Nintendo's newest game system promises to be both a home console like the Wii U and a handheld like the 3DS.
The Nintendo Switch can work connected to your HDTV while you play from
the couch, or held in your hands as you game on the go, thanks to its
modular tablet design and unique Joy-Con controllers. The $299.99 system
includes everything you need to play no matter where you are: the core
Switch console, the Switch Dock, two Joy-Cons, two Joy-Con Wrist Straps,
a Joy-Con Grip, an HDMI cable, and a power adapter.
We spent some time with the Nintendo Switch at a preview event, and have some first impressions. We'll revisit the system to give it a formal score once we get the retail package in PC Labs for in-depth testing. The Switch launches March 3.
The screen is the most advanced display Nintendo has put in a handheld device. While the Switch's 720p resolution is hardly impressive compared with the 1080p and Quad HD (2,560 by 1,440) screens of most smartphones and tablets, it has triple the vertical resolution of the Nintendo 3DS' upper screen (400 by 240 effective). The screen is also brighter and more vivid than any Nintendo handheld, and the first to feature capacitive touch.
According to Nintendo, the Switch's battery life will vary between 2.5 and 6 hours, depending on the games you play. This is very short compared with the 3DS, but because the system charges over USB-C you can easily keep it going with portable batteries. Also, when you use it in the Switch Dock while connected to your TV, you can use it indefinitely.
The included Switch Dock is a similarly black and rectangular cradle for the system that both keeps it charged and allows it to be used as a home game console. The back of the dock features an HDMI port for connecting the Switch to a TV, a USB 3.0 port, and an AC adapter port (a USB-C port), behind a plastic door you can close, with cut-outs for neatly running cables out of it. Two more USB 3.0 ports sit on the left side of the dock.
Joy-Cons are presented in pairs, though each can be used on their own in games that support them. The left Joy-Con has an analog stick near the top, four circular directional buttons below it, and minus and Capture buttons above and below them. The right Joy-Con has an analog stick near the middle, with circular A/B/X/Y buttons above it, flanked by plus and Home buttons above and below them. The plus and minus buttons function like Start and Select buttons from older Nintendo systems, just like on the Wii U and Wii controllers. The Capture button lets you take screenshots of games you're playing and share them online. Each Joy-Con has a shoulder button and a trigger button on the top, along with a pair of small, recessed shoulder buttons on its respective mounting rail. The rails let you connect the Joy-Con to the Switch, the Joy-Con Grip, or the included Joy-Con Straps, holding the Joy-Con firmly in place with a satisfying click until you press a small physical latch on the back.
The asymmetrical Joy-Cons offer the same controls as a standard Xbox-style gamepad, but the uneven stick placement serves an additional purpose. Because the stick on the left Joy-Con is higher than the direction buttons, the stick on the right Joy-Con is lower than the face buttons, and the direction buttons and face buttons are shaped the same, both Joy-Cons can be used on their own as Super Nintendo-style gamepads. Held horizontally with the rail facing away from you, each Joy-Con lets you play with an analog stick on the left, four face buttons on the right, and left and right shoulder buttons hidden in the rail.
The Joy-Con Grip is a battery pack you slot both Joy-Cons into to have them act like a single conventional gamepad. The Joy-Cons click onto a rectangular battery pack that holds them like a much narrower Switch, and curved plastic grips let you use them in that configuration much more comfortably. The Switch Pro Gamepad is an optional $70 alternative to the Joy-Con Grip, offering all of the same motion sensing and NFC-reading features of the Joy-Cons in a single Xbox controller-shaped package with no rails or switchable components.
Arms is a first-party arcade boxing game that uses both Joy-Cons as motion controllers for the weapons of fantastical fighters with extending arms. You hold a Joy-Con in each hand to control your fighter's respective fist-mounted weapon using punching motions, like in Wii Sports Boxing. Punching with one Joy-Con throws a punch, while punching with both at the same time performs a long-distance grab move. Tilting the Joy-Cons lets you move your fighter in different directions around the ring, and twisting the Joy-Cons puts up your fists to guard against attacks.
It's a fast and frantic game that rewards timing over blindly throwing punches. Like most fighting games, punches, grabs, and blocks work against each other in a rock-paper-scissors system; punches can be blocked, blocks can be grabbed, and grabs can be punched through. Maneuvering around the ring, especially with dashes and jumps using the shoulder buttons on the Joy-Con, add a cat-and-mouse aspect to the action. It was fun to play, if reminiscent of a decade-old Wii game.
The shoot-out and sword-swinging mini games are straightforward. The quick-draw challenge has each player hold their Joy-Con at their side until the game tells them to draw. They then pull their Joy-Cons up to point at each other and pull the shoulder button. The first player to draw and shoot wins. The sensors track the angle of the Joy-Con, meaning you need to bring it level against your opponent or your shots will go into the ground. The sword-swinging mini game is similar but asymmetrical. One player swings their Joy-Con down over their head, while the other must clap their hands with their Joy-Con at the right time. If the clap is timed right, they catch the sword. If not, they're cut down.
The cow-milking mini game has players facing each other and pretending to milk a cow. Each player holds their Joy-Con vertically and must move it up and down while rhythmically pressing the top shoulder button followed by the bottom shoulder button. The faster they can consistently perform this motion, the more they milk. Whoever milks the most milk wins. It's pretty weird.
The ball-counting mini game shows off the Joy-Cons' HD Rumble feature. The force feedback motors in each Joy-Con can simulate the rattling of small objects, and the game has you counting those small objects in your hand as if you were holding a box. The rumble feature really does give the illusion that there are balls rolling around in the Joy-Con, having them bounce against each other in the virtual box as you move it around in your hand. It's an impressive technology demonstration, but not a very interesting game.
Online Services
Nintendo is rolling out a new service similar to Xbox Live and PlayStation Network to enable online multiplayer on the Switch. It will be a fee-based service, but online multiplayer will be free through the fall, when additional features like voice chat and online lobbies will be added. Paying users will also get access to a monthly NES or SNES game with online play.
A paid subscription will be required for online multiplayer in the fall, but users who don't pay can still access the Nintendo eShop on the service. Free users will also be able to share screenshots they take using the Joy-Con's Capture button on social networks. Nintendo hasn't yet announced specifics regarding the Capture function, or about the availability of Virtual Console games on the Switch at launch.
We spent some time with the Nintendo Switch at a preview event, and have some first impressions. We'll revisit the system to give it a formal score once we get the retail package in PC Labs for in-depth testing. The Switch launches March 3.
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The Switch
The Switch itself is a black rectangular tablet with a 6.2-inch, 720p capacitive touch screen. Rails on the left and right allow you to connect the Joy-Cons. A USB-C port rests on the bottom to power the Switch or place it in its dock, and a microSD card slot expands the system's storage past its 32GB internal capacity. The top edge holds a power button and a volume rocker, but the Switch otherwise has no physical controls on its tablet section. A 3.5mm headphone jack and a slot for the game cards, which are similar in size and shape to Nintendo 3DS cards, also rest on the top. A kickstand can be flipped out of the back to let you set the Switch on any flat surface for portable use while using the Joy-Cons or other controllers wirelessly.The screen is the most advanced display Nintendo has put in a handheld device. While the Switch's 720p resolution is hardly impressive compared with the 1080p and Quad HD (2,560 by 1,440) screens of most smartphones and tablets, it has triple the vertical resolution of the Nintendo 3DS' upper screen (400 by 240 effective). The screen is also brighter and more vivid than any Nintendo handheld, and the first to feature capacitive touch.
According to Nintendo, the Switch's battery life will vary between 2.5 and 6 hours, depending on the games you play. This is very short compared with the 3DS, but because the system charges over USB-C you can easily keep it going with portable batteries. Also, when you use it in the Switch Dock while connected to your TV, you can use it indefinitely.
The included Switch Dock is a similarly black and rectangular cradle for the system that both keeps it charged and allows it to be used as a home game console. The back of the dock features an HDMI port for connecting the Switch to a TV, a USB 3.0 port, and an AC adapter port (a USB-C port), behind a plastic door you can close, with cut-outs for neatly running cables out of it. Two more USB 3.0 ports sit on the left side of the dock.
Joy-Cons
The Joy-Cons are the stars of the show, beyond the Switch tablet itself. They're small controllers that can be used wirelessly on their own, mounted on the sides of the Switch to let the system work as a portable system, or connected together in the included Joy-Con Grip as a conventional controller. Each Joy-Con features physical and motion controls, including a unique haptic feature called HD rumble that simulates small objects and a shape-sensing infrared sensor. The Joy-Cons also support NFC, so you can use your Amiibos with games that support them.Joy-Cons are presented in pairs, though each can be used on their own in games that support them. The left Joy-Con has an analog stick near the top, four circular directional buttons below it, and minus and Capture buttons above and below them. The right Joy-Con has an analog stick near the middle, with circular A/B/X/Y buttons above it, flanked by plus and Home buttons above and below them. The plus and minus buttons function like Start and Select buttons from older Nintendo systems, just like on the Wii U and Wii controllers. The Capture button lets you take screenshots of games you're playing and share them online. Each Joy-Con has a shoulder button and a trigger button on the top, along with a pair of small, recessed shoulder buttons on its respective mounting rail. The rails let you connect the Joy-Con to the Switch, the Joy-Con Grip, or the included Joy-Con Straps, holding the Joy-Con firmly in place with a satisfying click until you press a small physical latch on the back.
The asymmetrical Joy-Cons offer the same controls as a standard Xbox-style gamepad, but the uneven stick placement serves an additional purpose. Because the stick on the left Joy-Con is higher than the direction buttons, the stick on the right Joy-Con is lower than the face buttons, and the direction buttons and face buttons are shaped the same, both Joy-Cons can be used on their own as Super Nintendo-style gamepads. Held horizontally with the rail facing away from you, each Joy-Con lets you play with an analog stick on the left, four face buttons on the right, and left and right shoulder buttons hidden in the rail.
Joy-Con Accessories
If you do use the Joy-Cons individually, you'll probably want to use the included Joy-Con Straps. Each Joy-Con Strap provides a helpful lanyard so your Joy-Con doesn't go flying when you swing your arm, but they're more substantial than simple loops of nylon. The lanyards are connected to plastic shells that click securely onto the rail of each Joy-Con. The shells offer larger, much easier-to-press shoulder buttons than the small shoulder buttons hidden in the Joy-Con rail.The Joy-Con Grip is a battery pack you slot both Joy-Cons into to have them act like a single conventional gamepad. The Joy-Cons click onto a rectangular battery pack that holds them like a much narrower Switch, and curved plastic grips let you use them in that configuration much more comfortably. The Switch Pro Gamepad is an optional $70 alternative to the Joy-Con Grip, offering all of the same motion sensing and NFC-reading features of the Joy-Cons in a single Xbox controller-shaped package with no rails or switchable components.
Arms
I tried an assortment of Switch games at the preview event. They were demos, some of which won't be released at the system's launch, but they gave a good sense of how the Switch will feel to play in different situations.Arms is a first-party arcade boxing game that uses both Joy-Cons as motion controllers for the weapons of fantastical fighters with extending arms. You hold a Joy-Con in each hand to control your fighter's respective fist-mounted weapon using punching motions, like in Wii Sports Boxing. Punching with one Joy-Con throws a punch, while punching with both at the same time performs a long-distance grab move. Tilting the Joy-Cons lets you move your fighter in different directions around the ring, and twisting the Joy-Cons puts up your fists to guard against attacks.
It's a fast and frantic game that rewards timing over blindly throwing punches. Like most fighting games, punches, grabs, and blocks work against each other in a rock-paper-scissors system; punches can be blocked, blocks can be grabbed, and grabs can be punched through. Maneuvering around the ring, especially with dashes and jumps using the shoulder buttons on the Joy-Con, add a cat-and-mouse aspect to the action. It was fun to play, if reminiscent of a decade-old Wii game.
1, 2, Switch!
1, 2, Switch! is a quick-draw minigame compilation that evokes the WarioWare games. Pairs of players face off, each equipped with a Joy-Con. They compete in different activities that use the Joy-Cons' motion sensors and force feedback functions. The tasks I tried in the demo included competing in a quick-draw shoot-out, milking a cow, swinging and catching a sword, and counting the number of balls in a box.The shoot-out and sword-swinging mini games are straightforward. The quick-draw challenge has each player hold their Joy-Con at their side until the game tells them to draw. They then pull their Joy-Cons up to point at each other and pull the shoulder button. The first player to draw and shoot wins. The sensors track the angle of the Joy-Con, meaning you need to bring it level against your opponent or your shots will go into the ground. The sword-swinging mini game is similar but asymmetrical. One player swings their Joy-Con down over their head, while the other must clap their hands with their Joy-Con at the right time. If the clap is timed right, they catch the sword. If not, they're cut down.
The cow-milking mini game has players facing each other and pretending to milk a cow. Each player holds their Joy-Con vertically and must move it up and down while rhythmically pressing the top shoulder button followed by the bottom shoulder button. The faster they can consistently perform this motion, the more they milk. Whoever milks the most milk wins. It's pretty weird.
The ball-counting mini game shows off the Joy-Cons' HD Rumble feature. The force feedback motors in each Joy-Con can simulate the rattling of small objects, and the game has you counting those small objects in your hand as if you were holding a box. The rumble feature really does give the illusion that there are balls rolling around in the Joy-Con, having them bounce against each other in the virtual box as you move it around in your hand. It's an impressive technology demonstration, but not a very interesting game.
Splatoon 2
I also tried an early demo version of Splatoon 2, the sequel to the team-based shooter on the Wii U, on the Switch in the docked configuration with a Switch Pro Controller. The game looks and feels exactly like the original Splatoon, to the point that I couldn't tell a difference beyond the fact that I was playing it on a new game console. It even has the same tilt-based controls. Splatoon was excellent, and even just a port on the Switch to make it handheld is welcome. That said, Nintendo will hopefully add new content to the game for when it comes out this summer, to really make it feel like a sequel.Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
I played Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Switch in the portable configuration, with the Joy-Cons attached to the sides of the system. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a port of Mario Kart 8 for the Wii U, with all of the DLC content installed and an updated Battle Mode. I played the standard racing mode, and it was just as if I was playing it on the Wii U. It's an improved experience, since the Switch's screen is much higher resolution, brighter, and more colorful than the Wii U gamepad's, and the Switch is designed to be used as a completely standalone handheld system rather than wirelessly tethered to a base console like the Wii U. It shows that there's plenty of opportunity for the Switch to make older game ports feel fresh (like the six-year-old The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, which wasn't at the event) simply by letting you play them on the go.Online Services
Nintendo is rolling out a new service similar to Xbox Live and PlayStation Network to enable online multiplayer on the Switch. It will be a fee-based service, but online multiplayer will be free through the fall, when additional features like voice chat and online lobbies will be added. Paying users will also get access to a monthly NES or SNES game with online play.
A paid subscription will be required for online multiplayer in the fall, but users who don't pay can still access the Nintendo eShop on the service. Free users will also be able to share screenshots they take using the Joy-Con's Capture button on social networks. Nintendo hasn't yet announced specifics regarding the Capture function, or about the availability of Virtual Console games on the Switch at launch.
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