Nintendo Switch game console-handheld hybrid is official. Here’s release date, features, price details and everything else you need to know about it.
With the world well and truly going mad for Nintendo thanks to Pokémon Go and other recent successes, it seems like the perfect time for the Japanese company to introduce some new hardware that has been wildly speculated about it the last twelve months. Previously codenamed the Nintendo NX, the company has now officially introduced the Nintendo Switch with a teaser video, which will form the basis of its next venture into the home gaming hardware market.
The newly release preview trailer gives consumer an instant look into what Nintendo is looking to bring to market with the Switch, and it has definitely been a long time coming with the company previously announcing that they were working on something well over a year ago back in March 2015.
Hardcore Nintendo fans have had to live with almost eighteen months of suspense of knowing that something is coming, but having no idea of what that hardware will be capable of, or what it will actually look like, and how it will fit in the home gaming landscape. That frustration is now over.
Nintendo appears to have taken a leaf out of trends within other markets by introducing something that seems to be a hybrid piece of hardware looking to function like a home console, but one that can also be a portable handheld if the user sees the need to game on the move.
At home, Nintendo Switch rests in the Nintendo Switch Dock that connects the system to the TV and lets you play with family and friends in the comfort of your living room. By simply lifting Nintendo Switch from the dock, the system will instantly transition to portable mode, and the same great gaming experience that was being enjoyed at home now travels with you.
The Switch comes complete with a controller that can connect to a home TV for gaming control, but is also versatile enough to be connected directly to the portable display of the hardware so that it can be used as a mobile gaming platform. That may seem like the best of both worlds for some, but it also likely to irk a number of hardware gamers. That said, it also allows you to share the controller with another friend.
Gaming springs into action by removing detachable Joy-Con controllers from either side of Nintendo Switch. One player can use a Joy-Con controller in each hand; two players can each take one; or multiple Joy-Con can be employed by numerous people for a variety of gameplay options. They can easily click back into place or be slipped into a Joy-Con Grip accessory, mirroring a more traditional controller.
Of course, in addition to acting as a gaming platform, it looks as though Nintendo will be pushing the Switch as a media viewer as well, offering the ability to stream and consume media, as well as load and view your own media directly onto it. A number of game developers and publishers who are already working on supporting Switch includes the likes of Activision Publishing, Inc., Bethesda, CAPCOM CO., LTD., Codemasters, Electronic Arts, Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd, SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD., Telltale Games, UBISOFT, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, and many more.
The company is pushing for March 2017 release for the Switch. Price, exact launch date, configuration and other specifics will also be announced prior to that release period. Definitely something for gamers and Nintendo fans to look forward to for next year. For now, check out the console and some of its features in action in the video below.
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