Check Out The Nintendo Switch Gaming Console Review,Specs & Price

Check Out The Nintendo Switch Gaming Console Review,Specs & Price

The Switch, which was codenamed the NX ahead of its official unveiling, was released on 3 March 2017. The Nintendo Switch is a much more elegantly designed console from top to bottom, light-years ahead of the plastic goofiness of its spiritual predecessor.

In the Nintendo Switch box you get the main body of the console, complete with two detachable controller sides, a grip which enables you to combine these controller portions into a more traditional gamepad, two straps which can be attached to these sides to make them into two individual controllers, and a dock that allows you to plug the console into your television.

 

The Switch’s dock and the Joy-Con Grip are little more than two simple pieces of plastic that allow this handheld to dress up like a home console. The dock itself is as barebones as can be; it’s essentially just a combination HDMI and USB passthrough/charging station. It definitely works as advertised: within a couple of seconds of dropping the tablet onto the dock the picture transfers right over to the TV, and after detaching the Joy-Con (or syncing a separately purchased Pro Controller) you’re ready to play. The transition back to handheld mode is just as seamless – just grab the Switch out of the dock – which is definitely impressive. Even the time from startup to actually launching and playing a game is surprisingly short, and resuming from sleep is nearly instantaneous.

The Switch is a portable device and traditional games console in one. All the bits and pieces that handle performance, graphics, networking and so on are built into the tablet, which has a 6.2-inch 720p touch screen and stereo surround. An included docking station which connects to your TV via HDMI can upscale games to full high-definition (1080), with 5.1 surround sound. This design lets you seamlessly flow from console to portable mode and back again – once you dock the tablet, your game appears on the big screen in a heartbeat, and vice versa.

QUICK SPECS:

• 6.2-inch LCD touchscreen (1280 x 720)
• Maximum resolution of 1080p 60fps when plugged into a TV
• Nvidia "customised" Tegra processor
• 32GB storage
• 802.11ac Wi-Fi
• Ethernet internet through optional adapter
• Bluetooth 4.1 (on tablet)
• Bluetooth 3.0 (in Joy-Cons)
• NFC (in right Joy-Con for Amiibo support)
• Stereo speakers (on tablet)
• PCM 5.1 channel audio in TV mode
• HDMI output (on dock)
• USB Type-C port (on tablet)
• 3x USB 2.0 ports (on dock) - USB 3.0 support to be added at future date
• Headphone/mic port (on tablet)
• MicroSD card slot (on tablet - plus microSDHC/microSDXC support)
• Game cartridge slot (on tablet)
• 4,310mAh battery (on tablet - up to six hours of play on one charge)
• 525mAh batteries (in Joy-Cons - up to 20 hours play time)

At 400 grams, it's light enough to carry in a bag or backpack, but probably won't fit in your pocket unless you're still rocking three-quarter cargo pants from the 90s. Games are stored on SD-like cards which is a great space-saver, as the Switch doesn't need to house or power a disc drive. Nintendo claims that the tablet has two-and-a-half to six hours of battery, depending on the program. Ours usually died around the two-and-a-half to three hour mark when playing Zelda: Breath of the Wild with automatic brightness and Wi-Fi turned on.

Here are the specs of the Nintendo Switch Gaming Consoles:

GENERAL

• Platform: Nintendo
• Display: 6.2-inch LCD Touch Display, 1280 x 720 pixels
• Processor: NVIDIA Custom Tegra Processor
• Sensors: Accelerometer, Gyroscope, and Brightness Sensor
• Colours: Red, White, Blue, Pink, Green, Purple, Grey,
• Dimension: 23.9 x 10.2 x 1.4 cm
• Weight: 300 g, 400 g (with Joy-Con controllers attached)

STORAGE

• Built-in Storage: supports up to 2TB memory card (32GB included),
• Game Card Slot: Yes

PORTS & CONNECTIVITY

• Camera: No, but the right Joy-Con controller offers an IR motion camera
• USB Port: Yes, 2 USB 2.0 ports (via Dock)
• HDMI Port: Yes, 1 HDMI port (via Dock), Full HD video and 5.1 suround sound
• Ethernet (RJ-45): No, however there is an adapter sold separately
• Headphone/Mic Jack: Yes
• Bluetooth: Yes Bluetooth 4.1
• WLAN: Yes, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band
• Power Supply: Voltage: 110 – 220V, Frequency: 50Hz / 60Hz

WIRELESS CONTROLLER

• Name: Joy-Con Wireless Controller
• Available in the Box: Yes, 2 Joy-Con Wireless Controller (Buy additional Joy-Con controllers or Switch Pro Wireless controller separately)
• Motion Sensors: Accelerometer, Gyroscope (both controllers), Motion IR Camera (right controller only)
• Features: D-Pad, Precision Controls, HD Rumble, Bluetooth 3.0 (both controllers), NFC (right controller only)

MOTION TRACKING DEVICE

• Name: Right Joy-Con Wireless Controller (via built-in IR camera)
• Gesture/Motion Tracking: Yes, Gesture Tracking
• Camera: Yes, Infrared Camera

BATTERY

• Battery: 4310 mAh Li-ion Battery
• Battery Life: 2.5 hours to 6.5 hours

The Nintendo Switch retails for £279.99 or $299.99 if you're in the US. That price will get you the main Switch console, along with a dock, a pair of Joy-Con controllers (one left and one right), a Joy-Con grip (to connect the controllers together), wrist straps, and an HDMI cable and AC adapter.