During Nintendo’s Treehouse live event, the Nintendo Switch was formally introduced to the gaming masses, months after its first reveal. You can check out the video below and keep reading for the details.
Launch Date
- March 3rd, 2017 worldwide release date!
Price & Editions
- Japan: 29980 Yen
- NA: 299.99 USD
- Europe varies by retailer
- One edition will be all gray, another will have a neon red and neon blue Joy-con
Online
- You can use a smart device to connect for online and social functionality.
- Users can try the online service for a free trial period.
- The online will become a paid service beginning fall 2017. More details will come at a later date.
- Players who subscribe to the premium online service will receive one free downloadable NES or SNES game that are only playable during that month. After that month, players are able to buy the game in order to keep it.
Specs
- There is no regional locking to any of the software
- The console features 3 modes:
- TV Mode: standard home cinema experience
- Tabletop Mode: kickstand on back of screen with Joy-con
- Handheld Mode: attach both Joy-cons to system for portable console single and multiplayer
- The console transitions between modes seamlessly
- Battery life varies by game ranging from 2.5-6.5 hours
- Can play while charging the system
- The screen has a 6.2-inch 1280×720 resolution multi-touch capacitive screen
- The console will also use 32GB of internal storage, which you can expand with a microSDXC card
- Game cartridges are called “game cards” and you drop them in from the top of the Switch
- Players can connect over wifi for multiplayer battles
- 8 consoles can connect to each other for local wireless multiplayer gaming
- There is a dedicated capture button for screenshots and eventually, video
- The Switch will have two speakers at the bottom and a 3.5mm headphone jack at the top
Accessories
- Left and Right Joy-cons
- Each Joy-con has four face buttons, a Home button, and an analog stick. Joy-cons can also read Amiibo data
- In the future, they’ll be able to capture video as well
- Each Joy-con also contains an accelerometer for motion control and an IR camera and HD rumble
- Each Joy-con can be used as an independent controller
- The console comes with 2 controllers, can purchase other colors, wristwrap
- Additional Joy-Con Controllers will cost $80 and the Pro Controller will cost $70.
Games Lineup
We’ll put notable games coming to the console here as they’re announced! Keep checking back! There are over 80 3rd party games in development.
- Skyrim
- Super Mario Odyssey: Holiday 2017
- Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: March 3rd, simultaneous with console launch
- FIFA
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
- Ultra Street Fighter
- Minecraft
- Splatoon 2
- Xenoblade 2
- Fire Emblem
- Dragonquest X, Dragonquest XI, Dragonquest Heroes I & II
- A game from Suda51. No title, gameplay or screenshots. The reveal of the night ladies and gentlemen.
- Super Bomberman R
- Rime
- I am Setsuna
- Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition
- NBA 2K18
- Disgae 5 Complete
- Farming Simulator
- 1-2 Switch
- Arms
We’ll continue to update this article with new updates as more is revealed so keep this page bookmarked and keep checking back often!
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21 responses to “Nintendo Switch Launch Date, Price, Specs, Launch Games Lineup & More”
After watching the vid I’m exited. I really like all the gimmicks behind the Switch controller. I never owned a Nintendo console but this one I might actually buy
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Doesn’t work. There is nothing they can put on a computer that can’t be circumvented. Chances are, even if they built it into drivers directly on PC hardware, it would take 30 seconds and a 4kb download (if not a simple web proxy) to get around. Even if they tried encrypting them, the actual computer has to be able to decrypt them in order to read them which means it would just be a matter of figuring out how it was being done and copying that (assuming you coudln’t just download hacked or custom made drivers without that restriction and call it a day) which is one of the ways people keep beating various forms of DRM.
The long and short is, it would cost either hardware or OS companies (so the people who make the parts, MS, or any of the people who make lunix based OSs) a tremendous amount of money to accomplish such a task and have it last longer than 2 seconds after release, in which case it would last all of 2 months, just like all their other DRM schemes. The most they can do is prevent you playing online on their servers.
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I was kidding. Apparently dark gaming future prediction jokes don’t catch. Steam and gog have no reason to do so, gog because that’s not the moral principle they run on, and Steam because they’re already making metric fu*k tons of money from other sources that the community has no problem supporting aside from game sales. There would be no sane reason to earn the ire of your consumers when there are plenty of better ways to weasel money out of them.
On the topic of the actual possibility of a forced subscription based system happening, I have heard that they’re making PCs with built in hardware and software that can force you have to pay to access certain online content. One of the states might start doing it for porn, so you have to pay like 20$ to access it online. So, if all of the gaming companies and PC component developers joined forces under some evil anti-consumer agenda, there could be a theoretical dystopian gaming future where you have to pay a subscription fee just to be able to buy games, which of course won’t technically be yours and could be taken away from you at any point in time without compensation (which has also happened).
Zelda is and has always been a system seller to me, as is Mario. Hope the Fire Emblem warriors game is not just another dynasty warriors. Arms looks fun, though I’ll need to see a story mode. The JRPGs look fine. Last, but not least, the idea of a new no more heroes is captivating along with a new splatoon. Here’s hoping to a new metroid and F-zero.
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PC. I’m more glad than ever that I made the switch for non-exclusive games. (pun intended)
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Go ask Games For Windows Live how that worked out last time someone tried that on PC. MMO’s can get away with it (allthough the subscription model is suffering there too) but nobody else can. We’ll go around them with 3rd party programs, connect to unofficial servers, buy from a different store, or just laugh as the “service” dies. Trying to inplement that on PC is the rough equivilant of trying the always online DRM thing that the Xbone tried on consoles, all you have to do is advertise yourself as “not that” and watch your market share soar.
I don’t agree that there is no reason to be excited though. Not a mario fan myself, but splatoon is good and a “hendheld” I can take with me that has actual proper joysticks and controls is basically everything I loved about the Vita.
Xenoblade 2 managed to look super generic though. I only knew is was xenoblade because of the camera work and obvious red sword is obvious.
Oh hell, I already preordered it. TIME TO GET HYPED
I’ve updated the post with more confirmed games and some new tech specs and accessory prices.
Huh, I only read a recap and I’m excited for it. I’m not going to any extreme measures but I’ll buy one when I can. The hybrid console seems revolutionary to me. New Zelda is worth a new console to me. I bought a 360 just to play Skyrim with voice control, after platting it on PS3.
Skyrim is fall 2017. Stardew is confirmed. I think it might be a launch title but not sure as I read the recap at 3 am.
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Not gonna pay for it when Steam and gog says you have to. (Just you wait, the subscription times are upon us)
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what
Definitely a big let down from Nintendo this time around. I have a feeling this system is really going to hurt them if they don’t get some HUGE games out quick. Zelda is not going to cut it when it’s also available on the Wii U. The Mario game has some interesting mechanics but the world just looks so out of place compared to the Mushroom Kingdom. That was the first Mario game I’ve ever seen that I didn’t want to play immediately. To top it all off, they don’t even have a release date. No new MarioKart, just a revamp of their worst entry in the series, and no mention of a Metroid game. AND now they want to charge for online connectivity……???? If they are not careful, Nintendo will become a 3rd party developer for Sony.
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Oh well, multiplayer games over online are never as much fun as good ol’ splitscreen anyway. It does infuriate me though, Nintendo was supposed to be that one remaining platform without online subscription… damnit.
None of the things shown so far really excite me that much, except the new zelda *drools*. It is a good reason to buy the system, but sadly the only one …
edit: I do hope though they’ll keep the splitscreen on super smash…
Not paying for online when MS says I have to, Not paying for online when Sony says I have to, Not paying for it when Nintendo asks for it.
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Yes, though I don’t think they announced a release date for it.
So Skyrim’s confirmed?
The controllers seem pretty amazing, Arms looks fun, and the new Zelda trailer was AMAZING and also HOLY SHIT MARCH 3RD FOR ZELDA!!!
Lol sounds legit haha
Neither am I. Was really expecting a lot more. They seriously had a guy come up there and say he has a game coming out, but has no title and nothing to show of it.
Yawn, this is a boring lineup with added on five year old Skyrim. not sure I’m seeing any apparent value atm
So far the games are pretty underwhelming. Mario looks fun as always.
Well that was quick. Didn’t expect it to release so soon.
Now for more games to come out make me want one. If and when Stardew Valley hits it, I’ll be lost to the world again.
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