The Nintendo Switch will get a release date in March and this is a big deal for Nintendo. Here's everything you need to know!
Today is the day. After month and months of waiting, speculation and tantalising leaks, the Nintendo Switch is finally on sale in the UK and US.
Yes, from here on out, March 3 will forever be known as Nintendo Switch Day.
If you’re after picking on up today, you could be facing some queuing, depending on where you’re based. A lot of people are after picking up one of these consoles, so expect queues wherever you go.
Still, Nintendo has said that it is ready for high-levels of demand, so stock should be replenished inline with demand. We hope.
Best Places To Buy Nintendo Switch Online: Best Deals For UK and US
All the major UK retailers will be selling the Nintendo Switch from tomorrow for £279.
- Tesco Nintendo Switch Bundles
- Argos Nintendo Switch Bundles
- GAME Nintendo Switch Bundles
- Amazon Nintendo Switch Bundles
Best Place To Buy Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Most places are retailing Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for £49.99, though you can pick yourself up a copy at Game Seek for £46.50.
If you’re outside the UK, you can pre-order your Nintendo Switch at a variety of places. But the best I have found in the US is GameStop, which has TONS of options that includes game bundles, controller bundles and more.
Prices start at $299.99 at GameStop and go up to over $600 for the more extensive Nintendo Switch packages.
Nintendo Switch Online Gaming Service To Arrive Autumn 2017
According to reports, Nintendo will introduce a subscription based online gaming service for the Ninetndo Switch, similar to Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network, but it won't arrive until Autumn 2017. In the meantime, online gaming will be free on the console. Although it's understandable that Nintendo needs time to set up the service, and can't exactly deny players online content until then, it is going to sting a bit to have several months of free online gaming only to get a ticket slapped on later. Still, them's the breaks.
"If you have the console and install the Day 1 update, it will tell you that the service will begin some time in autumn 2017. Until then, existing players will be able to play online multiplayer games for free," reports GSMArena. And here's a screenshot to prove it...
A monthly fee will keep you gaming online with the Nintendo Switch after the service launches, you'll also get free classic Nintendo games gifted to you every month, and discounts on online purchases via the service's storefront.
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The Nintendo Switch is HERE and you better believe this thing will be the best console Nintendo has ever produced. Just a whiff of a few of the features onboard shows a few key things; Nintendo has learned from some of the mistakes of its past console generations and doesn't show any signs of repeating them, it has learned how and why Microsoft's Xbox and Sony's PlayStation outmaneuvered it.
Nintendo has also embraced mobile gaming and this looks set to be a core aspect of the Switch, indeed, Nintendo appears to be pushing the envelope as far as portable gaming and streaming content is concerned with a ground-up portable build in mind for the console. Nintendo also knows its target demographic inside out, while it will undoubtedly pay some lip-service to the family and social gaming niche it carved out with the Wii, it knows that its rich trove of heritage titles is what really holds interest, including the likes of Mario, Zelda, and Pokemon. Nintendo has also clearly observed the increasing popularity of e-Sport competetive gaming.
The system itself, based on what we learned from its first official outing, is based around gaming on the move.
The main system connects to a dock that is hooked up to your HDTV, this is for TV-based, sofa gaming, but, if you want to game on the move, all you have to do is detach this unit and take it with you and you can play games via its 6in display and detachable controllers.
I really like this concept, as it combines pretty much all of Nintendo’s past releases into one, robust system. You have Wii U-like gaming on the move; Nintendo Wii controller systems, and a robust, dedicated console stack for your HDTV.
Nintendo Switch UNBOXING
Yep – someone’s unboxed a Nintendo Switch.
Most of us will have to wait until March to get our mitts on the Nintendo Switch, but one lucky git has managed to already procure one.
“NeoGAF user hiphoptherobot was accidentally shipped his Nintendo Switch pre-order over two weeks early by an unnamed retailer,” reports Floko.
Still No Details On Nintendo Switch CPU…
Well, the mystery is over. We now know quite a bit more about the Nintendo Switch’s specs and hardware, though, for whatever reason, Nintendo refused to detail the exact SoC used inside the machine. EuroGamer, however, believes it is the Tegra X1 – NVIDIA’s 20nm Cortex-A57 CPU + Maxwell GPU SoC from the NVIDIA SHIELD TV.
Nintendo Switch Display Technology CONFIRMED
As previously reported, the Nintendo Switch – the handheld device aspect – features a 1280x720p capacitive touch screen LCD. This is fairly low resolution in a world dominated by QHD phones and tablets, but given that Nintendo is going for performance and longevity with the Switch, the use of 1080p is to be expected.
Battery life and CPU efficiency likely trumped the benefits of using a QHD panel. But, hey, at least that gives Nintendo an easy update for the console in 2018, right?
Nintendo Switch Specs – What Nintendo Revealed
| Size | Approximately 4 inches high, 9.4 inches long, and 0.55 inches deep (with Joy-Con attached) *The depth from the tip of the analog sticks to the tip of the ZL/ZR buttons is 1.12 inches |
| Weight | Approximately .66 lbs (Approximately .88 lbs when Joy-Con controllers are attached) |
| Screen | Multi-touch capacitive touch screen / 6.2-inch LCD Screen / 1280 x 720 |
| CPU/GPU | NVIDIA Custom Tegra processor |
| Storage | 32 GB of internal storage, a portion of which is reserved for use by the system. Users can easily expand storage space using microSDHC or microSDXC cards up to 2TB (sold separately). |
| Networking | Nintendo Switch can be connected to the Internet via a wireless (IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac) and Bluetooth 4.1 (In TV mode, Nintendo Switch can be connected by using a wired LAN adapter - sold separately) |
| Video output | Up to 1080p via HDMI in TV mode Up to 720p via built-in screen in tabletop mode and handheld mode |
| Audio output | Compatible with 5.1ch Linear PCM output Output via HDMI connector in TV mode |
| Speakers | Stereo |
| Buttons | Power button / Volume button |
| Headphone/mic jack | 3.5mm audio jack |
| Game card slot | Nintendo Switch game cards |
| microSD card slot | Compatible with microSD/microSDHC/microSDXC memory cards *Once the microSDXC card is inserted, a system update will be necessary. An Internet connection is required to perform this system update. |
| Sensor | Accelerometer, gyroscope, and brightness sensor |
| Operating environment | 41-95 degrees F / 20-80% humidity |
| Internal battery | Lithium-ion battery/4310mAh |
| Battery life | Approximately 2.5 - 6.5 hours *The battery life will depend on the games you play. For instance, the battery will last approximately 3 hours for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. |
| Charging time | Approximately 3 hours *When charging while the hardware is in sleep mode |
Nintendo confirmed the Nintendo Switch would feature 32GB of internal storage. It also confirmed that this storage can be supplemented using external cards (microSDXC cards), similar to the current-generation Nintendo 3DS.
With battery life, Nintendo says the Nintendo Switch will deliver between 2.5 and 6.5 hours on a single charge, depending on the game. The upcoming Zelda game, for example, will apparently kill the Switch inside three hours.
Unlike ALL previous Nintendo releases, the Switch will NOT use proprietary charging methods; instead, it will change via USB Type C, just like a lot of modern Android phones. In addition, because of this it will be possible to use USB-powerbanks with the system, meaning you can prolong the battery life on long haul gaming sessions.
Nintendo Switch Games: All The Titles You Can Expect In 2017/18
EuroGamer just posted a full list of ALL the game titles we can expect for the Nintendo Switch in 2017:
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo, March 3rd)
- 1-2-Switch (Nintendo, March 3rd)
- Snipperclips - Cut it out, together! (Nintendo, March 3rd)
- Just Dance 2017 (Ubisoft, March 3rd)
- Skylanders Imaginators (Activision, March 3rd)
- Super Bomberman R (Konami, March 3rd)
- I Am Setsuna (Square Enix, March 3rd)
- Fast RMX (Shin'en, March 3rd 2017)
- Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove (March 3rd, 2017)
- World of Goo (Tomorrow Corporation, March 3rd - possibly US only)
- Little Inferno (Tomorrow Corporation, March 3rd - possibly US only)
- Human Resource Machine (Tomorrow Corporation, March 3rd - possibly US only)
- Splatoon 2 demo global testfire (March 24th-26th)
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (April 28)
- ARMS (Spring 2017)
- Splatoon 2 (Summer 2017)
- Fire Emblem Warriors (autumn 2017)
- Pokémon Stars (late 2017)
- Super Mario Odyssey (holiday 2017)
- Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (TBC)
- New Fire Emblem (2018)
- Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ (Nicalis, March 2017)
- Has Been Heroes (Frozenbyte, March 2017)
- LEGO City Undercover (Warner Bros, April 7th)
- Puyo Puyo Tetris (SEGA, April 28th)
- Rime (Tequila Works, May 2017)
- Disgaea 5 Complete (NIS America, Spring 2017)
- Sonic Mania (SEGA, Spring 2017)
- Troll and I (Spiral House / Maximum games, Spring 2017)
- Snake Pass (Sumo Digital, early 2017)
- Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda, late 2017)
- NBA 2K18 (2K, September 2017)
- Project Sonic 2017 (SEGA, late 2017)
- Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap (DotEmu, 2017)
- Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom (FDG Entertainment, 2017)
- Celeste (Matt Thorson, 2017)
- 1001 Spikes (Nicalis, TBC)
- Arcade Archives (Hamster, TBC)
- Cave Story (Nicalis, TBC)
- Constructor (System 3, TBC)
- Cube Life: Island Survival (Cypronia, TBC)
- Dragon Quest X (Square Enix, TBC)
- Dragon Quest XI (Square Enix, TBC)
- Dragon Quest Heroes I and II (Square Enix, TBC)
- Dragonball Xenoverse 2 (Namco Bandai, TBC)
- EA Sports FIFA (EA, TBC)
- Farming Simulator (Focus Home Interactive, TBC)
- Graceful Explosion Machine (Vertex Pop, TBC)
- LEGO Worlds (TT Games, TBC)
- Minecraft: Story Mode - The Compete Adventure (Telltale Games, TBC)
- Rayman Legends: Definite Edition (Ubisoft, TBC)
- Redout (34BigThings, TBC)
- Seasons of Heaven (AnyAny Productions, TBC)
- New Shin Megami Tensei (Atlas, Western release unconfirmed)
- Stardew Valley (Chucklefish Games, TBC)
- State of Mind (Daedalic Entertainment, TBC)
- Steep (Ubisoft, TBC)
- Syberia 3 (Microids, TBC)
- Project Octopath Traveller (Square Enix, TBC)
- Taiko Drum Master (Namco Bandai, TBC)
- New Travis Touchdown game (Suda 51 / Grasshopper, TBC)
- New 'Tales of' RPG (Namco BandaiTBC)
- Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers (Capcom, TBC)
Nintendo Switch Companion Dock
The companion dock for the Switch, the medium through which it connects to your HDTV, is a dumb device, meaning it is useless without the Switch docked inside it.
This companion unit will also feature USB Type C, three USB ports, HDMI out and an AC Adapter, which the system will ship with as standard.
Nintendo Switch Controllers: The Joy-Cons
This is where things get a little more interesting, as there’s a lot more to Nintendo’s new controllers than we previously thought. First and foremost, there are two aspects to it – the left Joy-Con and the right Joy-Con.
“The right Joy-Con contains an NFC reader/writer for use with Nintendo’s Amiibo figures, and what Nintendo is calling a "IR motion camera,” An IR camera would imply that it’s the same basic functionality as the Wii Remote, which used an IR camera to orient itself relative to the IR LEDs in the console’s sensor bar, however Nintendo also quickly demonstrated that the Joy-Con could measure distance and motion from a human hand facing the camera, something the Wii Remote could not do,” reports AnandTech.
The Switch Joy-Con controllers will also feature what Nintendo is called “HD Rumble”, which essentially means high fidelity, ultra-responsive controller rumble when gaming. Given the diminutive size of the controllers, this will likely be achieved via multiple, linear actuators for vibration ( a la Apple’s Taptic Engine).
New controllers aren’t cheap, either – you’re looking at $80 for a new one.
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