More than four years after its launch, the Nintendo Switch remains a unicorn among video game consoles. But that hasn’t stopped many companies from dreaming about trying to capture some of that Switch magic for themselves, and now it looks like Qualcomm may be trying to clone Nintendo’s hybrid device.
According to a new report from Android police, Qualcomm – a company best known for making modems and mobile processors – is considering creating its first retail device in years. It’s reportedly a gadget that would, in every way, be Qualcomm’s take on a Nintendo Switch.
Based on non-final images of the devices, Qualcomm’s portable console would include detachable controllers similar to Nintendo’s Joy-Cons, along with a central module containing a display, processor and other components including a 6000 mAh battery , Bluetooth, WiFi and more. And since this is Qualcomm we are talking about, this rumored handset is also expected to come with 5G connectivity.
Like the Switch, Qualcomm’s rumor console is also expected to support video-out capabilities when paired with a TV or external monitor, with additional onboard storage via an SD card slot. Qualcomm’s home screen / launcher is said to be based on Android 12, and Qualcomm will apparently try to support a range of third-party game stores from publishers such as Epic, Google, and others. It’s unknown if Qualcomm has plans to support cloud gaming services like Google Stadia or Nvidia’s GeForce Now, although based only on hardware, which probably won’t be difficult to accommodate.
Qualcomm reportedly expects a launch date sometime in early 2022 with a target price of around $ 300, with Qualcomm hoping to sell directly to consumers, but may also open the device to partnerships with carriers and other retailers to increase the device’s availability and presence. to increase.
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If you take a step back now and think about it loosely, the idea seems to have little merit. Qualcomm is already one of the largest manufacturers of mobile processors in the world, and compared to the Nvidia Tegra X1 chip currently used in the Switch (which was already a bit dated in 2017 when Nintendo chose to use it for the console). with power), modern Qualcomm chips such as the Snapdragon 888 or the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 would almost certainly have an advantage in both overall performance and energy efficiency. And given Qualcomm’s expertise and extensive wireless IP holdings, the company could likely make a device with better wireless connectivity than Nintendo. After all, a Switch is little more than a chic smartphone with controllers screwed to the sides.
And yet I think Qualcomm’s plans to create its own Switch clone will be a frustrating exercise.
Qualcomm’s first major hurdle is that it typically only works as a B2B supplier, and aside from a handful of prototypes and reference devices, Qualcomm doesn’t really make retail devices meant for everyday people. Qualcomm makes the chips, modems, and sensors that power many of the consumer gadgets we use every day, but the company doesn’t make those gadgets itself.
This turns into Qualcomm’s second biggest challenge: the lack of brand recognition. Now there is no doubt that Qualcomm is a hugely influential company. It produces most of the mobile chips used in the current Android phones and tablets. The problem is, people aren’t used to seeing Qualcomm as a real brand. When people buy a Samsung phone, they don’t buy it just because it has a Qualcomm processor. That’s just one of the many components, and they buy the whole package. The logo that really matters is the logo on the back of the device, be it a fruit or a name or something else, which is almost never from Qualcomm. (And this doesn’t even account for the reality that most people don’t have a choice as to which chips are selected for use in the devices they buy.)
The third big argument against Qualcomm’s Switch clone is that Qualcomm doesn’t create content. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the Switch is far from hardware perfection. Joy-Cons suffer from drift, the Switch still doesn’t really support Bluetooth audio, the screen isn’t particularly colorful or sharp, and the performance isn’t that impressive either.
But what Nintendo does have is a huge library of content, recognizable mascots, and that common “Nintendo magic” that makes everything feel fun and whimsical. When the Switch launched, it debuted alongside what is arguably the best Zelda game ever. What could Qualcomm possibly have in store that could compete with it? No company does more with less performance than Nintendo, with Nintendo managing to outperform the much more powerful competing Xbox and PlayStation consoles from Microsoft and Sony.
Admittedly, the Android Police report stated that Qualcomm is looking for support for third-party game stores, which could make games fun Fortnite Genshin Impact, and other popular titles available on the Qualcomm handheld. But it’s important to remember that everyone who plays these games already has a device to play it on, which means Qualcomm has to deliver something unique that no other device has, which seems like a real challenge, just think how difficult Qualcomm makes it. out of Nintendo’s playbook. Ask yourself: what special feature could Qualcomm implement on its Switch clone that would make you choose it instead of a real Switch or traditional console?
But then it gets even more difficult if you believe that in recent reports Nintendo could release a revamped Switch with better performance and a premium screen, possibly before the end of the year. If Nintendo can deliver, that would make any handheld console Qualcomm can deliver in early 2022 even less attractive.
But perhaps the biggest argument against Qualcomm’s rumored Switch clone is all the other Switch clones that haven’t gained significant traction. Last year, Dell showed a PC-based Switch-like concept device at CES called Project UFO, but after more than 14 months, we still haven’t received any updates about Project UFO ever released to the market. And this year, Lenovo teamed up with NEC on it LaVie Mini, another Switch clone with removable controllers built from PC parts.
And then there are even lesser-known companies like GPD that make neat little devices like the Win 3not to mention the millions of phones that can be turned into a portable console via controller accessories or touch controls. It’s been four years since the Switch came out, and thinking that Qualcomm – a company that doesn’t make consumer gadgets – will be able to recreate the Switch’s success when countless others have tried and failed it seems like a daunting task.
I’m not going to say Qualcomm’s portable console plans are 100% doomed, but from where I sit, the odds of a win seem slim at best.
And yet I am still incredibly curious how they try. Heck, maybe Qualcomm can hit a winning formula, or somehow the growth of 5G will radically change how we use handheld consoles. (It’s unlikely in the short term, but hey, who knows). So let me ask you, is a portable video game console made by Qualcomm something you’d like to see?