Less than two months from launch, Nintendo finally had their first presentation on their upcoming Switch console. Considering all other consoles usually get one over two years before a system launch, this presentation was alarmingly low on detail. “We will have more details at a later date,” may as well have been the subtitle for the event.
During their one hour event, Nintendo gave us only some of the news we needed and almost none of the news we wanted. Here’s all the most important news about the console itself along with questions about it that are still hanging this late in the game.
THE NINTENDO SWITCH CONSOLE
The Switch Console and Joy-Con (L) & (R) controllers in the “Tabletop Mode” configuration.
Nintendo started the presentation by announcing the console’s price and release date: $299.99 US and launching on March 3rd, weeks earlier than everyone expected.
A “leak” by Laura Kate Dale last November had led almost everyone to believe it would come out on March 17. That rumor along with a report last year that Nintendo expected to sell 2 million units by the end of its fiscal year in March, meant we thought Nintendo was being ambitious with their sales forecast. An entire month of sales for 2 million, however, is much less ambitious and actually hints at a limited by supply shortages instead. I spoke too soon; there’s a pre-order shortage already. Thank you for that again, Nintendo.
The Switch will begin to charge for its online service this fall. The price will be… it will be… Sorry, it seems Nintendo didn’t give an expected price for it, less than two months from launch. I figure this is important information for someone considering a purchase of a console, but that’s probably just me. Although not mentioned in the presentation, the official website promises that subscribers to the paid online service will have access to a monthly [online multiplayer enabled] NES or SNES game for free. The ambiguous wording suggests you don’t get to keep the games after each month.
Nintendo also announced the Switch will not be region locked, a first for any Nintendo home console. This was an absolute must for such a travel-friendly console. Speaking of portability:
According to the English voice-over in the presentation, the console will have a battery life ranging from 2.5 to 6 hours depending on the game. Suspiciously, the Japanese text on screen had the number 3, so I call shenanigans. Nintendo did not reveal the battery life of the Joy-Con controllers. I can only speculate that they’ll last longer than the console itself but—god dammit Nintendo—I really wish I didn’t have to speculate.
The console itself also has a touchscreen, meaning that theoretically you could play touchscreen games without any controllers. Or watch, say YouTube or Netflix, on the toilet without having to bring the controllers. Is touchscreen-only a feature Nintendo plans to support in any capacity? They didn’t say.
Nintendo brought this couch on stage just to explain how you can manspread comfortably with a Joy-Con in each hand.
The Joy-Cons feature something Nintendo is calling HD rumble, which they claim is so acute that it could simulate the sensation of ice cubes and water in a glass. It was a rather odd choice for an example, you must admit. Can the controllers simulate the different road conditions in Mario Kart like gravel, grass, asphalt, or a pebble road as you drive over them? We don’t know. But we do know they could simulate ice rattling in glass. So at least we have that.
The controllers also have small shoulder buttons hidden in the railing for when you use them as separate sidelong controllers. The Joy-Con (R) has an NFC reader for Amiibo and such, along with an IR camera sensor at the bottom for some reason. I apologize that I really can’t explain why there is an IR sensor there. But in my defense, Nintendo couldn’t either.
The HD rumble [presumably] simulating the feeling of an infinite universe coming into existence in an unending explosion of unfathomable scale.
Before I move onto the games, I really want to quickly point out the expensive prices of separate accessories. The Switch Pro Controller which features HD rumble, NFC and motion controls is a gut wrenching $70. A pair of Joy-Con controllers is a blistering $80 while each sold separately is a hemorrhoid-busting $50 each. And in the unholiest of markups, an extra Switch dock is a you-gotta-be-shitting-me $90! Look at this thing and tell me I’m wrong:
Nintendo didn’t even have the decency to put those ports on the outside.
Why, Nintendo? This kind of evil is usually reserved for people twirling a villainous mustache.
Here’s a few last bits of specs before I wrap this up: It’s got a 6.2″ capacitive touchscreen, as opposed to the crappy resistive touchscreens of the DS, 3DS and Wii U line. The screen resolution is 1280×720, just enough to legally be called HD. It has 32GB of internal storage, along with a microSDXC slot. In theory this means you could potentially have 2TB of storage in your device if ever they start making micro SD cards that big. Right now you can buy a a 256GB card for about $200. Just sayin’.
Despite what seems to be a very rushed console release, the hardware itself appears to be full of potential. The hybrid design is something I’m still excited about despite the small battery life. I can see myself setting my Switch into a friends’ Switch Dock so we can play my games in their living room TV. The price for the console itself is decent, although I wish it came with at least one game.
Oh yes! The games! Join me in the next article where I go in-depth about the games Nintendo showcased, the ones they teased, the ones they didn’t show, and the games they only kinda promised maybe. I still love you, Nintendo, but you make me angry sometimes.