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720p is a bad term in 2016. It naturally screams previous gen given that it is the resolution targeted by the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It’s also the resolution used in a number of high profile Xbox One games (Star Wars Battlefront and Battlefield 4 to name two), pleasing internet hit mobs who desperately seek out new things to attack, and simply disappointing those who rightfully expected a bit more from Microsoft’s console. A report claiming that the Nintendo Switch tablet screen is 720p has resulted in certain quarters of the gaming community calling for Nintendo to pull themselves out of the Dark Ages, but it’s really not as bad as it might seem. 720p needn’t be the gamer’s enemy, especially when you’re playing on a handheld.
To get the reported information out up front: the screen is said to be 6.2″ and 720p. It’s also apparently capacitive multi-touch, meaning you don’t have to press down hard-ish like you do on the 3DS, but this is less important in this particular discussion – as is the reported IR sensor. Key here is 720p and 6.2″.
That screen size is the same as that of the Wii U GamePad, which is frankly about as large as I’d like a handheld screen to be. The Wii U’s screen resolution is 854×480. That’s a significant step below the 1280×720 res of the Switch. What about the PS Vita? Despite being almost five years old, the woefully underutilised portable still has a fabulous looking display. Sony’s handheld comes in at 960×544 on its 5″ screen.
What we’re missing here is the PPI (Pixels Per Inch), which represents how sharp the image will look on the screen in question. Wii U’s tablet, which many people have used, gamed on, and enjoyed without issue has a PPI of 158 – which isn’t brilliant. Vita is next in line at 220, and then the Nintendo Switch at 237. I’m very happy with a proposed image sharpness that’s better than the Vita while simultaneously on a bigger screen. That 720p isn’t looking too bad anymore, is it?
While it’s easy to point at mobile phones and say they have higher resolution screens, it’s worth remembering that modern phones launch at way over £400 and generally don’t run games nearly as ambitious as the likes Nintendo will be making for Switch. When you’re playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on your iPhone 7 or Samsung S8, give me a call (or a tweet at @vgtomo).
Considering the Nintendo Switch will also double as a home console outputting to a TV, however, there is a legitimate concern there. As we move towards adopting 4K displays it’s going to be quite the radical shift from playing Xbox Scorpio and PS4 Pro games in 4K (or faked 4K) to upscaling a 720p. Hopefully Nintendo has thought about this and there’s some horsepower hidden somewhere to render out at 1080p when the handheld is in the dock. We’ll have to wait and see.
In handheld mode, though, 720p is a great choice. The Switch isn’t going to be a beast in terms of power so in order to offer comparable experiences to that found on PS4 and Xbox One, rendering at a lower resolution is a good option. I for one am looking forward to Nintendo quality gaming on a handheld at 720p. I expect, technical limitations or otherwise, the Switch will set a new benchmark for gaming on the go.
Source: Eurogamer
