SWITCHING IT UP
New console aims to launch Nintendo into the world of tablet gaming Switch is Nintendo’s answer to evolving gaming habits in an increasingly mobile-centric world.
After spending a few days with it, I can honestly say there’s a lot to like about Nintendo’s new Switch gaming console.
That said, I should probably point out that what I like about the Switch is exactly what I liked about the Wii U when it first made its debut. I see the release of Switch as a revolution for Nintendo, just not in the way the company apparently does.
The Switch, which will hit retailers Friday, is already proving to be a hit. Early reports suggest retailers have sold out of pre-orders for the $400 device.
Nintendo has seen that before. Demand for its Wii gaming console in 2006 was rampant. The same thing happened when the company released Wii U in 2012. But the early enthusiasm wasn’t sustained and sales of the console waned, which is part of the reason we’re now seeing the release of Switch.
Switch is supposed to be Nintendo’s cutting-edge gaming console: a place where future generations will play Super Mario, Star Fox and Zelda games. The company claims the device will finally bridge the gap between home console and portable gaming by providing a tablet-like screen that allows players to take their games with them wherever they go.
And that’s what potential buyers should know about the $400 Switch: It’s a Nintendo-made, 15-centimetre tablet.
The entire console is contained within the device’s bevelled black-glass veneer. A docking station, which also charges the tablet, allows players to display whatever game they may be playing on their living room TV. Just place Switch inside the dock and, instantly, whatever was on the six-inch tablet is now being shown in high-definition on the big screen. Detachable and rechargeable “Joy-con” remote controllers, can be snapped to the side of the tablet, giving a very console-like feel.
It’s all a bit of déjà vu though, because the set-up makes Switch feel exactly like the Wii U’s gamepad, right down to the screen size. The Wii U’s gamepad was quite a bit heftier. In the interest of portability, Switch has slimmed down. Still, Nintendo isn’t deviating very far from its tried and true formula.
The Wii U took everything that was great about the Wii, added a second screen and allowed gameplay to be somewhat mobile, as long as players remained within a certain radius of the console.
Switch gets rid of that digital leash, allowing you actually pick up the console’s touch screen tablet and take it anywhere. Since all of the game’s processing is happening on the tablet, you don’t need an Internet connection to play Switch. The console’s bite-sized controllers are essentially miniaturized, pocket-sized versions of the Wii-mote.
The system moves back to cartridge-based games for a number of reasons, including the fact they hold more data than DVD/Blu-ray offerings and they cut down on load times, which is a big complaint as games get more complex.
Switch is Nintendo’s answer to evolving gaming habits in an increasingly mobile-centric world. There are 165 million people playing games on mobile phones or tablets in the U.S. alone. Those people spend an average of seven hours a week playing games on their devices. While mobile device gaming has been soaring, sales of Nintendo’s DS and 3DS consoles have been falling in recent years as more people to turn to phone and tablet games.
Despite what Nintendo says, Switch is not a home video game console that will compete with Microsoft’s Xbox One and Sony’s PS4. Those consoles have built in Blu-ray players, access to media libraries and a firmly entrenched fan base that likely won’t be buying Switch.
What it is, is a replacement for Nintendo’s aging DS console design, and one that will hopefully attract some of the mobile masses while launching Nintendo head first into the world of tablet gaming.
Switch is Nintendo’s answer to evolving gaming habits in an increasingly mobile-centric world.