Nintendo Baits Players With The Console Formally Known As NX: Nintendo Switch

After months and months of rabid anticipation, Nintendo has finally unveiled its NX – or rather, “Switch”. As has been anticipated, Switch is a hybrid console; it’s meant to be both played at home in front of the TV, and on-the-go.

With Nintendo giving us a truly on-the-go portable gaming system, it might seem like the company is pushing in on a territory it already dominates, with its DS. However, based on the quick shots seen in the video, it looks like the portable Switch will be much larger than a DS (even the XL). I did some quick comparisons with my 8-inch NVIDIA SHIELD, and I’d wager that the Switch’s tablet is at least 7 inches, but it’s made bulkier with its two gamepads which slide into each side.

What’s really neat about Switch is that the gamepads used at home will be the same gamepads used while on-the-go. That means you don’t need redundant controllers, but it also means that if you happen to lose one or both of the ones you’re given, you’re out-of-luck for both the home console and portable version.

Because of its size, it seems unlikely that many will tote around a Switch in their bag to play it throughout the day. Unlike the Nintendo DS, which closes and protects its screens, Switch has no such thing. If it’s tossed into a bag, it’s at the mercy of whatever else is in the bag. That could mean that there will be a big market for protective cases, so let’s hope Nintendo will have its own version.

At the moment, we have very little to go on. Nintendo’s website shows nothing about the Switch except for the trailer above; we have few images and tech specs. What we do know for certain, though, is that it features NVIDIA’s Tegra. Which version, though, is something we’re unsure of, as NVIDIA is not willing to disclose it. Rumor’s had it that it’s the Tegra K1, which is an older generation model at this point (the SHIELD Android TV features X1, and X2 is en route), but we might not know for sure until someone manages to break one down (we’re looking at you, iFixit!).

Nonetheless, Nintendo’s Switch is going to become available in March, so we’re sure to see a lot more about it before the end of the year. At the moment, some new footage is floating around the Web for a new Zelda title, but it seems there is no confirmation right now that it’s actually derived from Switch hardware. If you want to take a look anyway, feel free.