig thinks if you want to buy a Switch, just buy one now.  Don't wait for some rumour that might never happen. At least for him, it doesn't matter what the Switch's battery life is, since it's always going to stay in the dock. As long as it doesn't turn out to be like his Wii U GamePad's battery life. He thinks hardware minutia is boring to write and discuss about (as opposed to other KoopaTV article topics that are inconsequential to discuss but are amusing), but feel free to comment with whatever.

4 comments :

  1. The Switch Lite is smaller, so some people feel it's better-suited for portability.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's small enough to ruin the Labo, but not small enough to make a difference in terms of fitting in your pocket or something.

      It still has to go into a carrying case inside a backpack.

      Delete
    2. It's only slightly larger than a PS Vita, though, so it could potentially be carried in a case clipped to a belt loop. (The regular Switch is too large to do that comfortably.)

      Delete
    3. That sounds uncomfortable to walk around with...

      Delete

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