Here Is What We Know About The Nintendo Switch

Here Is What We Know About The Nintendo Switch

I think it is safe to say that since the Wii had launched, Nintendo has been losing their place as one of the console gaming titans. While they still were creative and progressive, their plans for motion controls and a tablet based controller in the Wii and Wii U did not seem to appeal to users as much as they had thought. Meanwhile their competitors, such as Xbox and Playstation, continued to develop technology focused on traditional controller based games with improved visuals and audio which attracted gamers in droves. It is no surprise that when their next console was announced, the Nintendo Switch, many gamers far and wide were skeptical.

Especially after watching the trailer to the device:

In the trailer we can see that the main focus of the console is to have the ability to remove portions of it and take it on the go. The Nintendo Switch is both a console and a mobile device which is creative! However, gamers still remained skeptical on the concept due to the past two generations being lackluster to say the least. The gaming community commented day and night on the company’s decision but we had no real information until the Nintendo’s Treehouse Live event which took place on January 12th, 2017.
Here is the information we have received from the event:

Launch Date is March 3rd, 2017

The Nintendo Switch will be available to fans on March 3rd of this year for the price of $299.99. Controller options were talked about during the event such as offering two versions, one with an all gray Joy-Con controller or one with Neon Red/Blue Joy Con controllers.

Additional price information was also released, pricing Joy-Con controllers for $49.99 individually or $79.99 as a pair. The devices will come with wrist attachments which will help gamers keep track of their new, exotic controllers.Other accessories like charging grips will be $29.99 and a replacement Switch Dock will be $89.99.

Games

When it comes to gaming, I care so much more about the actual video game rather than any sort of video resolution or who is voice acting what. I just want a solid game to play and in the past Nintendo has done right by fans in that regard. How are things shaping up for gaming on the Nintendo Switch?

One of the most hyped games for the Switch is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wind and will be available to gamers at launch and will be exclusive to the Switch. Beyond of the realm of Hyrule is Super Mario Odyssey which is a new Mario game that so far looks to be an open world sand box game similar to Super Mario 64. That alone is enough to get me to pre order my Nintendo Switch!

The other gaming announcements were of a party game called 1-2 Switch that is a collection which will help utilize many of the Nintendo Switch’s features. Splatoon is getting a sequel called Splatoon 2 that will add new weapons and levels for fans to use and abuse with their close friends. My favorite genre, RPGS, were also discussed as Xenoblade Chronicles 2. Dragon Quest games, and some new games such as Shin Megami Tensei series, Project Octopath Traveller from Square Enix. Then a Fire Emblem Warriors game was showcased that plays similar to the Dynasty Warrior or Hyrule Warriors games.

Things are looking up for the console as over 50 companies are interested in making content for the Nintendo Switch while over 80 companies are already on their way to making games. Other titles mentioned for the console are Fifa, Skyrim, NBA 2K18, Minecraft, steep, Rime, and a new game by Sega called Project Sonic 2017. We also can’t forget to add Mario Kart 8: Deluxe which is an upgraded version of Mari Kart 8!

Online Pay Will Not Be Free

Jumping on the monthly fee train, Nintendo announced that they will be charging for their online services that will begin in Fall of 2017. Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima said “Users will be able to try out Nintendo Switch online services for free during a trial period after launch,”. Nintendo, for all of its flaws was still one of the last free online services that offered multiplayer. While our wallets might weep, this could mean improved online services with better connections and features to make the price tag worth it for consumers!

I have no problem paying money to play Super Smash online and wreck folks from all over the world with my Ness game! (Until a 10 year old wipes the floor with me. Then all bets are off and I hate it.)

Specs

Some of the more technical questions were finally released by Nintendo when it came to the video resolution for both the mobile device and the home console. For the mobile device, the screen is going to be 6.2 inches with 1280×720 resolution and then when it is docked it will be 1080p.

The battery life on a full charge for mobile is three to six hours which will depend on how intense the game is. They do offer the ability to recharge the device using a USB-C port. The memory for the device is 32GB internally and can be increased with MicroSD cards.

The Nintendo Switch will also not be region locked so that games from anywhere will work on any device.

What Can It Do?

While many of us can grasp the concept of the Nintendo Switch, we still had awkward thought on how it would be used in the real world. Nintendo was able to talk in more detail about the device and its features! The controller is named Joy-Con and the button square buttonlocated on the left Joy-Con was revealed to be a capture button that allows for convenient recording of game play. Keeping up the traditional of it’s ancestor, the Joy-Con controllers will have motion control that is similar to the Wii Motes. They will have a “HD Rumble” which will help make gameplay more immersive when it comes to motion control gaming.

In order to allow for a smooth transition to mobile gaming, buttons were placed on the docked controller that makes the pair of Joy-Con controllers a two piece that creates a full controller when separated from the main device. Another cool piece of tech added to the Joy-Con controllers is an IR camera that will idenitfy the shape and locations of objects. It is said to also be able to tell the distance between a hand doing rock, paper, scissors to how far away it is from the device.

Welp! This is all of the information we currently have on the Nintendo Switch! We are so excited for the device to launch so that we have access to a new generation of Nintendo games! Only time will tell if the beloved Japanese gaming company will redeem themselves in the eyes of so many fans.

What do you think of the announcements? Leave a comment below!