No more rumors. No more speculation. No more frustration.
On Thursday morning, we finally got our first look at the Nintendo Switch (previously known as the NX), and as reports suggested, it exists somewhere in the realm between a portable device and home console.
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“Introducing Nintendo Switch!,” says the video description. “In addition to providing single and multiplayer thrills at home, the Nintendo Switch system also enables gamers to play the same title wherever, whenever and with whomever they choose. The mobility of a handheld is now added to the power of a home gaming system to enable unprecedented new video game play styles.”
The console itself is a 6-inch tablet with two detachable controllers, which can either be used in tandem by a single player or by two players for multiplayer games. When a Switch owner wants to play on the television, they simply have to slot the tablet into the Switch Dock, at which point it becomes a home console.
When you remove the Switch from the dock, it instantly switches to portable mode (hence the name). The detachable devices on each side of the Switch are called Joy-Con controllers, and they can either click into the sides of the Switch or “be slipped into a Joy-Con Grip accessory,” which is a less unusual controller.
Additionally, if you prefer a controller more along the lines of what Sony and Microsoft have to offer, Nintendo will also release an accessory called the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, which looks a lot like the Wii U Pro Controller.
Unlike most modern consoles, the Nintendo Switch will use GameCards, much like the Nintendo 3DS. Switch owners will insert GameCards into the top of the console, in a slot that looks similar to an SD card slot on a phone or tablet.
Several first- and third-party games appear in the preview trailer, including Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition, NBA 2K17, Mario Kart (8?) and what looks like an unannounced 3D Mario title.
Here’s a sampling of partners that will be releasing games on the Switch:
Nvidia also published a blog post announcing its partnership with Nintendo for the Switch. According to Nvidia, the switch is powered by a “custom Tegra processor” which is “based on the same architecture as the world’s top-performing GeForce gaming graphics cards.” Nvidia wants to assure gamers that the Switch is up to the task of being both a solid living room console and a powerful portable machine.
As Nintendo previously confirmed, the Nintendo Switch launches in March 2017.
