T3 India

Nintendo Switch

Nintendo Switch finally gets a launch date and price

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Nintendo Switch, the new console from the company will be launching in Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, US and major European countries on March 6. It follows the short lived Wii U console that failed to garner third party support and suffered from under-powered hardware. The system was first announced in October 2016.

The Switch takes a completely different approach by being Hybrid Hardware consisting of the console, dock and controllers. The main unit comprises of a 6.2″ LCD screen, audio jack, kickstand and slots on both sides into which the controllers can be attached. A slot is present for reading game cards. It can be detached and played separately thanks to the HD screen. The portable battery life will range from 2.5 to 6.5 hours depending upon the game. Charging will be done using USB Type-C port instead of a proprietary port.

The console will also be region free so software from all corners of the globe will run without any problems. Another major departure is that Nintendo will be charging for its online services like PlayStation and Xbox but for the time being the service will be free until Fall 2017.

Currently announced games for the console are Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Shin Megami Tensei 4, No More Heroes 3, Splatoon 2, Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, Animal Moon with more getting announced soon. The list includes a lot of diversity and even ports of games that were unexpected.

Unfortunately since Nintendo refuses to have Indian presence, the only way to buy the console would be from third party re-sellers or the grey market at inflated prices no doubt.

Nintendo’s new console is Switch

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After the mixed reception and disappointing sales of Wii U, Nintendo has taken an entirely different approach with their new gaming console by making some intriguing changes. The video below provides the first glimpse at Switch, the new home gaming system from Nintendo which lets gamers play the same game title anywhere they want. The console merges the mobility of a handheld to the power of a dedicated home gaming system to accommodate a variety of play styles.

When not on the move, the console rests in the Switch Dock that connects the system to the Television letting players use it to play singleplayer or multiplayer games. But just lifting the console from the dock transitions it to portable mode and the same experience can be enjoyed on the go on a high-definition display.

Detachable Joy-Con controllers from either side can be used in a variety of ways. For example: One player can use a controller in each hand or two players can each take one. The controllers can click back into place or be slipped into a Joy-Con grip accessory to take the shape of a traditional controller. A serious gamer can even use an optional Pro controller instead.

The console is powered by Nvidia’s custom Tegra processor. It is speculated that that the development of Shield 2 was cancelled to incorporate it into the hardware for the Switch. The scalable processor includes an NVIDIA GPU based on the same architecture as the Geforce gaming cards. Various publishers, developers and middleware partners have announced support for it right out of the gate.

Game demos, launch window titles, price and configuration will be shown prior to the March 2017 launch. No specific date for the Indian market has been announced.