Although the Wii U has offered quite a few nice games, in my opinion it hasn’t had anywhere near as big an impact on the gaming industry as many of Nintendo’s other major video game consoles over the years. Little more than four years have passed since the Wii U first launched, and Nintendo are now casting their gaze forward towards their next major home video game console release – the Nintendo Switch.
During their first major livestream for 2017, Nintendo have announced that the Nintendo Switch will be made available worldwide from Friday 3rd March 2017. Putting the console in a similar price range to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One today, it will be available for a suggested retail price of $469.95 AUD.
Not dissimilar to the Wii and Wii U, the Nintendo Switch will have its own unique quirk. This time around, the quirk is that you will be able to use the platform as both a connected-to-television and portable system. Out of the package, the main console is a handheld device featuring a 6.2″ screen, which you can control by hooking up Joy-Con (L) and Joy-Con (R) controllers, along with the Joy-Con Grip – or through its touch capabilities. The package also includes a Nintendo Switch Dock, which will connect your device to the television.
As with any portable device, you might be wondering just how long you will be able to play console games on-the-go without needing to be attached to the power. Nintendo haven’t been able to provide an exact answer, instead claiming it will be dependant on the game you are playing. While they claim that the battery life can “last for more than six hours”, you may only get roughly three hours while playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
The Joy-Con controllers do not need to be attached to the device to play. With the (L) and (R) controllers featuring independent accelerometer and gyroscope motion sensors, you can hold one in each hand for motion control play. Alternatively, you can also hook them both together with the Joy-Con Grip for a more traditional controller experience. The (L) controller also features a capture button which allows you to take instant screenshots, while the (R) controller comes with NFC touchpoint for interaction with amiibos. Nintendo also claim that both Joy-Con controllers have “advanced HD rumble”, claiming that “the effect is so detailed that a player could, for example, feel the vibration of individual ice cubes colliding inside a glass when shaking a Joy-Con”.
In terms of connectivity, up to eight consoles can be connected for local wireless play. If this is to the extent I think it means, this might finally be the console for either a port or a true successor to the GameCube game Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles. The Nintendo Switch will also feature online Wi-Fi multiplayer gaming, with Nintendo set to offer a new online subscription service at launch – putting them at least somewhat in-line with what Sony Interactive Entertainment and Microsoft offer for their respect current-generation consoles.
Expect to hear more about each in their respective posts, but Nintendo have also announced a number of the first-party titles for the Nintendo Switch, which include The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Launch), 1-2-Switch (Launch), ARMS (Autumn), Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (April 2017), Splatoon 2 (Winter), Super Mario Odyssey (Holiday 2017) and Snipperclips – Cut it Out, Together!.
Nintendo Switch Presentation 2017
Nintendo Treehouse Live with Nintendo Switch
