The Nintendo Switch is officially here, unveiled to the world at a special event held in Japan.
Nintendo’s sequel to the Wii U has been designed as a premium home console that when removed from its dock, becomes a portable gaming device with a touchscreen.
It has a UK release date of 3 March, is available for pre-order now and will cost £279.99 at launch.
Nintendo’s brand-new console has been designed to be two devices in one.
On the one hand it is a powerful games console that can play high-definition titles such as Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, Mario Kart and more.
Yet when removed from its dock, the Switch transforms into portable gaming device that can still play all these titles on the go.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Nintendo Switch:
Nintendo Switch Price, UK Release Date And Pre-Order Details
The Nintendo Switch will launch in the UK on the 3 March and will cost £279.99.
Additional controllers and accessories are available to purchase as well with gaming retailer listing them as follows:
- Joy-Con Controller Pair (L+R): £74.99
- Joy-Con Controller Single: £42.99
- Nintendo Switch Pro Controller: £64.99
- Nintendo Switch Wired Controller: £27.99
It’s important to note that these may not be final prices for these accessories, Game is simply setting pre-order prices based on either previous estimates or from initial pricing that Nintendo has given them at launch.
Nintendo Switch: Here’s What You Get In The Box
When you buy a Nintendo Switch you will get the following:
- Nintendo Switch Console
- Joy-Con Controller (L+R)
- Joy-Con Grip
- Nintendo Switch Dock
- Nintendo Switch AC Adaptor
- HDMI Cable
- Joy-Con Straps
Nintendo Switch Console Specs:
So what is Nintendo Switch? Well at its core is a powerful tablet.
The Switch features a 6.2-inch 1280x720 resolution touchscreen display. When in portable gaming mode games will be displayed at 720p resolution, increasing the console’s battery life.
When docked in the living room it will play games at up to Full-HD, of course depending on how graphically demanding it is this resolution could go lower.
An example being that Zelda will reportedly run at a resolution of 900, rather than Full-HD.
It will launch with 32GB of built-in storage, games can be bought as GameCard cartridges or there’s a microSD card slot if you fancy downloading all your games instead.
The Switch supports 5.1 surround sound when docked into your TV at home and will then support stereo sound via a standard headphone jack when you’re out and about.
Nintendo Switch Playing Styles:
The Nintendo Switch comes with several different play styles. The first is the standard home console configuration which lets you use combine the two Joy-Con controllers together and create a standard stand-alone controller.
The next is portable mode, letting you slide the Joy-Con controllers out of their home grip and onto each side of the console itself.
Finally there’s multiplayer mode, letting you detach the Joy-Con controllers, turning them sideways effectively creating two small wireless controllers that can be used for games like Mario Kart.
Nintendo Switch Battery Life:
Because the Switch runs at a lower resolution in portable mode Nintendo claims that battery life on the Switch will vary from 2.5 hours all the way up to 6 hours.
It’s important to realise that this will greatly depend on the type of game that you are playing.
If, for example, you decide to play a very graphically demanding game like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the go, the battery life will not be at the 6 hour mark.
Play a simpler game however and the battery life will shoot up as the console is doing less work and processing fewer images per second.
Nintendo Switch Games:
Nintendo claims that there are over 80 games in development however there will be a much smaller number of games available at launch.
The price of Switch games in the UK seem to vary between either £49.99 or £59.99 depending on the title.
Here’s a list of the most-anticipated Nintendo Switch games and their respective release dates:
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild - March 3, 2017
1,2 Switch - 3 March 2017
Just Dance 2017 - March 2017
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - April 28, 2017
Arms - Spring 2017
LEGO City Undercover - Spring 2017
Sonic Mania - Spring 2017
Splatoon 2 - Summer 2017
NBA 2K18 - September 2017
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - September/December 2017
Super Mario Odyssey - Holiday 2017
Rayman Legends Definitive Edition - TBD
Steep - TBD
Fire Emblem Warriors - TBD
Nintendo Switch Pictures:
