Nintendo Switch Won't Have a Web Browser at Launch

[Addendum_Forthcoming]

Good. About time we stop treating consoles as shitty pcs. It will never win. It's about as bad an idea as the Switch being harangued for not having a Skype telephony app. I'm honestly surprised why people have a problem with this ... wasn't this a big problem with XB1? That it tried to become a multimedia device and intentionally tried to stop being a decent game console that locked all your game discs and practically spied on you at night.

 

[Fulbert]

What console, mobile or otherwise, has ever had a decent web-browsing utility anyway? And who'd use a web browser on a console that already practically requires a mobile phone lying next to it to function? I'm as frustrated by the way the Switch offloads most of its online functionality to a separate mobile app as the next guy but the decision to get rid of a web browser sort of makes sense, all things considered.

 

[Zulnam]

Come on guys don't be mad! Remember the cow milking and shaving mini-games it will have!

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

I'm honestly surprised why people have a problem with this ... wasn't this a big problem with XB1?

The companion tech on the Xbone put all that multimedia front and centre, ahead of the games. But it still offered functionality for both.

 

[goofsg]

Alright well...Ok, I guess this is technically a shitty point, but...

I used my Wii U alot for looking up stuff while playing Xbox One and PS4 games...cause I could use the gamepad without having to change which HDMI port my screen was on...

Or I had youtube playing Game Grumps while I was gaming.

you could put your laptop or tablet next to you and and do the same its not nintendo priority to make sure you can binge watch while playing games

 

[Saelune]

Alright well...Ok, I guess this is technically a shitty point, but...

I used my Wii U alot for looking up stuff while playing Xbox One and PS4 games...cause I could use the gamepad without having to change which HDMI port my screen was on...

Or I had youtube playing Game Grumps while I was gaming.

you could put your laptop or tablet next to you and and do the same its not nintendo priority to make sure you can binge watch while playing games

Well, the Wii U Gamepad actually sits on my knee pretty well. My laptop doesnt. And my laptop is not as indestructible as Nintendo-made stuff is.

As I pointed out, this is not the best argument for it, but still. I found the Wii U to be very great and useful in ways perhaps not considered. And I prefer not having to have more consoles to have continued to be hooked up. But it seems my Wii U will be staying active even after I get a Switch.

 

[goofsg]

What console, mobile or otherwise, has ever had a decent web-browsing utility anyway? And who'd use a web browser on a console that already practically requires a mobile phone lying next to it to function? I'm as frustrated by the way the Switch offloads most of its online functionality to a separate mobile app as the next guy but the decision to get rid of a web browser sort of makes sense, all things considered.

thats what i was saying. at e3 that year when the xb1 was announced it was all multimedia. browsing facebook and going on skype; watching your favorite shows and sports. nothing else was shown that year, plus the console design didn't help.people got pissed about it but now i see people complaining about multi media on the switch .a demand for multi media the xb1 is a product of the current gaming community. people only care about high end graphics,and apparently browsing Facebook and binge watching Netflix.

you shouldnt even be binge watching and browsing the web while playing. at that point shut off you your console and go on your computer.sorry to the people angry about it,but nintendo consoles isnt a apple tv.

 

[Parasondox]

Nintendo, why don't you just release the console/handheld until you have all the features ready? You want to charge $300 for something that doesn't have a browser? Really?

Well the full product and not a half baked bread and full price making promises that the other half of the bread that may not be stale and mouldy bread

 

[go-10]

do PS4 and Xbone have a web browser?
do people really care about this given how many devices we have available to browse the internet already?
can Switch just use a Web Bowser instead of a lame ass browser?

 

[goofsg]

Nintendo, why don't you just release the console/handheld until you have all the features ready? You want to charge $300 for something that doesn't have a browser? Really?

Well the full product and not a half baked bread and full price making promises that the other half of the bread that may not be stale and mouldy bread

its a console focused on games. trivial stuff like this isn't something to hate the console for. gamers cant make up their minds. first its xb1 sucks,then ists wheres my muh multi media.

 

[Kungfu_Teddybear]

Next weeks article: Switch Won't Have Components at Launch.

 

[Sight Unseen]

The Nintendo store will only be available through the Switch companion app on your smart phone.

Are you serious?

Mostly not. But the cynic in me thinks that since the console can't run it's flagship title at 1080 @60fps, I'm starting to think that the console is capable of running very little, so more and more functionality will be offloaded to the companion app.

I mean, even the PS4 and Xbox One can't run titles at 1080p 60fps...

 

[MonsterCrit]

And Nintendo continues to show how little they care about catching up.

WHy should they. The fanfolks have taught them that so long as the announce a new poikemon game for it, peop;le will buy it faster than crack.

You want to play Pokemon Nebula and Galaxy, guess what , you're gonna buy this.
You wanna play a new mario game. You buying this.
Maybe if you buy this, we'll make a new metroid game. WHo knows

I stopped taking them seriously when I found out you needed to use a cellphone, for match-making.

 

[sagitel]

do PS4 and Xbone have a web browser?
do people really care about this given how many devices we have available to browse the internet already?
can Switch just use a Web Bowser instead of a lame ass browser?

i was gonna say how its stupid to take out your phone and put it in your pocket in a public place if you are using the switch and need a guide or something, then i remembered how matchmaking and chat in online games is done by your phone. so thats par for the course.


(still fucking stupid)

 

[RJ 17]

Nintendo breathes a sigh of relief that people won't play an HTML5 knockoff of some of its first party titles like Snipperclips.

That would be rather hilarious if someone found a way to get NESticle on their Switch. :^)

 

[Jburton9]

Wow good market signaling by Nintendo. It makes the purchase choice for their new AOL of consoles all the easier. /s

 

[TheMysteriousGX]

And here I remember people getting mad at the XBone for hyping it's multimedia capabilities.

What changing times we live it.

 

[Guffe]

I for one don't care.
Haven't logged on to the internet on any console via the browser, ever.
I've used the apps like Netflix... and... the estores they have! That's it.
I use my computer to surf the web, occasionally the phone.
I can sort of see why people think it is a big deal that it isn't there, but I don't have a problem with it. I think this might be a device I could use as a tablet and having internet on it would work very well, so it is sort of strange it isn't there. But not buying this console because of this fact alone? That's just madness in my opinion. My opinion could of course be wrong if you ask someone else.

 

[sagitel]

And here I remember people getting mad at the XBone for hyping it's multimedia capabilities.

What changing times we live it.

the XB1 was marketed as a multimedia device first and foremost. that's what got people angry. they said that console should play games first. games should come first. but they didnt want it to only play games. no one wants that anymore. and as usual Nintendo has no clue about what people want

 

[Lightspeaker]

My first reaction was "so what". I rarely use the browser on my other consoles at home, I've got my PC.

Then I remembered this is supposed to be a portable console. In which case a browser is definitely warranted.

Then when reading I noticed someone pointing out that lack of a browser feature makes it impossible to log into certain wifi networks. Which was a trick I'd missed.

And... *facepalm*


To all those trying to make excuses based on the PS4 and XBOne: Just stop. This isn't a PS4 or an XBOne. Neither of those are portable. This is a portable console. If its going to be portable it needs features like this because you're not necessarily going to have a PC sitting right there whilst playing.