Nintendo has finally decided to show off their new "home gaming system", code-name NX. It's time to see what Nintendo has up their sleeves and put all the rumors to rest.
GBAtemp will covering the announcement and the OP will be updated as new information rolls in from the preview. Remember, the video starts at 9AM Central Standard Time, so be sure to watch, and discuss your thoughts here!

Nintendo Official Site

Trailer

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It's called the Nintendo Switch. Rumors are true, it's a tablet with connectable buttons that you can play at home and on the go. Console Controller looks similar to the Xbox One's. Has small little remotes and supports multiplayer. NBA game being shown. 3D Mario title. When you connect the portable controllers the system goes from console to portable. Skyrim and Splatoon shown. Still coming March next year.

Press Release​

Detachable Controllers Reinvent Gaming

REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- In an introductory video released today, Nintendo provided the first glimpse of its new home gaming system and revealed that it is called Nintendo Switch. In addition to providing single and multiplayer thrills at home, the Nintendo Switch system also enables gamers to play the same title wherever, whenever and with whomever they choose. The mobility of a handheld is now added to the power of a home gaming system to enable unprecedented new video game play styles.

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 simply lifting Nintendo Switch from the dock, the system will instantly transition to portable mode, and the same great gaming experience that was being enjoyed at home now travels with you. The portability of Nintendo Switch is enhanced by its bright high-definition display. It brings the full home gaming system experience with you to the park, on an airplane, in a car, or to a friend’s apartment.

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 easily 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.

“Nintendo Switch allows gamers the freedom to play however they like,” said Reggie Fils-Aime, President and COO, Nintendo of America. “It gives game developers new abilities to bring their creative visions to life by opening up the concept of gaming without boundaries.”

Developers can design their games supporting a variety of play styles, which gives gamers the freedom to choose an experience that best suits them. Some of the publishers, developers and middleware partners announcing support for Nintendo Switch are as follows:

Companies that will support the Switch
505 Games
• LEVEL-5 Inc.
• Activision Publishing, Inc.
• Marvelous Inc.
• ARC SYSTEM WORKS Co., Ltd.
• Maximum Games, LLC
• ATLUS CO., LTD.
• Nippon Ichi Software, Inc.
• Audiokinetic Inc.
• Parity Bit Inc.
• Autodesk, Inc.
• PlatinumGames Inc.
• BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.
• RAD Game Tools, Inc.
• Bethesda
• RecoChoku Co., Ltd.
• CAPCOM CO., LTD.
• SEGA Games Co., Ltd.
• Codemasters®
• Silicon Studio Corporation
• CRI Middleware Co., Ltd.
• Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
• DeNA Co., Ltd.
• SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.
• Electronic Arts
• Starbreeze Studios
• Epic Games Inc.
• Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.
• Firelight Technologies
• Telltale Games
• FromSoftware, Inc.
• THQ Nordic
• Frozenbyte
• Tokyo RPG Factory Co., Ltd.
• GameTrust
• TT Games
• GRASSHOPPER MANUFACTURE INC.


• UBISOFT
• Gungho Online Entertainment, Inc.
• Ubitus Inc.
• HAMSTER Corporation
• Unity Technologies, Inc.
• Havok
• Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
• INTI CREATES CO., LTD.
• Web Technology Corp

Screens





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It will be powered by a custom Nvidia Tegra chip.

Nintendo Switch is powered by the performance of the custom Tegra processor. The high-efficiency scalable processor includes an NVIDIA GPU based on the same architecture as the world’s top-performing GeForce gaming graphics cards.

Nvidia Blog

Nintendo Switch Site

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Nintendo First Look​

The detachable controllers are called Joy-Con controllers.

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 easily 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.

“Nintendo Switch allows gamers the freedom to play however they like,” said Reggie Fils-Aime, President and COO, Nintendo of America. “It gives game developers new abilities to bring their creative visions to life by opening up the concept of gaming without boundaries.”

Developers can design their games supporting a variety of play styles, which gives gamers the freedom to choose an experience that best suits them. Some of the publishers, developers and middleware partners announcing support for Nintendo Switch are as follows:

Nintendo Site

 

[3DPiper]

This reminds me of my Sega Nomad I have in the attic.
Full system that can play on a large tv or portably, two player support even when portable, uses carts, etc.

 

[Xzi]

Because it won't be competitive. The other consoles will be outputing true 1080p graphics, and the similar in price PS4Pro will be outputing "hacked" 4k. Not to mention Scorpio.

It might work for Nintendo first party games, and Disgaea/Persona type of games, because of the cartoony graphics, but the mainstream realistic AAA games won't look good relative to the other platforms.

Why would you think that? Shield TV can output [email protected] just fine depending on graphics options, or [email protected] if you want to crank them. PS4 and XB1 aren't any better than that, although their new revisions have made those promises.

 

[tarumbo83]

Cartridge based games are the exact opposite of disc-based games...

Flash storage is relatively cheap

It's also fast (compared to disc)

Also, with flash you have the capability to release larger games than you could initially due to advancements in flash technology...

Yes, the whole cart vs disc situation has changed since the last time Nintendo used cartridges on home consoles. Back in the N64 era carts were fast but had low storage space compared to disks, now carts are still fast but have better space, making them actually a fairly good option.

 

[Svaethier]

Someone said that Nintendo leaked the price of switch on a webpage before taking it down. It was 349.00 Eur so it will be 381.79 USD. too expensive for my pockets unfortunately.

 

[KingVamp]

As long as it is below $400. Buying it no matter what.

 

[Pluupy]

I think it's cute!

I will be patiently awaiting "switch" sexual references equivalent to "touching" the DS.

 

[TemplarGR]

External PCIe is a thing, so is Thunderbolt. Most modern GPU's run close to a 100% efficiency on PCIe X4, and that's just four lanes of bidirectional traffic. In fact, most SLI setups run at 2x8x - bandwidth is not a concern. eGPU's are commercially available right now, don't use the appeal to authority when you don't seem to know what you're talking about. The "limitations" exist solely in your head, solutions like this have existed for years now.

I don't like your tone. You really have far lower knowledge than what you believe. It is not about pcie bandwidth, it is about SoC connectors. The form factor is too small to accomondate them. You need pins for memory and I/O. PCIE is used on the large PC motherboards, not the slim 6" tablet form factor with the tiny microprocessor. Show me a 6" tablet with PCIE or SLI.

But the primary limitation is simple cost. Having a second Tegra is prohibitive. Tegras aren't cheap. Not to mention 2x Tegras will be difficult to manufacture in decent quantities @16nm, factory capacities are too full at the moment. So this is a definite no-no.

Stop being so aggressive with people who are better with tech than you, boy. You are just a gamer.

 

[DanTheMan827]

Because it won't be competitive. The other consoles will be outputing true 1080p graphics, and the similar in price PS4Pro will be outputing "hacked" 4k. Not to mention Scorpio.

It might work for Nintendo first party games, and Disgaea/Persona type of games, because of the cartoony graphics, but the mainstream realistic AAA games won't look good relative to the other platforms.

Wii U Has More Next-Gen 1080p 60fps Games Than Xbox One, PS4

I'd have to imagine the Switch is much more powerful than the Wii U...

 

[Svaethier]

As long as it is below $400. Buying it no matter what.

381+tax will be over 400.00

 

[Mikemk]

Well, it won't replace the 3DS. Doesn't fit in a pocket.

 

[FireEmblemGuy]

Cartridge based games are the exact opposite of disc-based games...

Flash storage is relatively cheap

It's also fast (compared to disc)

Also, with flash you have the capability to release larger games than you could initially due to advancements in flash technology...

Yes, the whole cart vs disc situation has changed since the last time Nintendo used cartridges on home consoles. Back in the N64 era carts were fast but had low storage space compared to disks, now carts are still fast but have better space, making them actually a fairly good option.

If you want to tell me where I can find 50GB worth of flash memory for $2-3, I'm all ears. Yes, flash memory is still faster, but it's not nearly as cheap as a Blu-Ray disc.

In the context of a handheld, yeah, flash works. But for a full console game, either you're really compressing things or you're cutting them outright, short of jumping production costs massively.

 

[MionissNio]

External PCIe is a thing, so is Thunderbolt which features X4 PCIe over a *cable*, here there's no cable so they can shove in however many lanes they want, it'll just make the connector bigger. Most modern GPU's run close to a 100% efficiency on PCIe X4, and that's just four lanes of bidirectional traffic and the clock bus, as power can be routed separately. In fact, most SLI setups run at 2x X8 - bandwidth is not a concern. eGPU's are commercially available right now, don't use the appeal to authority when you don't seem to know what you're talking about. The "limitations" exist solely in your head, solutions like this have existed for years now.

TB3 would most likely come in new Nintendo 3Switch NX U hardware revisions. With Nvidia Pascal 1050 console base or 1060 console base depending on your wallet.

Btw if xb1 and ps4 get hardware revisions so can NS.

 

[tarumbo83]

Well, it won't replace the 3DS. Doesn't fit in a pocket.

I'm not really sure how Nintendo expects the Switch to not replace the 3DS, the 3DS is like 6 years old now and it had outdated hardware when it first came on the market... hopefully that doesn't mean they expect everyone to own an N3DS, cause I can't afford one and a Switch.

 

[WiiUBricker]

The screen looks like it's 7 or 8 inches and after reading Nintendo's wording about the screen (The portability of Nintendo Switch is enhanced by its bright high-definition display.), the resolution probably is 720p.

 

[TemplarGR]

Wii U Has More Next-Gen 1080p 60fps Games Than Xbox One, PS4

I'd have to imagine the Switch is much more powerful than the Wii U...

Kid, you can run Super Mario 64 @1080p/60fps on a 100$ smartphone. It is not only about resolution, it is also about graphics detail... Wii U has really simple games.

 

[grossaffe]

I don't like your tone. You really have far lower knowledge than what you believe. It is not about pcie bandwidth, it is about SoC connectors. The form factor is too small to accomondate them. You need pins for memory and I/O. PCIE is used on the large PC motherboards, not the slim 6" tablet form factor with the tiny microprocessor. Show me a 6" tablet with PCIE or SLI.

But the primary limitation is simple cost. Having a second Tegra is prohibitive. Tegras aren't cheap. Not to mention 2x Tegras will be difficult to manufacture in decent quantities @16nm, factory capacities are too full at the moment. So this is a definite no-no.

Stop being so aggressive with people who are better with tech than you, boy. You are just a gamer.

Why is Nintendo limited to what standard tablets use? This is a custom-designed gaming machine.

 

[aofelix]

idk where nintendo go from here.

i mean i think the idea is brilliant, i want to buy one right now, take it to work, take it on road trips with my family and have a blast.

it leaves the 3DS in a slightly weird position tho. like do i want to play 3DS titles or do i want to play on this bad boy? kind of simple answer IMO.

I hope they accessorise it properly, screen protectors or packs for carrying the device.




The slowdown and framerate drops on the zelda game was HORRIBLE. but we know the FPS for that title on the Wii U is not great either so I'm not too concerned. Mario on the big screen looked beautiful...



All I can say is if I have a choice of buying:

1. XBOX scorpio
2. PS4 Neo/pro
3. Nintendo switch

I will pick the switch everytime, this is offering something new and unique. I home developers don't just port gimped version to titles to this.

 

[tarumbo83]

Kid, you can run Super Mario 64 @1080p/60fps on a 100$ smartphone. It is not only about resolution, it is also about graphics detail... Wii U has really simple games.

Source? Cartoonish-style graphics don't mean lack of detail in graphics, just look at Wind Waker HD or something like that (unless that's not what you mean)

 

[aofelix]

Kid, you can run Super Mario 64 @1080p/60fps on a 100$ smartphone. It is not only about resolution, it is also about graphics detail... Wii U has really simple games.

Totally agree with you...

but you have to really appreciate just how beautiful some of the 60gps/1080p nintendo games are!

say what you want about their decisions on the hardware front or marketing perspectives...

but as a gaming developer and optimisation of games, they are second to NONE imo.

 

[TemplarGR]

Why is Nintendo limited to what standard tablets use? This is a custom-designed gaming machine.

Not Nintendo. Nvidia. Nintendo didn't design anything, Nvidia did. While Nvidia could have a buffed gpu portion for the Switch, it is unlikely. It won't do any good. After all, the switch is just a 6" tablet, we already have tablets with Tegra, we know how much power they need to run. If they limit the cpu power to boost gpu power, it will still be lower than the Xbox.