Nintendo Switch Goes for Gaming Handheld & TV Console in One
The Japanese gaming giant have officially unveiled their latest games console, due to take over from the extremely fun but under performing Wii U. Nintendo's got a completely new game system coming next year, and it's totally modular. The Nintendo Switch is a lot of things: a tablet, a console and even a portable multiplayer tabletop game system. After more than a year of anticipation by fans, the worldwide scramble to watch the footage crashed Nintendo’s main website. The company confirmed that it will launch the console, as previously promised, in March 2017.
It's a combination portable system and home console. It might bridge the gap between Nintendo's long-lasting handheld game business and its TV-connected gaming. And, maybe, it's pointing towards the future of Nintendo and where it's headed as a company.
Here's what we know so far, now that the Switch has been announced.
It's a system that will play connected to a TV, or by itself on the go:
Nintendo demonstrated that the Switch will play its games connected to a TV like a regular games console, or as a tablet-style handheld with its own controls. It can also be played while standing up on its own kickstand, with detachable controllers.
It gets fit into the dock:
The "Nintendo Switch Dock" is where the Switch lives when it's in your living room. The tablet slides into the dock, and then seems to instantly switch into a TV-connected mode. This is a bit like the Nvidia Shield tablet, which had a similar play-on-TV, play-on-the-go idea.
You can hot-switch between TV mode or handheld mode easily:
Nintendo's preview video shows people playing games on the TV, then popping the tablet out and playing on the sofa. Games should instantly switch, and play in either mode.
Its Joy-Con controllers detach and become stand-alone wireless controllers:
The Switch has a flexible idea of controllers: two "Joy-Con" side pieces slide onto the edges of the Switch tablet, adding four buttons and an analog stick on each side, plus shoulder buttons, just like the Wii U GamePad. But when these are slid off, they can become standalone Wii remote-like controllers, held sideways to play games. The Joy-Con controllers also slide into another accessory, the Joy-Con Grip, turning them into a full controller separate from the tablet.
There's a kickstand, too:
The Switch can stand up on a table, and games can be played with the controllers like a mini console. Local multiplayer games can be played on one or several Switch tablets. It looks like several people could play games on one together, or network several for LAN-style gaming.
There's a cartridge slot:
Besides downloading games, the Switch will have its own little card-based cartridges. It doesn't support any DVD or Blu-ray-style discs.
Is it backwards-compatible with old Nintendo games? We don't know:
Nintendo did show the Switch using 3DS-like cartridges, but the safe bet is that this will use its own category of software.
What games will it play?
We don't know about much that yet, but Nintendo's upcoming Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will be a launch title. Nintendo's new Switch video also shows a Splatoon game, Skyrim, a Mario Kart title, a Super Mario game, and an official NBA basketball game.
Nintendo's already announced a lot of development partners:
The list of partners unveiled by Nintendo is pretty extensive: Activision, EA, Capcom and more are onboard. Of course, they haven't said what games they'll release. Ubisoft's CEO Yves Guillemot said in a statement, "With the Nintendo Switch's unique capacities and design, Nintendo could again redefine the way we play games. The Nintendo Switch is accessible at its core and also seizes on the growing trends of sharing more experiences and playing anywhere at any time." Of course, similar statements were made by developers during the launch of the Nintendo Wii U.
It's powered by an Nvidia Tegra processor:
Nvidia says the Switch uses a custom Tegra processor. Nvidia Tegra processors have previously powered Nvidia's Shield gaming tablets and other mobile devices, but Nvidia promises this processor is "based on the same architecture as the world's top-performing GeForce gaming graphics cards," adding a revamped physics engine and other tools. Nvidia's Tegra processor might sound like it'll be less powerful than a full "normal" console, but it's hard to tell how advanced the Switch will truly be.
It's arriving March 2017.
Price is yet to be revealed.
“Nintendo Switch allows gamers the freedom to play however they like,” said Reggie Fils-Aime, President and COO, Nintendo of America. “It gives game developers new abilities to bring their creative visions to life by opening up the concept of gaming without boundaries.”
Cheers!!!
It's a combination portable system and home console. It might bridge the gap between Nintendo's long-lasting handheld game business and its TV-connected gaming. And, maybe, it's pointing towards the future of Nintendo and where it's headed as a company.
Here's what we know so far, now that the Switch has been announced.
It's a system that will play connected to a TV, or by itself on the go:
Nintendo demonstrated that the Switch will play its games connected to a TV like a regular games console, or as a tablet-style handheld with its own controls. It can also be played while standing up on its own kickstand, with detachable controllers.
It gets fit into the dock:
The "Nintendo Switch Dock" is where the Switch lives when it's in your living room. The tablet slides into the dock, and then seems to instantly switch into a TV-connected mode. This is a bit like the Nvidia Shield tablet, which had a similar play-on-TV, play-on-the-go idea.
You can hot-switch between TV mode or handheld mode easily:
Nintendo's preview video shows people playing games on the TV, then popping the tablet out and playing on the sofa. Games should instantly switch, and play in either mode.
Its Joy-Con controllers detach and become stand-alone wireless controllers:
The Switch has a flexible idea of controllers: two "Joy-Con" side pieces slide onto the edges of the Switch tablet, adding four buttons and an analog stick on each side, plus shoulder buttons, just like the Wii U GamePad. But when these are slid off, they can become standalone Wii remote-like controllers, held sideways to play games. The Joy-Con controllers also slide into another accessory, the Joy-Con Grip, turning them into a full controller separate from the tablet.
There's a kickstand, too:
The Switch can stand up on a table, and games can be played with the controllers like a mini console. Local multiplayer games can be played on one or several Switch tablets. It looks like several people could play games on one together, or network several for LAN-style gaming.
There's a cartridge slot:
Besides downloading games, the Switch will have its own little card-based cartridges. It doesn't support any DVD or Blu-ray-style discs.
Is it backwards-compatible with old Nintendo games? We don't know:
Nintendo did show the Switch using 3DS-like cartridges, but the safe bet is that this will use its own category of software.
What games will it play?
We don't know about much that yet, but Nintendo's upcoming Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will be a launch title. Nintendo's new Switch video also shows a Splatoon game, Skyrim, a Mario Kart title, a Super Mario game, and an official NBA basketball game.
Nintendo's already announced a lot of development partners:
The list of partners unveiled by Nintendo is pretty extensive: Activision, EA, Capcom and more are onboard. Of course, they haven't said what games they'll release. Ubisoft's CEO Yves Guillemot said in a statement, "With the Nintendo Switch's unique capacities and design, Nintendo could again redefine the way we play games. The Nintendo Switch is accessible at its core and also seizes on the growing trends of sharing more experiences and playing anywhere at any time." Of course, similar statements were made by developers during the launch of the Nintendo Wii U.
It's powered by an Nvidia Tegra processor:
Nvidia says the Switch uses a custom Tegra processor. Nvidia Tegra processors have previously powered Nvidia's Shield gaming tablets and other mobile devices, but Nvidia promises this processor is "based on the same architecture as the world's top-performing GeForce gaming graphics cards," adding a revamped physics engine and other tools. Nvidia's Tegra processor might sound like it'll be less powerful than a full "normal" console, but it's hard to tell how advanced the Switch will truly be.
It's arriving March 2017.
Price is yet to be revealed.
“Nintendo Switch allows gamers the freedom to play however they like,” said Reggie Fils-Aime, President and COO, Nintendo of America. “It gives game developers new abilities to bring their creative visions to life by opening up the concept of gaming without boundaries.”
Cheers!!!
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