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Vectrex Mini interview - David Oghia talks up the nostalgic vector powerhouse

Having been wowed by the news of the Vectrex Mini at Gamescom , I rushed off some questions to VectrexOn's main man  David Oghia . After a post-event, well earned, break, he's kindly given us a lot of detail about the project and some new images of the unit to share.  His story mirrors mine somewhat, Vectrex represents a glowing, unaffordable, obelisk of gaming power from our youth! But he's had the energy and drive to do something about it, and met the right people to get the job done!  What first got you interested in Vectrex and what spawned the idea of a Mini version? I’ve always been passionate about retro-gaming, but my first love was computers rather than consoles — the ZX81, then the Commodore 128. I only really discovered the console world in the late 90s, which is when I got my very first Vectrex. Of course, I had seen it in stores back in 1983, but at that time it was far too expensive for me.  Today, I own five Vectrex systems at home. Vector-based games ...

Mini-LED screens would brighten up the Switch 2's day

Despite bullshit headlines like "Nintendo Switch Pro Alleged Secret Weapon Could Challenge PS5, Xbox Series X" there's good reason to hope that a second-generation Switch could ship with a decent display technology like mini-LED (not micro-LED) to make more of a consumer and user impression. 


Given that Nintendo isn't a hardware whore when it comes to console features, there's no guarantee that they will. But, if Mini-LED is affordable, and Nintendo want to make waves beyond a processor and GPU uptick, Mini-LED is making a big noise in screen tech, with Apple products supposedly getting in on the act for a 2021 iPad

Mini LEDs improve on current screens by using thousands of individual tiny backlights rather than a few lamps around the edge of the screen. These create zones that can be individually tuned for a better-looking display and output, offering higher contrast ratios and brightness, better black tones, are more power efficient for better battery life and are inorganic so shouldn't fade like an OLED, although my 8 year old Vita still makes the Switch look crappy...


A better screen gives Nintendo's marketing bunnies something to shout about while Sony and Microsoft wave their GHz and silly storage ideas around, but won't have much of an effect on people who buy Nintendo for the games. And as long as it doesn't push the cost up too much (pretty sure they'll stick with a cheaper LED version option), Nintendo gets to stay relevant, maybe with 4K output from the dock, and a few other gimmicks. 

The source for all this gossip comes from Taiwan and the Economic Daily News suggesting that Innolux Corporation and Nintendo are partnering to obtain the screens, to break away from its current Japanese suppliers (which are likely more expensive), ready for a spring 2021 launch, four years after the original Switch hit.

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Currently playing on my Vita/PS3/PS4/PS5


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