Nintendo, ever the quirky game-changer, announced its all-new Switch console before throngs of observers largely underwhelmed by its unpopular Wii U. Naturally, the Switch's hybrid nature - it's both a home console and a handheld device, have raised questions on its system performance, specifically regarding hardware.
One can readily assume that the Switch Dock increases the console's performance, as it enables the console to run games at 1080p on the TV. Nintendo has yet to disclose details on whether the dock has some extra hardware niceties such as an additional processor to optimize performance at home. That is, until Laura Dale of Let's Play Video Games leaked some juicy information from a Nintendo insider:
"When the system is connected to the dock by USB-C, the system's components will run at a higher clock speed to facilitate 1080p resolutions on the TV. Both video and power will be transferred over USB-C when docked. Plugging the system into the dock will also activate a small additional fan to help with cooling when run at that higher clock speed. This fan is in the rear of the dock, and there is a gap in the back of the dock to allow the system's inbuilt fans to vent when docked."
In short, the Switch Dock doesn't have an extra processor to assist the console to transmit games on TV when played at home. Instead, such transmission will take place through processor overclocking, which the dock manages through a small fan to prevent damage. With that, Quartz further speculated that playing the Nintendo Switch at home would generally result to better performance compared to that in handheld mode.
Dale added that the Switch Dock's lightweight nature may have been Nintendo's intention all along, in that the company may sell additional docks in the future for those who prefer to play on different TVs. Third-party dock manufacturers may also enter the fray once the Nintendo Switch rises in popularity.Watch Jimmy Fallon sample the Nintendo Switch on "The Tonight Show" below:
