Nintendo NX is Officially Nintendo Switch, Promises Anywhere Gameplay - The UpStream

It has been quite a while since we heard the first rumblings about Nintendo's next console. Nintendo has been surprisingly open about the existence of the project, including referring to it by its codename: Nintendo NX. Over time, we have learned new information - both officially and unofficially - about Nintendo's intentions, including being cartridge-based. Before this week, the most detail we had was a release target of March 2017.

All of that has changed, though, as Nintendo released a 3 minute teaser trailer for the console, officially named Nintendo Switch. The name is a perfect moniker for the console, which essentially replaces both the Wii family and the 3DS family with a single product. This is accomplished by a fascinatingly unique hardware setup that serves as both home and mobile console.

The brains of the operation is a tablet-looking device that may or may-not be touch responsive. I say this because nowhere in the video do they show anyone interacting directly with the display. This could be because the device is not touch sensitive, or because all of the scenes were filmed with black screens and the gameplay was superimposed, and controller-interaction is easier to fake than touch. On the sides are controls that look similar to the design of the logo for the console, called the Joy-Con. Those controls can be used in two ways: attached to the tablet on the sides, or separately, either in unison or for 2-player mode.

Similar to existing mobile Nintendo handhelds, local multi-player remote play is shown, with up to 4 Switches networked together for a single game with 4 players. They also show off 2 Switches being networked together, with the Joy-Cons being used separately, for a total of 4 players playing on 2 the two Switches.

When you get home, the tablet sits into what looks like a charging station. In reality, though, it is likely more than that. In fact, it is almost certainly more like a Surface docking station, giving video output, possibly additional storage capabilities or wired controller support, in addition to powering and charging the tablet itself. That assumedly puts all of the responsibility for the performance of the console on the tablet, but it could also work more like the Surface Book, adding a more powerful video card when you dock the tablet.

In docked mode, the Joy-Cons come back into play. Here, the gameplay is often shown with a different dock for the controls, the Joy-Con Grip, which puts them into a more traditional console controller layout. This center dock likely adds additional power to the Joy-Cons as well. There is also a Pro Controller, which looks a lot like an original Xbox controller. I assume that this center dock is also able to be used remotely, though when they show a pair of pro gaming teams using a controller in mobile mode, they only show the Pro controller.

As was previously reported, the console will run on cartridges, which makes sense for a device intended for mobile use. Discs obviously require physical stability, something you cannot guarantee in a taxi, or while walking. For reference, remember how well a portable CD player worked while walking or riding a bike. This does mean that the Switch will not have any physical backwards compatibility with Wii or Wii U, and the change of cartridge style means no 3DS games, either. That doesn't mean that digital versions won't be made available in the future.

Nintendo has also not confirmed just how much of the console is required for operation, and how much will come in the box. All we know for sure is that the tablet and the pair of Joy-Cons will be included. Nintendo has not confirmed whether the home dock or Joy-Con Grip will be included, likely indicating that there will be bundles for both mobile-focused and home-focused.

More details will come out over the next 5 months, leading up to the March 2017 launch of the product.