The long-rumored, code-named Nintendo NX now has a name: the Nintendo Switch.
Nintendo unveiled the next-gen console on Thursday and, as is tradition, they’re going completely off the board in terms of customizability and design.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5uik5fgIaI
The Nintendo Switch is both a play-at-home console and can be configured for on-the-go use. The Switch can be docked in the living room but can be detached for use practically anywhere. It’s a WiiU and a Nintendo 3DS. It’s pretty impressive as unlike the Xbox One or Playstation 4, the Switch will always be usable. The console comes with a controller, similar to the Wii U’s pro model, but the Switch itself (out of the console dock) becomes detached, so mini Joy-Con controllers can be used.
On a graphical level, the Nintendo Switch is a massive upgrade compared to the weaker-powered Nintendo consoles of the past. It has an NVIDIA GPU which will allow gamers the luxury of graphics which don’t look outdated like the WiiU. The Switch will also shift to cartridges over discs, meaning there’s no DVD or Blu-Ray support, but Nintendo has never made the living room experience a priority.
Incredibly, Nintendo has partnered up with a handful of new partners to bring more third-party games to the Switch. Notice in the video above, a gamer is playing Skyrim? Well, that’s because Nintendo is now partnered with Bethesda. Other notable names listed include Take-Two Interactive, Activision, and Ubisoft. Nintendo branching out further (even if some of the partners previously worked with the company) is wonderful news for an, at times, too exclusive company.
What would a Nintendo console launch be without a new Mario title? The launch video previewed a new 3D game which looks incredibly like Super Mario 64. There’s also what appears to be a new version of Mario Kart. Add Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and there are actual decent titles to justify getting the Switch at launch.
There are concerns about the Switch. With no memory specs announced, it remains to be seen how big a hard drive the console supports. Also, the durability and battery life of the new controllers (and tablet) aren’t made clear.
Regardless, the Nintendo Switch launch is encouraging. Nintendo is finally jumping into high-powered gaming and adding some neat tricks to their impressive, wacky console designs. The Switch launches in 2017.
[Kotaku]
