Nintendo NX Will Be Called Switch, Coming In March 2017
Nintendo provided details about the highly anticipated NX console, which will be called Nintendo Switch. The modular system provides single and multiplayer gamig at home, but also enables gamers to play the same title wherever, whenever and with whomever they choose. Nintendo has posted the following video on Youtube, which shows a console-portable hybrid that uses cartridges rather than discs, although games are likely to be distributed digitally as well. In the trailer, a man lifts the core of the console from a home base station, attaches to controller accessories, and plays Zelda on the go. In addition, the two controllers disconnect, and players play a multiplayer on the standalone screen. In another scene, four players play Mario Kart by sharing two controllers. A traditional wireless controller also works with the devices both in its console and portable forms. The trailer also shows e-sports players practicing Splatoon in a stadium hallway, before taking their consoles to the show floor for a competitive event.
At home, Nintendo Switch rests in the Nintendo Switch Dock that connects the system to the TV and lets you play with family and friends in the comfort of your living room. By lifting Nintendo Switch from the dock, the system will instantly transition to portable mode, and the same gaming experience that was being enjoyed at home now travels with you. The portability of Nintendo Switch is enhanced by its high-definition display.
Gaming springs into action by removing detachable "Joy-Con" controllers from either side of Nintendo Switch. One player can use a Joy-Con controller in each hand; two players can each take one; or multiple Joy-Con can be employed by numerous people for a variety of gameplay options. They can click back into place or be slipped into a "Joy-Con Grip" accessory, mirroring a more traditional controller. Or, if preferred, the gamer can select an optional Nintendo Switch Pro Controller to use instead of the Joy-Con controllers. Furthermore, it is possible for numerous people to bring their Nintendo Switch systems together to enjoy local multiplayer face-to-face competition.
The new device is powered by a custom Tegra processor from Nvidia. Nvidia says the custom Tegra processor contains the same architecture as its top GeForce graphics cards, which makes sense given its history. The chip designer also says it created "fully custom software" for the Switch’s Tegra processor, including "a revamped physics engine."
Nintendo says Switch has the support of many developers, including Activision, Atlus, Bethesda, Capcom, EA, Epic Games, Konami, PlatinumGames, Square Enix, Take-Two and Ubisoft.
The Switch is set to be released in March.
The console's success will be crucial to Nintendo as the firm still places console gaming at the center of its business, even as casual gaming shifts from living rooms to smartphones.
Nintendo also today debuted new footage from its upcoming open-world Zelda title, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Breath of the Wild is slated to be released with the Wii U and the Nintendo Switch next year.