On Oct. 20, Nintendo announced its newest console, the Nintendo Switch, previously referred to as the “NX.”
The Switch is both a home console and portable device, combining the full library of Nintendo games. The device itself is a tablet — think NVIDIA Shield — with a docking station, allowing the device to connect to a TV.
According to an Oct. 20 Nintendo press release, “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.” This implies that the dock itself offers no enhanced computing power.
Once the Switch is removed from the docking station, Joy-Con controllers are attached to each side of the tablet. The teaser trailer displayed several different variations of controller use, including on the sides of the tablet, used as individual pieces for multiplayer, individually held like Wii controllers and combined into a more traditional game controller layout.
It has not been confirmed if the Joy-Con controllers will support motion controls, though Ubisoft did announce at E3 2016 that Just Dance would be available on the then-unannounced Nintendo Switch.
In the teaser trailer, several video games were seen being played, including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8, NBA 2k17, Splatoon, Super Mario and Skyrim. However, both 2K and Bethesda would not confirm whether their respective games are in development for the Switch.
In its press release, Nintendo announced a list of publishers and developers who are currently voicing support for the Switch, including Activision, Bandai Namco, Bethesda, Capcom, Square Enix, Ubisoft and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.
Nintendo did not release any information regarding the computing specifications or price points. Wall Street Journal’s Takashi Mochizuki tweeted that Nintendo would not release any game titles or specific details until 2017.
In a blog post, NVIDIA confirmed the Switch will include a custom Tegra processor. The Tegra line of mobile processors is used in the Shield and Google Nexus 9 and uses the same architecture as the GeForce gaming cards.
Nintendo will release the Switch in March 2017.
Nintendo announces newest console “Switch,” to be released in spring
By Jay Cranford
October 25, 2016