Nintendo Switches its Market

  On 13^th January, Nintendo officially released all details including specifications, launch dates, and pricing for its latest offering, the Nintendo Switch. Originally codenamed Project NX, the Switch is a rather confusing piece of tech, and is the living proof of Nintendo’s insecurity in the gaming market. Today, we try to break it down for you (not to be taken literally).

What is it?

The Nintendo switch is essentially a gaming console, and is a hybrid of Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Wii. What this means is, it offers, both portable and console gaming, in the same box.

The Switch has 3 essential components, the main console, a tablet computer like screen, a docking station, and two controllers: The Joy Con L and Joy Con R.

Main Console: The Console is the brain of the Switch. It has a 6.2 inch tablet computer like screen. The screen supports multi touch for up to 10 points and offers a resolution of 720p, which is very good for a screen that size. It has a USB type-C port for charging.

Dock: The dock, as the name suggests connects the console with a power supply for charging or through an HDMI to a television, whatever the need be.

Joy Con Controllers: The controllers enable the functionality of the switch. Both the controllers are empowered with NFC for connectivity and have Infra-Red sensors which enable them to measure the distance of the controller from the main console, a feature extensively used in gaming. The sensor is resolved enough to distinguish between the hand gestures of rock, paper and scissors.  They also feature something called the “3D Rumble”, which provides vibrational feedback to the player. The controllers also enable the player to take screenshots and, in the future, will be key to streaming the gameplay.

Additional accessories like controllers are sold

separately.

How does it work?

As indicated the switch can be used in 2 ways, either as a handheld portable gaming solution or as an all-out console system. And here is the magic of technology that Nintendo has put in this. For handheld gaming, the Joy Con Controllers attach to either side of the main console and serve as joysticks. And when you want a full blown experience, just dock the main console and connect it through HDMI to the Television. The same Controllers now become your remotes, should you choose to detach them, very much like the Wii U remotes.

The device runs on a processor from the NVidia Tegra family, and will offer a seamless performance for the available titles. It will offer a battery life of anywhere between 2.5-5.0 hours, depending on the game you are running.

What to expect:

The most popular games available for the Switch instantly, are Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Just Dance. However Nintendo has announced an array of titles to be available on the device this years. These include:

Has Been Heroes (March 2017)
I am Setsuna (March 2017)
Super Bomberman R (March 2017)
Snipperclips: Cut it Out, Together! (March 2017)
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (April 28, 2017)
Sonic Mania (Spring 2017)
Lego City Undercover (Spring 2017)
Arms (Spring 2017)
The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ (Spring 2017)
Redout (Spring 2017)
Splatoon 2 (Summer 2017)
NBA 2K18 (September 2017)
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Fall 2017)
Fire Emblem Warriors (Holiday 2017)
Super Mario Odyssey (Holiday 2017)

The device will be released World-Wide on 3^rd March (Friday), though an initial pre-launch window will be opened before that. It will be available for 300 USD( roughly equivalent to INR20000 in India).

The Verdict

The Nintendo Switch is not ‘just another’ launch for the company. It signifies something greater. It marks a confused transition that the company intends to make. The company has stated again and again that Nintendo is, and will remain a television console centric company, as it is their true philosophy. Even the Late Satoru Iwata mentioned the same concept. Yet, when they faced path redefining losses in 2014, they observed that the main culprit was the rise of mobile gaming, and were advised to move in that direction.

The result: A hybrid device which enables users to do both (though the television console is still recommended over the portable mode). We are yet to understand how such a device would perform in the market. Its pricing is aggressive, but is still too significant for casual gamers, and the idea doesn’t float much among the hardcore ones. So the device falls somewhere in between,either to be picked up by both sides, or more unfortunately, none.

Official Website: http://www.nintendo.com/switch/