Two months ago, we had a glimpse into what Nintendo’s upcoming hybrid game console will have on offer. Today Nintendo revealed more detailed information which, for the most part, has answered the publics lingering questions.
Nintendo President, Tatsumi Kimishima, kicked proceedings off by detailing that the Switch will launch in major territories on March 3rd, 2017 at a recommended retail price point of 29,980 yen or $299.99. No European pricing was announced as it will be very much country specific. Update: The Switch will cost $469.95 AUD in Australia & £279.99 across the UK.
Online services details followed with the announcement that Smart-devices will be able to connect to the Switch reiterating Nintendo’s stance on becoming a dominant force for mobile gaming and apps. At launch the online services will be free for a trial period with them becoming a paid service later in the year. The most pleasant surprise regarding online and game media is that the Switch software won’t be region locked… finally Nintendo, thank you.
To provide more hardware details Shinya Takahashi, Lead developer at Nintendo took to the stage and linked the Switch to the “DNA” of past Nintendo home consoles and handhelds. The consoles play styles will include TV Mode, Tabletop mode and a Handheld mode; all details we saw from the teaser trailer. The battery life will be game dependent but one can expect anything from 2.5 to 6.5 hours of gameplay time on a single charge. The console features a touchscreen, wifi and local wireless multiplayer for up to 8 Switch units.
Yoshiaki Koizumi was next up to present the unique Joy-Con controller add-ons. They will feature a built-in NFC Reader Writer that allows for continued amiibo support and integration, a screen capture button (that will be able to capture video at a later stage), and Accelerometer and gyro for Wii type control feature and neatly placed trigger buttons on each unit. At launch, there will be two additional colour variations for Joy-Cons, neon blue and red. Both remotes will feature HD Rumble, a new feature that adds differing depth and perceptions to your gaming experience.
After the hardware features were announced the most important part of the presentation followed. The Games. The following were revealed during the presentation:
1-2 Switch
ARMS
Splatoon 2
Super Mario Odyssey
Xenoblade 2
Fire Emblem Warriors
Shin Megami Tensei: Brand New Title
Dragon Quest 10 & 11 (Japan)
Dragon Quest Heroes 1 & 2
Project: Octopath Traveler
Skyrim
Untitled game from Grasshopper Studio
EA FIFA
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
You can view the individual videos for most of these games here.
Banjo wielding, moonshine drinking, dungaree enthusiast. When not laying back on the porch couch he will be found making minor additions to his porcelain dog home décor.
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A pair of the Switch’s JoyCon controllers costs $80, but you can also buy just a left or right JoyCon for $50.