So I originally wrote the following shortly after the Switch reveal. I guess I never quite finished it, as it's sat in a tab in my text editor since then. I've made some slight changes to that version, updating with some things that seem less hazy now than they did then, though the real real reveal tomorrow night may change things yet again.
Though Nintendo is being coy about it replacing the 3DS, if all goes well Switch is intended to be the next step for Nintendo both at home and portably. That being the case, I thought it would be interesting to see how it looks as a successor individually to 3DS and Wii U. By the time they really decide to push the 3DS to the backburner they might have something like a more portable model of Switch available, but for now I'm working with the unit to be released in March 2017. And unfortunately since a lot of it is still uncertain, there is some rumor and guesswork in here.
From 3DS
PRO Resolution. Comparing from one eye's view of the main screen, 400x240 to 1280x720 is 9.6x as many pixels. Considering all the screen portions 400x240x2 + 320x240 to 1280x720 is 3.4x as many pixels.
Screen size. The original 3DS top screen is about 5.6 square inches. The 3DS XL top screen is about 10.5 square inches. The Switch scren dwarfs both at about 16.5 square inches. HOWEVER, the 3DS XL's top screen plus bottom screen added together do beat it, with a combined 19 square inches.
Tech specs. A lot is unknown about Switch's actual processors, but from what is known it seems ridiculously more powerful. Switch will have about 32x as much RAM as 3DS, and it seems like the rest of the improvements will be even bigger. Though it does somewhat depend on whether Switch is in docked or undocked mode, which apparently changes the GPU speed significantly.
Controls. Largely like those of the New 3DS, with the extra shoulder buttons and second analog control. However, both analogs will be full sticks, and sounds like one set of shoulders are analog as well. The controller portions that split off should allow for dual motion controls and possibly pointer as an alternate to touch. Touch will now be multi-touch, as opposed to the single touch of 3DS and DS.
Multiplayer. Local wireless and Internet play still possible, but now local multiplayer through shared or split screen is pretty standard too. Easy to get many two-player games going thanks to using the joy-cons individually.
CON Battery life. Rumors have varied on this quite a bit, but sounds like it might be worse than original model 3DS's was.
Size. Screen size is nice, but most people will find it impossible to fit Switch in a standard pocket.
Dual screen / clamshell. If you've come to appreciate the dual screen / clamshell design over the last dozen years as I have, unfortunately it's gone too.
Camera/mic. It seems there is no camera or microphone standard on Switch? There is some doubt on this.
From Wii U
PRO Resolution. Wii U Gamepad was 480p screen, Switch is a 720p screen. So 1.5x the pixels in either axis, or 2.25x overall. TV output for games probably maxes out at 1080p in either case, though Switch being more powerful it should hit it much more often. In fact with the GPU speed difference between docked and undocked, it seems designed to make 720p on the go and 1080p on TV an obvious choice.
Tech specs. Again there's a lot we don't know about Switch, but depending on how things pan out and whether it's in undocked or docked mode, it can probably do 2-5x as much as Wii U. RAM seems to only be doubled from Wii U, but rumor says the non-OS portion of RAM will be about triple what was available to developers on Wii U. Overall, still a fair gap below Xbone or PS4.
Architecture. Less exciting than pure spec numbers, but much of the Wii U was built with Wii compatibility in mind, and thus in some ways hampered back to GameCube tech designed at the turn of the century. With modern tech in, even though of the kind designed for mobile devices, Switch is a much easier target for current multiplatform games and middleware than Wii U was.
Controls. Largely the same as what's found on the GamePad, except one set of shoulders should be analog. Dual motion and possibly pointer should allow for somewhat more advanced version of wiimote / nunchuk controls. Single touch on the screen now multitouch.
Off TV Play. If you imagine undocked Switch as an evolved form of Off TV Play, then this is one where 100% of games work with it and the range is infinite, versus a couple dozen feet for the GamePad. Also since it's not an image being transmitted wirelessly there's no image quality loss from compression.
Multiplayer. Local shared/split-screen play and Internet play still possible, but now local wireless connecting to nearby Switches should be a pretty normal thing, too.
Sleep mode. Being a staple of portables it's necessary here, which will add some convenience for quick long-term pausing.
CON Dual screen. When docked the image outputs to TV and the tablet screen is mostly physically blocked, so games built around different things happening on the TV screen versus a held screen do not seem possible.
Camera/mic. It seems there is no camera or microphone standard on Switch? There is some doubt on this.
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