I’ve no idea what the discourse is like today but from what I recall:
Nintendo: if you really like the Marios, Zeldas, sidescrollers and platformers.
Sony: if you like highly cinematic games, action adventure games with good graphics and JRPGs.
Microsoft (consoles after Halo 3): if you need the yearly releases of WWE and sports games and you want to support American businesses. Also, at some point, there was Lost Odyssey.
Millions of Steam Decks and their ilk have been sold, and run games significantly better on SteamOS than their Windows counterparts, to the point that Microsoft is reportedly cancelling their own gaming handheld plans. Not a massive challenger to the Switch 2 for most ordinary people, but things are definitely changing.
Microsoft are likely going to keep on trying anyway, Deck is too big of a threat to their Windows gaming monopoly for them to ignore it. Just look at how they managed to get so many Windows handheld models out of the door seemingly minutes after the Deck released with its Linux based SteamOS. Their worst nightmare is people having a viable alternative to their platforms.
The special sauce of the Deck isn’t really what it’s running (it’s just Arch with some extra Steam stuff on top), it’s more that it’s something you can just buy and use without even thinking twice about anything - a more console like experience. To get a Linux handheld with that kind of performance before, you would have to go through all kinds of hoops and trouble to get it working (a lot of people aren’t ready to reinstall the OS on a device they just bought), plus a lot of games just would not work well. Deck gave pressure on game makers to ensure Proton compatibility at launch, as it gives them an established market who would appreciate it.
PC gaming and console gaming are two very different markets, due to the open nature of PCs. Until recently, Microsoft has had a monopoly on all of it and the ability to control the environment it happens in, if not what happens in said environment. They do not want to lose that. That’s actually kinda the reason Valve started making steam machines in the first place, because they realized that their cash cow was dependent entirely on an operating system that might figure out a way to cut them out and they’d have no recourse.
I’m also struggling to think of any JRPGs that have been released on Switch but not PS4/5 (aside from first party like Mario RPG). While I can probably name a dozen that the Switch hardware can’t even handle.
I was specifically trying to think of JRPGs that are on Switch and not PS4/5…
Aside from Xenoblade and FE, which, fair… Those are the only two modern series I can think of that aren’t first party Nintendo titles. And even then, the Xenoblade games have all been remasters for like at least a decade…
The Switch’s hardware was outdated when the console came out… it has always been about Nintendo’s ability to make great games regardless of hardware imo.
For all intents and purposes, it is. And I’m sure the developers would agree, given how many homages I’ve seen so far. It’s clearly a love letter to PS1/PS2-era JRPGs.
i’m not up to date on general console discourse. but i know for a fact Nintendo, though never famous for being cheap, has been going mental lately. $80 for Mario Kart is mind boggling
I assumed the meme is related to high prices decades ago: for example, I remember saving up allowances to buy Star Fox 64, which cost about 70 bucks in the late nineties.
I’ve no idea what the discourse is like today but from what I recall:
Have things changed?
Millions of Steam Decks and their ilk have been sold, and run games significantly better on SteamOS than their Windows counterparts, to the point that Microsoft is reportedly cancelling their own gaming handheld plans. Not a massive challenger to the Switch 2 for most ordinary people, but things are definitely changing.
Microsoft are likely going to keep on trying anyway, Deck is too big of a threat to their Windows gaming monopoly for them to ignore it. Just look at how they managed to get so many Windows handheld models out of the door seemingly minutes after the Deck released with its Linux based SteamOS. Their worst nightmare is people having a viable alternative to their platforms.
Kinda agree, but the consoles already are alternatives to Windows. Don’t really see what’s super special about the Steam Deck, tbh.
Surprised Microsoft hasn’t made some sort of DRM to prevent Xbox studio games from being played on Proton, though.
The special sauce of the Deck isn’t really what it’s running (it’s just Arch with some extra Steam stuff on top), it’s more that it’s something you can just buy and use without even thinking twice about anything - a more console like experience. To get a Linux handheld with that kind of performance before, you would have to go through all kinds of hoops and trouble to get it working (a lot of people aren’t ready to reinstall the OS on a device they just bought), plus a lot of games just would not work well. Deck gave pressure on game makers to ensure Proton compatibility at launch, as it gives them an established market who would appreciate it.
PC gaming and console gaming are two very different markets, due to the open nature of PCs. Until recently, Microsoft has had a monopoly on all of it and the ability to control the environment it happens in, if not what happens in said environment. They do not want to lose that. That’s actually kinda the reason Valve started making steam machines in the first place, because they realized that their cash cow was dependent entirely on an operating system that might figure out a way to cut them out and they’d have no recourse.
I feel so old that genesis isnt on that list.
I would say JRPG is on par or better on Switch, than Playstation nowadays.
No shot. You can’t even play Clair Obsur on it.
I’m also struggling to think of any JRPGs that have been released on Switch but not PS4/5 (aside from first party like Mario RPG). While I can probably name a dozen that the Switch hardware can’t even handle.
Well you have Final Fantasy up to 12, Persona, Dragon Quest, Octopath, Bravely Default II, Suikoden remaster, which are some multi platform games.
Xenoblade, Fire Emblem are two pretty heavy and exclusive series. Then as you mentioned Mario RPG (+paper mario).
I agree there are some recent JRPGs that are probably too demanding though. Clair Obscur I am hoping for a Switch 2 version, but we will see.
I was specifically trying to think of JRPGs that are on Switch and not PS4/5…
Aside from Xenoblade and FE, which, fair… Those are the only two modern series I can think of that aren’t first party Nintendo titles. And even then, the Xenoblade games have all been remasters for like at least a decade…
The Switch’s hardware was outdated when the console came out… it has always been about Nintendo’s ability to make great games regardless of hardware imo.
Can definitely agree on the Fire Emblem. Me? Hundreds of hours? Never!
Clair Obscur is not a JRPG though
For all intents and purposes, it is. And I’m sure the developers would agree, given how many homages I’ve seen so far. It’s clearly a love letter to PS1/PS2-era JRPGs.
i’m not up to date on general console discourse. but i know for a fact Nintendo, though never famous for being cheap, has been going mental lately. $80 for Mario Kart is mind boggling
I assumed the meme is related to high prices decades ago: for example, I remember saving up allowances to buy Star Fox 64, which cost about 70 bucks in the late nineties.
I get the sticker shock, but when in think about $ per fun-time, it’s easy for me to rationalize… If you’re looking for a coping mechanism that is.
By that logic, I should be paying a couple hundred dollars for my copy of Minecraft. I played that shit for 11 years.
no wonder Todd Howard keeps selling skyrim to people, i alone have a 1000h+ in that game!
Ahh, the push i needed to NOT fall into microsoft.
That’s very new then
Halo 3 released a year + a couple days after I was born. I voted for president last year.
Halo 3 came out nearly 2 decades ago…
I still often play it on my modern console (Xbox 360) :3