Nintendo announced that the new Nintendo Switch system would launch worldwide on March 3rd, 2017 for $299.99 in the United States, during their Nintendo Switch Presentation in Japan. The system will include the main console, Joy-Con (L) and Joy-Con (R) controllers, a Joy-Con grip (to attach the two Joy-Cons as one controller), a set of Joy-Con wrist straps, a Nintendo Switch dock (which holds the central console and connects it to the TV), an HDMI cable and an AC adapter. Two bundles of the system will be released: a regular version with a set of gray Joy-Con, and a version with one neon blue and one neon red Joy-Con controllers. Both bundles will be the same suggested retail price.
“Nintendo Switch is a brand-new kind of home gaming system that offers a wide variety of play modes,” said Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima. “We will introduce the world to new experiences made possible by the unique characteristics of the Nintendo Switch hardware and the Joy-Con.”
Nintendo Switch’s screen includes capacitive multi-touch capabilities for compatible games. Battery life can last from 2.5 to more than six hours but will vary depending on the software and usage conditions. For example, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild can be played for roughly three hours on a single charge. While away from home, the Nintendo Switch can be charged by plugging the AC adapter into the console’s USB Type-C connector. The Joy-Con controllers offer multiple ways for local multiplayer. Two Joy-Con can be used independently in each hand, or together as one game controller when attached to the Joy-Con grip. They can also connect to the central console for use in handheld mode, or be shared with friends to enjoy two-player local co-op in supported games. Nintendo Switch makes it easy for players to stay connected. Up to eight systems can be connected for local wireless play. The player can place the system upright anywhere by using the built-in stand, then easily share Joy-Con for multiplayer fun away from the TV.
Each Joy-Con has a full set of buttons and can act as a standalone controller, and each includes an accelerometer and gyro sensor, making an independent left and right motion control possible, like a Wiimote. Nintendo Switch also contains some built-in features with the left Joy-Con having a Capture Button that players can press to take instant screenshots of gameplay to share on social media. The right Joy-Con includes an NFC touchpoint for amiibo figures, as well as an IR Motion Camera that can detect the distance, shape and motion of nearby objects in specially designed games, like telling how far away a player’s hand is, and even if the hand is forming a rock, paper or scissors shape. Both Joy-Con controllers include an “advanced HD Rumble,” which can provide compatible games with subtle vibrations. The effect is so detailed that a player could, as described by Yoshiaki Koizumi, Nintendo Switch General Producer, as feeling the sensation of individual ice cubes colliding inside a glass when shaking a Joy-Con.
The system will support online Wi-Fi multiplayer gaming. Nintendo also unveiled a new online subscription service that will begin with a free trial at launch and that the service is run on a smart device application. The app will be available in Summer 2017, allowing users to invite friends to play online, set match appointments and chat with one another as they play compatible games. The fully featured paid service will be available in the fall.
Nintendo Switch will be getting third-party support from publishers including Activision, Electronic Arts, Take-Two Interactive, Ubisoft, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and major Japanese publishers like Capcom and Square Enix. Some publishers, such as Bethesda Softworks, are partnering with Nintendo for the first time. Nintendo fans can look forward to major franchises on Nintendo Switch such as EA SPORTS FIFA, The Elder Scrolls, NBA 2K, Minecraft and more. Nintendo Switch will not be region locked, like previous Nintendo systems. The unique capabilities of the console and Joy-Con shown during the Nintendo Switch Presentation look to create Nintendo’s most flexible, feature-packed video game system to date.
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- The Legend of Zelda; Breath of the Wild
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- Splatoon 2
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- Mario Kart 8: Deluxe
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- ARMS
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- 1-2-Switch
Nintendo Switch is set for a worldwide release on March 3rd, 2017, for suggested retail price as $299.99, with the launch titles in North America so far being:
- 1-2-Switch (Nintendo)
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo)
- Just Dance 2017 (Ubisoft)
- Super Bomberman R (Konami)
- Skylanders: Imaginators (Activision)
Stay tuned for more info on the Nintendo Switch here at Stagger’d!
