NINTENDO SWITCH FUN AND COOL,
New video game console is easy to use, easy to move from place to place
There’s a reason video game systems are sometimes referred to as “home consoles.” They’re certainly not the easiest gadget to lug around.
This makes Nintendo’s approach with the Switch, its seventh home video game console, so intriguing. Imagine never having to leave your home video games behind, whether it’s for a work commute, a vacation, or just because you want to go to another room.
The Switch goes on sale Friday for $299.99, and if you didn’t preorder the console, it will be available at several retailers including Amazon, Best Buy, Target and Walmart.
Having played with Switch for about a week, its portability is enticing. Switch also stands out in two other big ways: It’s much smaller than the traditional console, and it ditches the disc format for physical games in favor of small cartridges, similar to its 3DS handheld.
As with other consoles, users will get to download some games online.
The core of Switch is very much like a tablet, with a 6.2-inch touchscreen capable of high-definition video. Setting up Switch is easy, and the touchscreen controls work really well. The storage inside the device is small — 32 GB — but you can expand that up to 2 TB with a microSD card.
HOW YOU ACTUALLY PLAY
Sliding into each side of Switch are two “Joy-Con” controllers, which resemble miniature versions of the Wii remote.
When you play on a TV, the Joy-Cons slide off and on to a controller grip that looks like your standard video game controller when assembled. The Switch connects to a dock with HDMI input linked to your TV.
When you slide the Joy-Cons back on Switch, you can pull it from the dock and play in Handheld Mode. There’s also a kickstand on the back, allowing users to detach the Joy-Cons and prop up Switch in Tabletop Mode.
Flipping between every mode felt effortless, and popping off and on the Joy-Cons is pretty easy after a few attempts.
MY FIRST IMPRESSION
It was fun having the option to play a game such as Legend of Zelda: Breath
of the Wild on a TV in my den, then to just snap it up in Handheld Mode to continue in another room, or to set it up in Tabletop Mode on my office desk.
When you switch modes, the console recognizes this and asks you to confirm by pressing the back triggers on the Joy-Cons, preventing any accidental button presses.
Largely playing Zelda through most of my experience, battery life averaged roughly 21⁄ 2- 3 hours. Fortunately, Nintendo smartly switched from a proprietary charging option to the standard USB-C, which should make it easier to find extra compatible charging options around.
The user interface is clean, with a list of the games you have front and center, as well as other hubs such as an album for screenshots (taken with the press of a button on your controller), and settings for the Joy-Cons.
SO, SHOULD YOU BUY IT?
Only a handful of games will be available at launch, most notably The Legend of Zelda.
As with every other console launch, it’s too early to judge success, because there are so many unanswered questions, but Switch offers so much promise.
Switch goes on sale Friday for $299.99. It will be available at several retailers including Amazon, Best Buy, Target and Walmart.