Switch is a hybrid gaming system that is part gaming console, part handheld device and part tablet.
It allows users three different styles of play: first, they can set the Switch console in a dock and connect it to their television sets for the more traditional type of TV mode gaming. They can stand the console up with a kickstand and play using the Joy-Con controllers in the Tabletop mode. The Joy-Con controllers can also be attached on either side of the console for the handheld mode.
When Nintendo initially announced Switch - previously called the NX - there was a lot of buzz around the so-called Joy-Con controllers, which can be split into two separate gaming controllers. They come with motion control sensors, including an infrared camera on the right Joy-con that can sense the shape, motion and distance of objects before the controller.
This opens the possibility of a new form of player-versus-player gaming as Nintendo demonstrated with two new game titles 1,2 Switch and Arms. In 1,2 Switch, players take control of each Joy-Con controller and can play out scenarios like quick draw shooting and sword fighting without needing to look at the screen, with their movements determined by the motion control features in the controller.
The Joy-Con controllers also come with wrist straps that make the grip easier and are available in black, red and blue.
The Switch's battery life varies on the games, but Nintendo said it could be expected to last in a range between 2.5 to 6.5 hours. The console can be charged using a USB-C charger.
Nintendo has struggled in the gaming console market, following a disappointing run of its Wii U console, which sold only about 13.36 million units as of September 2016 since its launch in late 2012. In contrast, its predecessor, the Nintendo Wii, sold 101.63 million units as of September last year following its launch in 2006.