The Nintendo Switch is the company’s first new home video game console since the Wii U
For years, while Sony and Microsoft have focused on crafting consoles with cutting-edge power, Nintendo has opted to emphasize the fun of the gaming experience. Consoles like the Wii and Wii U were more about innovative controls than pure specs, while games like Super Smash Bros excel because of their addictive group gameplay rather than unbeatable graphics capabilities. Their newest announcement, the Nintendo Switch, looks to continue that trend.
While details are still sparse, the main feature obvious from the teaser video is the Switch’s ability to, as the name implies, switch things up. It switches from a home console to portable one, from a personal device to a group platform, and the from a single-piece gadget to one with wireless controllers.
As a home video game console, the Nintendo Switch—a tablet with what appears to be a 7 or 8-inch display—slides into a dock that connects it to your TV, and you play on it like you would any other gaming system. But the Switch’s coolest trick is that by simply lifting it out of its dock, your game is saved and seamlessly transitioned into portable mode. The controller that you were previously using splits into pieces, which can then be attached to the sides of the Nintendo Switch tablet, creating a one-piece gaming slab. They can also be used wirelessly, with one in each hand, and each half can be used by itself, so you can share with a friend for multiplayer action on a single Switch. For larger multiplayer groups, multiple Nintendo Switch units can by synced for local network gaming.
Along with the hardware reveal, Nintendo announced a list of nearly fifty partners who will be producing software and hardware for the Switch, including Activision, Bethesda, EA, Konami, Square Enix and Ubisoft. So we can expect to see some big names to be creating content for Nintendo (we spied Skyrim running in the teaser video). The Nintendo Switch is expected to hit shelves in March 2017, so plenty more details will be out in the coming months. Until then, keep an eye on the Abt Blog and our video games section for more details!
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