Saturday, March 11, 2017

Nintendo Switch - 64 "issues"with Solutions

Below is a list of 64 different issues, not all hardware related but issues in general with the Nintendo Switch. This list doesn't include other reports of the system overheating, freezing or the cart slot not working. This information was provided to me by a professional analyst who compiled this data on his own and sent it to me after I made recent video discussing the subject. The good thing about the list is each "issue" has a solution/possible fix for it next to it.

#
ISSUE
SOLUTION
1
System is priced at $300 without a pack-in game and utilizes effectively same hardware as two year-old $200 NVidia Shield Tablet
Lower price of console or include high-quality pack-in game
2
Left Joy-Con frequently desyncs while playing games (likely an antenna-placement issue; boosting output may not correct)
Replacement program or software fix
3
Right Joy-Con occasionally desyncs while playing games (better antenna-placement; boosting output could resolve)
Replacement program or software fix
4
Dock scratches tablet screen upon insertion due to lack of felt/rubber padding and loose-fitting design
Replacement program or case modification kit or free screen protectors
5
Performance of system implies only a moderate upgrade in graphics, processing power, and load times from the Wii U
Release dock with external GPU
6
Nintendo has a history of releasing the 'final' version of portable consoles after three years; encouraging consumers to wait on purchase
Provide full support for console past three years
7
Joy-Cons are small and have small buttons, particularly for people with large hands; making controls challenging to use
Release larger joy-cons or lower price of pro controller
8
No Western third-party support announced for system
Secure at least a dozen major Western titles per year
9
Online service is now charging for access despite poor prior track-record of performance
Provide comparable service to Xbox or PlayStation
10
System will be between 1.5 to 2.0 generations behind competitors this holiday season; significant marketing challenge
Aggressive marketing campaign this holiday season
11
Battery-life is fairly limited with about 2.5 hours for more demanding 3D games
Provide battery expansion pack or low-cost charging banks
12
Battery takes over three hours to fully recharge
Provide battery expansion pack or low-cost charging banks
13
Must use smartphone app to play games online and communicate with friends
Build functionality into system
14
Wi-Fi range has been reported to be unusually limited by some users
Replacement program or software fix
15
Screen is not OLED like many modern phones and the now-dated PlayStation Vita; impacting battery life, clarity and black-levels
No solution
16
Failure of prior console and luke-warm start of prior handheld may impede adoption of system by larger user-base
Aggressive marketing campaign and strong software line-up
17
Charging port is on bottom of tablet, making it impossible to play in table-top mode while charging device
Provide customized cradle for holding console
18
IPS screen quality varies between devices in terms of having a true-white screen vs. a yellow-ish tint; refund might not be possible
Improve quality control and allow returns
19
Tablet form-factor lacks certain degree of portability and lack of clam-shell design requires carrying case
Provide low-cost carrying cases
20
Position of control stick on right Joy-Con is not ergonomic given natural movement of human thumbs; leads to hand cramps
Release larger joy-cons or lower price of pro controller
21
Weak Eastern third-party support announced for system
Secure at least ten major Eastern titles per year
22
Competitor systems priced $100 to $50 cheaper with bigger budget titles, larger library, and bigger install base
Lower price of console or include high-quality pack-in games
23
System only has 26GB of available memory with some games exceeding this amount at launch, requiring Micro SD Card purchase
Provide low-cost memory cards
24
Screen resolution too low and system too weak to effectively allow for future VR or AR capabilities
Release dock with external GPU (partial solution)
25
Virtual Console not available at launch and no plans detailed for future of service
Release Virtual Console within next three months
26
Games with 3DS production-quality are now starting to demand "console-level" price-points from consumers
Match pricing on Steam and other consoles for multiplats and keep pricing aggressive
27
Bluetooth headphones and headsets are not supported
Provide low-cost wired headsets (partial solution)
28
Joy-Cons lack a proper directional pad, inhibiting ability to play games that utilize this pad; particularly games from prior systems
Release larger joy-cons or lower price of pro controller
29
System lacks front or rear-facing camera; also creates an additional barrier for AR-based gaming in the future
Implement cameras into tablet holder for AR-solution (partial solution)
30
Kickstand is somewhat flimsy and makes it relatively easy for device to topple-over
Kickstand is removal; provide more robust replacements
31
Virtual Console will likely avoid a Netflix-like model, despite Xbox rolling-out this type of model in the coming months
Provide Netflix-like Virtual Console solution and/or aggressive per-game pricing
32
Online service provides very little in the way of free games compared to paid competitors such as Xbox and PlayStation
Match incentives from Xbox and PlayStation for online services; including free games
33
Console prices in Australia and Europe are even more prohibitive and may further damage growth of install base
Lower price of console in Australia and Europe to match competitors
34
Trigger buttons on controllers are now digital and not analog; lacking ability to determine the degree the buttons are pressed
Release improved joy-cons and pro controller
35
Cannot play music, videos, or view images on the device
Develop apps to allow this functionality
36
Pro controller costs $70 and is strongly recommended given form-factor, connectivity and battery life of Joy-Cons
Lower price of pro controller by $15 to match competition
37
Joy-Con grip does not significantly improve ergonomics of playing with Joy-Cons attached to the console's tablet
Provide enhanced joy-con grip with battery-charging and improved ergonomics
38
System lacks a built-in microphone for easy online voice-chat
Provide low-cost microphone peripheral
39
Screen has glossy-finish making it challenging to view in brighter lighting
Provide screen protectors with anti-glare filter
40
Screen is only 720p which is the bare-minimum for the tablet's overall form-factor
No solution
41
Charging grip does not come with system, stand-alone purchase costs $30, and lacks battery (must plug-in to outlet to charge)
Provide enhanced joy-con grip with battery-charging and improved ergonomics
42
Spare docks cost $90 and are simply plastic cases housing a proprietary USB-C to HDMI pass-through
Reduce price of docks to less than $45
43
Separate Joy-Cons sets (or replacements) will cost $80
Reduce price of Joy-Cons to match competitor controllers at $55
44
Systems sold with a series of dead pixels are not considered defective and will not be replaced
Replace systems with more than three dead pixels
45
HD Rumble largely seen as expensive and loud incremental upgrade over regular rumble functionality
Sell controllers without this functionality at reduced cost
46
Hybrid nature of console makes optimization challenging; we already see Zelda having serious frame-drops in docked mode
Provide API and libraries to help developers optimize for portable and docked mode
47
Nintendo continues to not communicate with consumers when hardware and software issues arise
Clearly communicate with consumer base on hardware and software issues
48
Nintendo will continue supporting the 3DS through 2018; confusing the messaging on this system to consumers
Avoid explicitly stating things about the 3DS’s future that may confuse messaging
49
Lack of compelling titles announced for the first year of the system's life
Announce at least five more major first party titles for this year
50
3DS developer ecosystem will likely struggle for a few years to develop 'console-level' games diminishing their overall output
Announce a sizeable launch line-up from these developers for the next two years
51
Device lacks a physical Ethernet port, requiring USB to Ethernet port adaptor for responsive online gaming
Provide low-cost USB to Ethernet adapters
52
Virtual Console purchases on prior systems will likely require a "transfer fee" to become playable on new system
Eliminate any Virtual Console transfer fee or make it $0.99
53
Mixed marketing effort behind console since the January launch that has created as many supporters as detractors
Aggressive marketing campaign this holiday season
54
No internet browser
Develop app to allow this functionality
55
No cloud-saves in case system is lost or damaged
Develop app to allow this functionality
56
OS is entirely rendered in 720p and then upscaled to 1080p when docked as a short-cut; hindering readability of text and images
Update OS to render in 1080 when docked
57
Joy-Con straps can be confusing to place on device and if inserted incorrectly are challenging to remove
Release updated Joy-Con straps in future manufacturing runs of the console
58
No media streaming applications (Netflix, YouTube, Spotify, etc.)
Sponsor apps to allow this functionality
59
Cannot send messages or receive messages from online friends
Allow messaging of friends online from the console
60
Must enter long string of random numbers ("Friend Code") to add friends as online companion
Allow adding friends using their unique user names
61
Social media features (Miiverse and Streetpass) have been removed
Develop apps to allow this functionality
62
Console lacks game footage capture at launch except for screenshots which have incorrect date-timestamps
Enable video capture and fix timestamps on images
63
Only a single high-value launch title is also playable in almost exactly the same state on the Wii U (graphics, FPS, etc.)
Launch a minimum of ten high-quality first-party games this year
64
No built-in achievement or trophy system
Develop apps to allow this functionality

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