Nintendo Switch has been a unicorn among video game consoles more than four years after its launch. But this has not stopped many companies from dreaming of trying to capture certain Switch magic on their own, and now it seems that Qualcomm may try to clone Nintendo’s hybrid equipment.

According to a new report from Android policeQualcomm, a company known for producing modems and mobile processors, is considering manufacturing its first retail device in several years. According to reports, from all intents and purposes, this is a small tool, which is Qualcomm’s view of Nintendo Switch.

Qualcomm’s portable console is based on a non-final image of the device and is said to have a detachable controller similar to Nintendo’s Joy-Cons, and a central module that houses the display, processor and other components, including a 6,000 mAh battery, Bluetooth, wifi Wait. And since we are talking about Qualcomm, the rumored phone is also expected to be equipped with 5G connectivity.

Like the Switch, the rumored Qualcomm console is also expected to support video output when docked to a TV or external monitor, and provide additional onboard storage through an SD card slot. It is said that Qualcomm’s home screen/launcher is based on Android 12. Qualcomm will obviously try to support a series of third-party game stores from publishers such as Epic and Google. Whether Qualcomm plans to support cloud gaming services such as Google Stadia or Nvidia’s GeForce Now is unclear, although it is based only on hardware, it may not be difficult.

According to reports, Qualcomm plans to launch the product sometime in early 2022, with a target price of about $300. Qualcomm hopes to sell products directly to consumers, but it is also possible to open the device to operators and other retailers Partnerships to help increase the availability and impact of equipment.

Now, if you take a step back and think about it loosely, the idea does seem to have some advantages.Qualcomm is already one of the largest mobile processor manufacturers in the world. Compared with the Nvidia Tegra X1 chip currently used by the Switch (as early as 2017 when Nintendo chose to use it to power the console), something like Snapdragon 888 or Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 It will almost certainly have advantages in overall performance and power efficiency. Given Qualcomm’s expertise and extensive wireless IP assets, the company may be able to produce better wirelessly connected devices than Nintendo. After all, the Switch is by no means just a fancy smartphone, it has a controller on its side.

However, I think Qualcomm’s plan to make its own Switch clone product will make people feel frustrated.

The first major obstacle for Qualcomm is that it usually only operates as a B2B supplier. Except for a few prototypes and reference devices, Qualcomm does not really make retail equipment for ordinary people. Qualcomm produces the chips, modems and sensors that power many consumer electronics products we use every day, but the company does not manufacture these electronics products on its own.

This turned into Qualcomm’s second major challenge: lack of brand awareness. Now, there is no doubt that Qualcomm is a very influential company. It produces most of the mobile chips used in today’s Android phones and tablets. The problem is that people are not 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 many components, and they are buying the entire kit. The really important logo is the logo on the back of the device. Whether it’s fruit, name or other names, it’s hardly Qualcomm. (Moreover, this doesn’t even take into account the fact that most people don’t have the choice of which chips to use in the equipment they buy.)

The third major argument against Qualcomm’s Switch clone is that Qualcomm does not produce content. I have said it before, and I will say it again, the Switch is far from perfect hardware. Joy-Cons will drift, Switch still does not really support Bluetooth audio, its screen is not particularly bright or clear, and its performance is not so impressive.

However, Nintendo does have a huge content library, recognizable mascots, and the kind of universal “Nintendo Magic” that makes everything interesting and whimsical. When the Switch launched, it debuted with arguably the best Zelda game ever. What might Qualcomm have to compete with in the store? No company has more poor performance than Nintendo, and Nintendo manages to outperform the more powerful competing Xbox and PlayStation consoles than Microsoft and Sony.

Of course, the Android Police report mentions that Qualcomm is seeking to support third-party game stores, which may make similar Fort night, Yuanzhen ShockAnd other popular titles available on Qualcomm handheld devices. But it’s important to remember that anyone who has played these games can already use the device to play games, which means that Qualcomm must provide unique features that other devices do not have. The level of hard work seems to be a real challenge. Ask yourself: What special features can Qualcomm implement on its Switch clone so that you can choose it on an actual Switch or a traditional console?

However, if you believe that recent reports indicate, things get more difficult. Nintendo may release a revised Switch May get better performance and better display effect before the end of this year. If Nintendo can deliver, that will make any handheld gaming console delivered by Qualcomm in early 2022 more attractive.

But perhaps the biggest argument against Qualcomm’s rumored Switch clone is all other Switch clones that have not gained widespread attention.At CES last year, Dell showed a PC-based Switch-like concept device UFO Project, But after more than 14 months, we still have not received any latest news about the launch of UFO projects on the market.This year, Lenovo cooperated with NEC to create LaVie Mini, This is another Switch clone with a removable controller built from PC parts.

There are also lesser-known companies like GPD, they make neat little equipment Like Win 3, Not to mention that millions of mobile phones can be converted into portable consoles through controller attachments or touch controls. It has been four years since the Switch was born, and it seems that Qualcomm, which does not produce consumer electronics, will be able to reshape the success of the Switch when countless other companies try and fail. This seems to be a daunting task.

I’m not saying that Qualcomm’s portable console plan is doomed to 100% failure, but from where I sit, the chance of victory seems trivial at best.

However, I am still very curious to see them try.Heck, maybe Qualcomm can stumble upon a successful formula, or somehow 5G growth Will fundamentally change the way we use handheld consoles. (Not likely in the short term, but hey, who knows). So let me ask you, would you like to see portable video game consoles made by Qualcomm?