With a March 3 release date officially locked in, the Big N is beginning to provide further details on its console/handheld hybrid, the Nintendo Switch.
Available to pre-order right now – Amazon and Walmart have reportedly sold through their initial stock – the novel hardware will be built around a 6.2-inch, multi-touch capacitive screen, one that touts a resolution of 1280×720 (720p) when running in handheld mode. Hooking up the Switch to your nearby TV will allow the system to output in native 1080p via HDMI, and Nintendo says a custom Nvidia Tegra processor will power the machine.
Storage-wise, much like the Wii U before it, the Nintendo Switch will come packing 32GB of internal storage but don’t fret, you’ll be able to expand the system’s capacity through microSD cards. In the age of hefty day-one patches and digital downloads in the region of 50GB or more, this is certainly a welcome (read: downright necessary) addition. Then again, thanks to the system’s architecture, one that plays physical GameCards over discs, most of the storage requirements will be off-loaded, as opposed to being stored on the console itself.
[zergpaid]Depending on which game you’re playing, Nintendo estimates between 2.5 and 6 hours of battery life for the Switch. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, for example, will seemingly run for around three hours on handheld mode before the device runs out of juice. Then again, a USB-C connection will relieve a lot of headaches for those players taking their Nintendo Switch on the go, particularly when you consider that the company has employed proprietary chargers for most, if not all of its handhelds in the past. Meanwhile, Switch will connect online using an 802.11ac Wi-Fi connection, and though the Big N has teased plans for some form of paid subscription service in the vein of PlayStation Plus and Games With Gold, there are many questions still to be answered.
Finally, in terms of the console’s accessories, extra controllers are available to purchase from today. It should be noted that one pair of Joy-Con controllers and the Nintendo Switch Dock will be bundled in with the hardware at launch.
- Nintendo Switch Pro Controller – $70
- Joy-Con Controllers (set of two, L and R) – $80
- Joy-Con L or Joy-Con R (sold separately) – $50
- Joy-Con Charging Grip – $30
- Nintendo Switch Dock Set – $90
- Joy-Con Wheel (set of two) – $15
The Nintendo Switch is almost upon us, folks – $299.99 (£279.99) is the official asking price, with March 3 being the date for your diaries.