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Nintendo Switch

From left to right, the Nintendo Switch console, dock, and Joy-Con controllers in grip configuration
Also known as	NX (codename)
Developer	Nintendo
Manufacturer	Nintendo PTD
Type	Hybrid video game console
Release date	WW: March 3, 2017
Lifespan	2017–present
Introductory price	US$299.99 JP¥29,980 £279.99 AU$469.95
Media	Physical and digital Game Card Digital distribution (Nintendo eShop)
Operating system	Nintendo Switch system software
System on a chip	Custom Nvidia Tegra (20 nm)
Storage	Internal flash memory: 32 GB
Removable storage	microSD/microSDHC/microSDXC up to 2 TB
Display	6.2-inch, 1280 × 720 LCD @ 237 ppi
Graphics	Up to 1080p (1920 × 1080) while docked Up to 720p while undocked
Sound	Linear PCM 5.1ch (via HDMI) Stereo speakers Headphone jack
Controller input	Joy-Con, Pro Controller
Touchpad	Capacitive
Connectivity	2.4/5 GHz 802.11ac Wi-Fi Bluetooth 4.1 1 × USB 3.0 (on dock) 2 × USB 2.0 (on dock) 1 × USB Type-C (on unit)
Power	4310 mAh lithium-ion battery
Dimensions	23.9 by 10.2 by 1.4 centimetres (9.41 in × 4.02 in × 0.55 in) (Console only)
Weight	297 grams (10.5 oz) (Console only)
Website	www.nintendo.com/switch

The Nintendo Switch is a video game console developed by Nintendo, and the company's seventh major home console. Originally known in development as the NX, it was officially unveiled in October 2016, and was released worldwide on March 3, 2017.

The Switch is considered by Nintendo to be a "hybrid" console. It is designed primarily as a home console with the main console unit inserted onto a docking station to connect to a television. Alternatively, the console can be removed from the Dock and function similar to a personal tablet computer through its LCD touchscreen, or placed in a standalone tabletop mode to be playable by several people. The Switch's most distinguishable features are the Joy-Con wireless controllers that include standard buttons and a directional joystick for user input, motion sensing, and high-definition tactile feedback. The Joy-Con can attach to both sides of the console to support handheld-style play, connected to a Grip accessory to provide a traditional home console gamepad form, or used individually in the hand like Nintendo's Wii Remote. The Switch supports both physical flash ROM cartridges and digital content for games and software, and does not use region locking.

From 2014, Nintendo had several quarters of financial losses mainly due to poor sales of its previous console, the Wii U, as well as market competition from the mobile gaming sector. Then-Nintendo president Satoru Iwata set into motion steps that would lead the company to embrace mobile gaming and develop new hardware to create a novel experience from the Wii U. The Switch's design was aimed to appeal to a wider demographic of video game players through the multiple modes of use, while retaining Nintendo's hardware uniqueness and innovation. Nintendo has sought support of many third-party developers and publishers to help build out the Switch's game library alongside Nintendo's own first-party titles, with over 100 titles under development by 70 developers as of January 2017.

History

Development

Nintendo saw 2014 as one of its largest financial losses in its modern history, attributed to weak hardware sales against mobile gaming. Previously, the company had been hesitant about this market, with then-president Satoru Iwata considering that they would "cease to be Nintendo" and lose their identity if they attempted to enter it. About three years prior to the Switch's announcement, Iwata, Tatsumi Kimishima, Genyo Takeda, and Shigeru Miyamoto crafted a strategy for revitalizing Nintendo's business model, which included approaching the mobile market, creating new hardware, and "maximizing intellectual property". Prior to his death, Iwata was able to secure a business alliance with Japanese mobile provider DeNA to develop mobile titles based on Nintendo's first-party franchises, believing this approach would not compromise their integrity. Following Iwata's death in July 2015, Kimishima was named as president of Nintendo, while Miyamoto was promoted to the title of "Creative Fellow".

Kimishima stated that when Nintendo was evaluating what new hardware they wanted to produce, they "didn't just want a successor" to either the Nintendo 3DS or Wii U, but instead asked "what kind of new experience can we create?" In an interview with Asahi Shimbun, Kimishima stated that the Switch was designed to provide a "new way to play" that would "have a larger impact than the Wii U". Nintendo of America president and COO Reggie Fils-Aimé emphasized the console's appeal as a device that would provide gamers the option to play at home or on the go, and noted that it would enable developers to create new types of games. Shinya Takahashi, general manager of Nintendo's Entertainment Planning & Development division (EPD), considered that the Switch's design addresses the cultural differences between Western and Japanese gamers, particularly students; while Japanese students generally spend more time together after school and where gaming is integral to that social time, Western students tend to have busier schedules that limit this, making the portability features of the Switch capable of meeting both lifestyles. In some cases, games for the Switch are designed to encourage social interactions in groups, such as 1-2-Switch which requires player to look face-to-face rather than at the screen. Kimishima said that as Nintendo is an entertainment company, they see games on the Switch that encourage enjoyable social interactions such as these as supporting their ultimate goals. The "Switch" name was selected not only to refer to the console's ability to switch from handheld to home console modes, but as to present "the idea of being a 'switch' that will flip and change the way people experience entertainment in their daily lives".

EPD deputy general manager Yoshiaki Koizumi served as the general producer of the Switch during development. According to Miyamoto, the Switch's development within Nintendo was headed by younger employees, with him saying "...it's really been them that have put this forward and designed this system". Miyamoto, Takeda, and Iwata were less involved, but provided necessary oversight on the Switch's development principally around the cost of implementing new features that would make the Switch stand out. For Miyamoto, his limited involvement allowed him to spend more time on Nintendo's software titles being developed at the time, such as Super Mario Run.

The development of the Switch continued Nintendo's blue ocean approach for the competitive console marketplace. Rather than trying to compete feature-for-feature with Microsoft or Sony's offerings, Fils-Aimé said that Nintendo's goal for the Switch was in "creating products and experiences that are unique and really can't be copied by our competition". Takahashi said that for Nintendo, "we feel like we're an entertainment company rather than necessarily a games or a graphics company", and described the Switch as "a system that really has the best balance of being able to create fun and new ways to play, but doing so with the graphic quality that's still good enough while also being one that's easy to develop for." Miyamoto said that some broad concepts of the Switch extend from the "lateral thinking with seasoned technology" design philosophy of Gunpei Yokoi that Nintendo has used over the last couple of decades. One choice made by the development team was to use an existing system on a chip (SOC) rather than creating their own as they had done on previous consoles. Koizumi said that this break from tradition was to help be able to gain more third-party support for the console by using an SOC they could easily port to. Further, Koizumi said they were not focused on raw processing power, but were looking to balance the overall features of the system including battery life and size, so did not opt to use the more powerful hardware they could but a middle-ground to achieve their vision of the Switch.

The first public news of the Switch hardware was alongside the announcement of Nintendo and DeNA's partnership on March 17, 2015. At this stage, Nintendo referred to the console under the codename "NX", and described it as a "brand new concept". At an investor's meeting in April 2016, Nintendo announced that it planned to release the NX worldwide in March 2017. While Nintendo did not unveil the NX's hardware at Electronic Entertainment Expo 2016 in June, it did announce that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which was originally announced as Wii U-exclusive, would also be released for the NX. At a Nintendo shareholders' meeting following the conference, Miyamoto stated that the company had concerns that competitors could copy ideas from the NX if they revealed it too soon. The following month, rumors began to surface surrounding the nature of the console, including its use of Nvidia Tegra hardware, and being a "hybrid" device intended for both home and mobile use.

Announcements

On October 20, 2016, Nintendo officially announced the console under the name Nintendo Switch, alongside a trailer that demonstrated the hardware's nature as a hybrid device. At the time of the trailer's release, Nintendo did not provide many details on features of the platform though planned to have events in 2017 to fully detail the console. The company did state there are additional features that were not presented in the introductory trailer. Miyamoto and Fils-Aimé presented the Switch to host Jimmy Fallon on a broadcast of the The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in December 2016. In addition to showing more of the console's hardware and functionality, Fallon was given the opportunity to play part of Breath of the Wild live.

Nintendo revealed technical details of the Switch, including its March 3, 2017 launch date and price, at a press event in Tokyo on January 13, 2017. The event was livestreamed, with an English voiceover provided by Nintendo of Europe through their broadcast and regional Twitter accounts relaying details in other languages. A Nintendo Treehouse event occurred the following day to reveal the full launch lineup and upcoming games for the Switch.

Marketing and promotion

A key part of marketing the Switch was to be "crystal clear in our communication of what the product was and what the product could do", according to Fils-Aimé, so as to avoid similar issues with how they presented the Wii U. While the Wii U was designed as a home console unit, Nintendo's lack of clarity on this point led to a general assumption the unit, principally the Wii U GamePad, was more like a tablet, overshadowing the Wii U's other features (such as dual-screen play modes). Nintendo also believed that some consumers had mistook the Wii U GamePad as being an accessory for the existing Wii console, rather than being the flagship feature of an entirely new platform. Instead, for the Switch, Fils-Aimé said the company was "very aggressive and clearly communicating the proposition that it’s a home console you can take on the go wherever and whenever you want".

For example, the October 2016 trailer, considered atypical of Nintendo's past marketing efforts according to Bloomberg, was designed to show the various ways the Switch can be used so that viewers would recognize "each of its forms offer different play experiences for people to enjoy". Kimishima said the intent of the trailer was to show the device was aimed across all demographics of players, showcasing features that more core gamers would recognize and appreciate to carry this intent. A large amount of Nintendo's launch marketing for the console focused heavily on the launch title Breath of the Wild; Nintendo's marketing executive Nick Chavez stated that the decision to showcase the new Zelda game was meant to promote it to older viewers who may have grown up with the franchise's earliest games and are accustomed to modern open world games, and to a new generation of players.

Nintendo aired its first-ever Super Bowl ad during the United States broadcast of Super Bowl LI, showcasing the various play modes with the Switch and its launch titles, particularly Breath of the Wild, and upcoming releases; while an ad to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Pokémon was broadcast the previous year during Super Bowl 50, this ad was paid for by The Pokémon Company and not by Nintendo. Chavez said of the ad, "There's no bigger stage in the U.S. on which to showcase the platform. I think it speaks to our confidence in the system."

Additional television commercials are expected to follow the Super Bowl spot, which are to demonstrate Switch's use cases among different demographics, as well as "casual" and "core" gaming audiences. Chavez emphasized that Nintendo's overall marketing for Switch would not be "just a six to eight week launch campaign", but "really a 15 month campaign for us, to say nothing of our plans for 2018".

In addition to advertising, Nintendo had planned several ways for players to try the system before its release through various "sampling events". Kimishima felt it was important, particularly for "career gamers", for Nintendo to get the Switch into players' hands to understand how the system differs from Nintendo's previous offerings, and the company was "running a guerrilla marketing program where we're just dashing around and trying to have as many events as possible and get it in the hands of players so they can experience the difference." The North American and European press had special events on January 13, 2017 following the Tokyo presentation. Various Switch demonstration events were run in North America, Europe, and Japan during January and February 2017. Nintendo offered demonstrations of the Switch at gaming conferences including PAX South, South by Southwest, and RTX. Nintendo also promoted the Switch through an "Unexpected Places" campaign in February 2017, temporarily setting up living-room style spaces in three United States locations and inviting fans and players, including John Cena, to try out the unit.

Hardware

The Nintendo Switch is a hybrid video game console, with the main system comprising the "Switch Console", "Switch Dock" and the "Joy-Con" controllers. Although it is a hybrid console, Fils-Aimé stated that the Switch is "a home console that you can take with you on the go". Fils-Aimé assured that the Switch and their primary handheld console, the Nintendo 3DS, are meant to co-exist, with Kimishima considering the 3DS as an entry-level product for younger players. While Nintendo does not consider the Switch as a successor to the Wii U, the company had planned to diminish Wii U production in anticipation of the Switch's release, and formally announced the end of its production on January 31, 2017.

Nintendo anticipated shipping two million Nintendo Switch units by the end of the console's first month, and assured that its supply chain would be able to meet demand following the launch period to avoid the shortage situation with the NES Classic Edition in late 2016. Kimishima anticipates that the Switch will have lifetime sales numbers similar to the Wii, which sold 101 million units by 2016. Nintendo did not plan to sell the unit below manufacturing cost, as they had done for both the 3DS and Wii U at their respective launches; Nintendo affirmed that the Switch would be profitable from launch during its 2016 fiscal year earnings report, as the company saw the console as a key earnings driver for 2017 and beyond. The Switch was sold as a bundle with a MSRP of ¥29,980 (Japan), $299.99 (United States), £279.99 (United Kingdom), and AU$469.95 (Australia); with standardized pricing for the European market varying. The bundle includes the Switch Console, the Dock, two Joy-Con (left and right), two Joy-Con Straps, the Grip, a power adapter and an HDMI cable. Fils-Aimé said that the company had been aiming to keep the bundle's price point at $300 in the United States, fearing that including any additional hardware or games would raise the price to a level that would disinterest consumers and harm sales.

Console and Dock

The Switch consist of two main units, known as the Console and the Dock.

The main unit of the Switch is the Console, a battery-powered tablet-like monitor that comprises an LCD screen measuring 6.2 inches (16 cm) on its diagonal, the same as the Wii U GamePad. The unit itself measures 9.41 by 4.02 by 0.55 inches (23.9 cm × 10.2 cm × 1.4 cm) and weighs 10.48 ounces (297 g). The screen supports ten-point multi-touch capacitive sensing and includes haptic technology from Immersion Corporation. The LCD screen supports resolutions up to 720p (1280×720 px). The Console includes a 3.5 mm audio jack, stereo speakers on the bottom of the unit, a USB-C port for charging while out of the Dock, and a kickstand on the back side. The unit also includes slots for a Game Card (cartridge-based media) and a microSD external storage card to be installed or removed. The Console has rails on the side, into which the Joy-Con controllers can be slid when removed from the base. An ambient light sensor on the front of the Console can be used to control the screen's brightness.

The Console, with or without Joy-Con attached, can be placed into the Switch Dock, a docking station with electrical connectors to connect the Console to a power supply to charge its battery, and to a television via an HDMI connection for video/audio output. The Dock also includes one USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 ports. While docked, the unit can support resolutions up to 1080p and maximum frame rate of 60 frames per second, though the maximum resolution varies depending on the game. As an example, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild runs at a maximum 900p and 30 frames per second while the Switch is docked. The Dock measures 6.81 by 4.09 by 2.13 inches (17.3 cm × 10.4 cm × 5.4 cm) and weighs 11.53 ounces (327 g).

There are three gameplay modes that can be used with the Switch; "TV Mode" with the Console docked within the Dock to support play on a large television, "Tabletop Mode" with the Console placed on a table or other surface using its kickstand for shared gaming away from a dedicated screen, or in "Handheld Mode" as a standard portable tablet device. Users can switch between these modes simply by placing or removing the Console from the Dock, extending or retracting the kickstand, and detaching or connecting the Joy-Con. Games may be designed to play only in specific modes; for example, VOEZ, which relies on touch-screen controls, cannot be played in TV Mode.

Nintendo stated that the Switch is a "single-screen experience", in that the player either sees the content on the Console when it is out of the Dock, or on the screen attached to the Dock when the Console is docked. The Switch does not feature dual-screen functionality that was offered through the Wii U via its GamePad.

Joy-Con

The Nintendo Switch comes with controllers collectively called Joy-Con, specifically the "Joy-Con L" and "Joy-Con R". They each measure 4.02 by 1.41 by 1.12 inches (10.2 cm × 3.6 cm × 2.8 cm), and the Joy-Con L and R weigh 1.73 ounces (49 g) and 1.84 ounces (52 g), respectively. The controllers can be used in four ways: attached to the Switch Console via the side rails, removed and used separately by a single player in each hand (similarly to a Wii Remote and Nunchuk controller), attached to a frame called the Joy-Con Grip to provide a gamepad form factor or used as individual controllers for two players. A single Switch console can support up to eight Joy-Con connections.

Each Joy-Con includes four front-facing action buttons (Joy-Con R featuring Nintendo's signature ABXY buttons, and Joy-Con L featuring directional buttons), an analog stick which can be pressed down as a fifth button, a plus (+) or minus (-) button and two trigger buttons. Within the rail are two additional buttons (SL and SR buttons) which can act like left-and-right shoulder buttons when the Joy-Con is held horizontally. Each Joy-Con has gyroscopic motion-sensitive controls. They also include "HD rumble" features that can provide tactile feedback to the player; Nintendo described this feedback as detailed enough to simulate ice rattling in a glass, including the number of ice cubes and filling the glass with water.

The Joy-Con R has an NFC reader, allowing functionality with Nintendo's Amiibo line. An infrared sensor at the Joy-Con R's base can determine the distance an object is away from the unit, and is sufficiently resolved to make out the difference between the hand shapes for rock-paper-scissors, for example. The Joy-Con L has a dedicated button for taking screenshots which can be shared through the online services, and is able to record in-game video footage from the screen.

The Joy-Con can be attached to a Strap attachment that hooks around the user's wrist, similar to the Wii Remote strap. The rail connector of the Joy-Con attaches to this strap's 0.57 in (1.4 cm)-wide base unit, which includes left-and-right shoulder button extensions. The strap allows players to safely swing or move the Joy-Con without accidentally throwing it for more physical-oriented games that use the controllers' motion sensors, such as 1-2-Switch and Arms.

The Joy-Con can be obtained in other colors outside the unit's default grey; for example, the Switch's worldwide launch had two bundles, one with grey Joy-Con and another with neon red and blue Joy-Con. Japanese members of the My Nintendo loyalty program could customize their launch-day Switch bundle by selecting the colors of the two Joy-Con and Strap pairs. Additional Joy-Con can be purchased in pairs or individually.

Technical specifications

The Switch uses a custom system-on-chip from the Tegra family of products, developed in partnership with Nvidia. No specific details were revealed beyond that it is "based on the same architecture as the world's top-performing GeForce gaming graphics cards" that are common in personal computers, and has a custom API known as "NVN", which is designed to "bring lightweight, fast gaming to the masses". Takeda described the Nvidia chipset critical to bring similar performance for games as they have on personal computers, helping to achieve "high performance but low power consumption" for the Switch.

The Switch offers 802.11ac wireless connectivity and is compliant with 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac modes. Up to eight Switch Consoles can be connected in a wireless ad hoc network for local multiplayer games, and multiple players can play on each of the connected Switches. In the case of at least one game, Splatoon 2, ten Switches can connect in the ad hoc network, though only eight can play directly while the other two can watch as spectators. The Switch uses Bluetooth 4.1 for wireless communication between the console and its controllers. Users can purchase a third-party USB LAN adapter for wired connectivity when the Console is docked for TV mode.

The Switch has a non-removable 4310mAh Lithium-ion rechargeable battery. The battery life is estimated to be between 2.5 and 6.5 hours, depending on the software being used. Nintendo gives the example of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild supporting approximately three hours of battery life. The battery can be charged either while in the Dock, or through a standard USB-C connector on the Console. The estimated recharge time while the unit is in sleep mode is about 3 hours. Nintendo offers the means for replacing batteries through its customer support. Each Joy-Con has its own non-removable 525 mAh Lithium-ion battery separate from the Console, with an estimated twenty-hour lifespan. These batteries are automatically charged if they are attached to the Console while it is charging itself. Additional accessories have other means to charge the Joy-Con. While the basic Joy-Con Grip that ships with the Switch does not offer charging capabilities, a separate premium Joy-Con Grip includes a USB-C connector port that can be used to charge the Joy-Con batteries while they are connected to this Grip.

The Switch includes 32 GB of internal storage, and can be expanded up to 2 TB using a microSD, a microSDHC or a microSDXC card. If the microSD card is used, the Switch only stores game save data on the internal memory, leaving data that can be re-acquired on the microSD card. At launch, there was no way to transfer save files from the internal memory to another Switch console, but this feature may come later. While microSD and microSDHC support was available at launch, microSDXC card support will be updated into the device's software via a system patch at a later time. The Switch did not support external storage units at launch, but Nintendo stated that they were looking into adding this feature in the future.

The Switch Console contains a 3.5 mm headphone jack, but does not support Bluetooth wireless headphones.

Other controllers and accessories

Though not revealed in the October 2016 reveal, the Nintendo Switch supports a wide array of additional accessories, according to Kimishima. Kimishima suggested that the Switch is part of a large ecosystem of devices though the Switch unit remains the core console element. Takahashi suggested the possibility of other units besides the Joy-Con that could attach and/or connect to the Console to serve as alternate input devices and change how the Switch can be used.

A charging grip is available for the Joy-Con, which provides a means to attach a USB-C cable for power. Nintendo offers a Joy-Con Wheel, a small steering wheel-like unit that a Joy-Con can slot into, allowing it to be used for racing games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The Switch supports the Wireless Pro Controller, which has a more traditional design reminiscent of the Wii Classic Controller Pro and Wii U Pro Controller. Standalone Docks are available, which include the power adapter and HDMI cable.

Third parties also support the Switch with additional accessories, such as carrying cases and screen protectors.

Tatsumi Kimishima stated that Nintendo was investigating the possibility of offering a virtual reality headset for Switch in the future, "if we are able to resolve the issues with playing comfortably for long hours." Nintendo submitted design patents for a Switch VR accessory, in which the Switch Console would be inserted into an enclosure, and its screen would be viewed through lenses to achieve a stereoscopic effect, similarly to smartphone VR headsets (such as Samsung Gear VR and Google Daydream View).

Software

The Switch's user interface features tile-based access to games that are either present in the game card slot or stored within the unit's storage devices. It includes quick access buttons for a News feed from Nintendo, eShop access, and a photo album for screenshots captured during gameplay. A single Switch console supports up to eight user profiles, which can be tied to Nintendo ID accounts. Profiles can be represented by either a pre-made avatar from an internal gallery, or using a Mii; the Mii creator was upgraded with increased color options for aspects such as hair styles.

Online services

Nintendo Switch provides online functionality, including online multiplayer, downloading and purchasing games via regional Nintendo eShops, an online lobby service, and voice chat. Unlike previous Nintendo consoles, and in line with current Microsoft and Sony consoles, access to online multiplayer, lobby, and voice chat services require purchases of a paid subscription. Some features of this online service, such as the voice chat, are enabled through a companion mobile application to be released at the Switch's launch. Nintendo plans to provide other incentives to subscribers, including access to exclusive offers, and free access to a selected Virtual Console title from the NES or SNES, with additional online support, each month. Unlike PlayStation Plus' Instant Game Collection and Xbox Live Gold's Games with Gold programs, these games are not permanent, and must be purchased in order to be played after the conclusion of the month. The subscription service will not launch until late 2017; in the meantime, Nintendo offers a free "trial" of online multiplayer for Switch until the launch of the paid service. At launch, the online service was only available in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, but is expected to extend to other countries after the Switch's launch.

Kimishima stated in interviews in January 2017 that the annual cost for the service in Japan would be between two and three thousand yen (between $17–27 USD); media outlets noted that should this pricing be similar in other regions, it would be approximately half the annual cost of the subscription services on PlayStation and Xbox consoles, although discounting the fact that the two services include features not contained within the Switch online services. Kimishima stated that this price point range was a subject of importance in designing the Switch's online services, and that regardless of what competitors were doing, "it's a matter of getting our content to the consumer at a price point that will make them happy, and then we're willing to look at what else we can do going forward."

Nintendo Switch offers integration with third-party social networking services to provide social and sharing features. Unlike the 3DS and Wii U, Nintendo does not plan to offer first-party social networking services, such as Miiverse or StreetPass, the latter owing to Nintendo's promotion of Switch as primarily being a home console. Players can register friends through Friend Codes as with previous Nintendo systems, searching for friends in the local network, through past multiplayer interactions, or via friends already registered in Miitomo and Super Mario Run mobile games linked to the Nintendo ID account. Nintendo said it plans to provide other methods for registering friends, including through third-party social media and via Nintendo Network IDs. Users can register their Nintendo Network ID credentials on a Switch, allowing them to link the system to their account.

Switch supports a companion mobile app to access features of the device, such as a suite of parental control features.

Media support

As it is primarily oriented towards gaming, the Switch did not initially launch with many multimedia-oriented features, such as a web browser, or support for video streaming services, although Nintendo did not rule out providing a full web browser or apps for services such as Netflix in the future.

Games

Distribution

Games for the Switch can be obtained through either retail channels or digitally through the Nintendo eShop. Games distributed at retail are stored on proprietary cartridges, similar in design to the Game cards used for Nintendo DS and 3DS games, albeit smaller and thinner than the DS/3DS cartridges. Because of their small size, Nintendo coats each cartridge with denatonium benzoate, a non-toxic but highly bitter-tasting compound, to prevent younger players from accidentally ingesting them. Nintendo offered a suggested retail price for Switch games at the console's launch of $60, equivalent to the price for new games on either the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 console.

Unlike previous Nintendo home consoles, the Switch is region-free allowing players to use cartridges or downloaded content from any part of the world, though Nintendo recommends using the appropriate regional eShop for digital purposes for obtaining the best post-purchase support if needed. Further, eShop purchases, while still tied to the Nintendo Account, are not tied to the specific Switch console, as was the case for previous Nintendo hardware. Once the user re-registers their account to a Switch, they have access to download all previous purchases; however, a user can only have their account registered on one console at a time, and downloaded software tied to an account cannot be used if that account is not registered to the device. The Switch does not support optical discs and is not backwards compatible with the 3DS and Wii U game media. The Switch is not be backwards compatible with other digital titles from previous consoles. The console also did not launch with the Virtual Console, which provided digital versions of physically-released games from past Nintendo consoles, but the company said this feature may be added later. Kimishima said that the Switch is powerful enough to emulate titles from previous Nintendo consoles, but currently does not support controllers or controller emulation for these titles.

Third-party support

One of the generally perceived failures of the Wii U was a lack of support from third-party developers, leading to a weak library of games. Nintendo was more aggressive in trying to bring on third-party developers early in the Switch's development, to ensure a stronger lineup of games. Takahashi and Koizumi reached out to many of the third-parties directly to help gain their support early on. Electronic Arts' executive Patrick Söderlund said that Nintendo had taken a different track with attracting third-party developers to the Switch and have engaged Electronic Arts and other major developers throughout the development of the Switch, listening to their input, to help make the Switch more successful.

Nintendo also began gaining support of independent video game developers in the middle of 2016 to provide assistance to help them bring games to the Switch. Nintendo sees games such as Snipperclips as a model of their target for indie games, in which they worked to help provide Switch implementation support and software tools to these parties early in the console's lifecycle according to Takahashi and Koizumi. Some, like Yacht Club Games, who have ported Shovel Knight to the Switch, noted that some of the major innovations in the Switch, such as the Joy-Con, were not revealed to them until just prior to the January 2017 announcement. Nintendo of America reached out to many independent developers and publishers, including Chucklefish, Team17, and Devolver Digital, to gain titles for the platform and make the process of publishing easier. Nintendo still curates which titles they allow on the system, using the company's past portfolio for evaluation, and still carefully time releases to keep a steady stream of new content. However, once a game is greenlit, pushing out patches and updates can be done rapidly and at no further cost to the developer. Nintendo also offers the Switch's dev kit at 50,000 yen, or about $450, far under the cost of a comparable dev kit for other consoles, making it more amenable for smaller developers to afford and build for the unit. Nintendo offers several of these indie games as "Nindies" through the eShop, with at least sixty expected to be released through 2017.

During its official unveiling in October 2016, Nintendo deliberately opted not to provide a list of games for the system, as they "want people to touch the device in January and experience the software for themselves", according to Kimishima. Instead, Nintendo announced some of the partners that had committed to supporting the Switch; contrasting Nintendo's struggles to gain third-party support on-launch for previous platforms, the company initially listed 48 third-party publishers, studios, and middleware developers. Among these partners, Nintendo listed major publishers such as Activision, Bethesda, Electronic Arts, Sega, Square Enix, Take-Two, and Ubisoft.

In the past, Nintendo had previously relied more on providing its own internally-developed tools and libraries that third-party developers would use to develop games for earlier systems. With the Switch, the company went a different route. According to Takahashi, "we have been aiming to realize an environment in which a variety of different third-party developers are able to easily develop compatible software", taking advantage of the Nvidia chipset's support for many standard libraries that allows for ease of transition from other platforms to the Switch. Unity Technologies, Epic Games, and the Khronos Group pledged support to help developers bring games to the Switch using their game engines and middleware, Unity, Unreal Engine 4, and the Vulkan and OpenGL graphical APIs, respectively; for instance, the Unreal Engine toolkit was updated in February 2017 to provide native support for Switch games. Miyamoto said that Nintendo's own developers have "mastered" engines like Unreal, so that while it would be unlikely that Nintendo would release a first-party title using such software, they can help support developers using these tools on the Switch.

Library

At the January 2017 press event, Nintendo said that there were at least 80 third-party titles in development for the system from over 50 developers/publishers, and by Nintendo's fiscal report to investors on January 31, 2017, Nintendo had confirmed over 100 titles from over 70 developers/publishers. Prior to the console's official unveiling, Sega, Square Enix, and Ubisoft had already confirmed specific third-party titles in development for Switch, including Just Dance 2017, Project Sonic 2017, Dragon Quest X, and Dragon Quest XI. Various indie developers also announced or considered game titles for the Switch. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, originally announced as a Wii U exclusive, was released for the Switch as a launch title. The console's reveal trailer showcased footage from new titles in Nintendo franchises, including Super Mario Odyssey, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Splatoon 2, as well as footage from NBA 2K18 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Nintendo and third-parties stated at that time that these were not necessarily representative of Switch titles. All five titles were confirmed as Switch releases during the January 2017 press events, however.

The Switch did not launch with any bundled games, nor had any pre-loaded games or game demos; Fils-Aimé stated that once they had decided on the price point and evaluated the forecoming game lineup, they opted to allow consumers to choose which games to get rather than include one in the bundle and increase its price. At least ten games were shipped or digitally available alongside the Switch in North America during launch day, including Nintendo's first-party titles The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and 1-2-Switch. Six first-party Nintendo games, over a dozen third-party games, and over 60 indie games are scheduled for release during 2017. Fils-Aimé said that Nintendo plans a "steady cadence of content" for the Switch after launch, avoiding the perceived situation with gaps between major releases for Wii U software. Kimishima said that Nintendo scheduled its first-party releases "to continue to provide new titles regularly without long gaps", as this "encourages consumers to continue actively playing the system, maintains buzz, and spurs continued sales momentum for Nintendo Switch."

Reception

Pre-release

Market analysts had a mixed response to the October 2016 announcement of the Nintendo Switch. Following the financially under-performing Wii U, analysts had expected that Nintendo would recognize their vulnerable position in the console market when developing their next console, believing that the company would find a means to draw back the core gamer market. Instead, initial promotion of the Switch appeared to appeal to an audience that fell between the core gamer and casual gamer markets, the latter being mobile game players who would want a more engaging experience but would not be willing to play for hours at a time, according to The New York Times. Analysts were unsure if such a market existed in large enough numbers to justify the Switch. Other concerns about the Switch's announcement were related to yet-to-be-confirmed details that could make or break the system, such as its retail price, whether the unit includes a touchscreen, the unit's battery life, and the type of games that development partners would bring to the console. Others saw more positive traits in the Switch. Stock research analyst John Taylor expressed the opinion that Nintendo "checked off an awful lot of boxes with ". Taylor also approved of the company's decision to introduce the console prior to the holiday season, when Microsoft and Sony would attempt to attract casual gamers to their consoles. Rob Fahey, writing for GamesIndustry.biz, noted that within Japan, many young adults do not own a high-definition television, which had affected console sales such as the PlayStation 4, and the Switch would be an attractive product for this demographic. Sam Byford for The Verge also noted that physical space is a premium in Japanese homes, and home console units there have failed to sell as well as portable game consoles, so the compact Switch unit could help revitalize the sluggish Japanese video game economy.

Further debate among analysts arose following the January 2017 presentation of the unit's price and specifications. Several noted that the Switch's price point of $299.99 was higher than the anticipated $250; these analysts observed that this is about the same cost as the current Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles, but the Switch does not appear to be as powerful as these units. Some pointed to the small numbers of launch titles as a concern, with the success of the Switch being tied to the critical reception to 1-2-Switch, a key launch title aimed to showcase the Joy-Con technology. Other analysts were more optimistic, stating that the higher price and online subscription cost help to distinguish the Switch as a more robust system compared to Nintendo's previous consoles, and would likely sell better than the Wii U, with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild being a key sales driver. Some added that the console fills an appropriate gap in hardware for those seeking more complex gameplay that is not offered in tablet and mobile gaming but don't have the need to purchase a powerful "boxy" console. Most analysts agreed that the success of the Switch depends on Nintendo's support and avoiding mistakes the company had made in marketing and promoting the Wii U.

Investors in Nintendo have been more cautious about the Switch, leading to a significant drop in its stock price, which had otherwise been trading at their highest values over the previous five years. The company's stock price, which rose by 4% on the day before the Switch's October 2016 announcement in anticipation, fell by 7% the next day. Analysts attribute the drop to the lack of surprise of the announcement given the prior year of product teases and information, giving investors no catalyst to invest further. Following the technical presentation of the Switch in January 2017, Nintendo's stock price fell by more than 5% the following day, with one analyst stating that the markets were concerned if the Switch would attract new gamers outside of the core Nintendo fan group. Nintendo's stock value continued to drop, and by early February 2017, had fallen below the September 2016 price. Fahey said that investors are wary of the new approach that Nintendo had taken with the Switch, along with its new mobile gaming initiative, representing significant and difficult-to-assess risks to the company's prospects in the future.

Game and hardware developers were more positive towards the Switch, seeing the system as "a more unifying experience between their handheld and console divisions", but expressed concern on unanswered hardware specifications, and how Nintendo would market the unit to draw in developers. About half of 4,500 developers interviewed in a January 2017 survey believed that the Switch would outsell the Wii U. Ubisoft managing director Xavier Poix noted that unlike the Wii U, Nintendo had demonstrated a clear concept of enabling continuity, stating that "The way it changes the way you play doesn't come necessarily with the controllers, because they were here with the Wii as well ... but in the way it is mobile." Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft's Xbox division, said he was impressed with Nintendo's ability to "state a bold vision and build a product that delivers on that vision". Hideo Kojima compared the notion of the Switch to his idea of "transfarring" that he presented in 2011, allowing players to take a game from a home platform to a portable one, which became the basis of Sony's Cross-Buy program. He said that the Switch was "an extension of that idea. The fact you can play something at home and take it outside, this is the gamer's dream. The Switch is an evolution of that." Capcom stated that while they are committed to releasing titles for the Switch, they "do feel that there are differences in the desired direction and the play-style of the Nintendo Switch and those of the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One" and may not be releasing cross-platform games for the new console.

The October 2016 trailer became Nintendo of America's most-viewed video on YouTube within 24 hours, and was the top trending video on YouTube for about a day. Engadget editors were generally impressed with the Switch on reveal, seeing it as a means to bridge home consoles with portable devices, experiments that Nintendo had tried before with inter-game connectivity between the 3DS and Wii U. The editors potentially see the Switch as a unified console and handheld device, aimed to be a console gamer's second device and where the player does not need the time investment to sit down and play most console games. One editor did express concerns on the hardware's durability given its modular nature.

Analyst firm DFC Intelligence estimated that while the Switch might have a slow commercial start due to existing consumer trepidation toward Nintendo and Nintendo's lack of stock, it would overcome this by the end of 2017 and sales would reach around 40 million units by 2020. Analysis firm SuperData also predicted that the Switch would have a slow start due to its relatively high price, but would eventually sell about 5 million units worldwide by the end of 2017. Retailer GameStop also stated it believed the Switch would be transformative in the market, as CEO Paul Reines stated that the company believes the Switch could be another "game-changer" that could "expand the audience for gaming". Most major retailers in the United States reported that they had sold out of their pre-order allotment of the Switch within a week of the January 2017 media event. According to Media Create, nearly 80% of the total launch stock of the Switch for Japan was pre-ordered by consumers by the end of January 2017. Shortly before release, Nintendo's Kimishima stated that "we are seeing that launch day preorders have nearly reached the maximum available".

Release

At its release, the Switch was praised by reviewers for having a lot of potential, but they were underwhelmed by the limited number of titles available at launch that did not show the full extent of the console's abilities. Reviewers also noted that the initial operating software and features were limited and included software bugs that, while likely fixed in time, marred the experience of the system. Even with the day-one update, there were numerous reports of hardware problems, in particular the Bluetooth connectivity of the Switch Console with the Joy-Con L controller.

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Notes

1. The Nintendo Switch has not yet been released in India, China, and other regions.
2. In Japanese: ニンテンドースイッチ (Nintendō Suitchi)

External links

• Official website

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