ICYMI this week, Nintendo took the covers of its Nintendo Switch console which has unofficially been going around under the codename ‘NX.’ The introductory video has most gamers pumped for its release. Of course, there are a few who’re not so keen on the hybrid.
Nintendo may be able to up the anticipation for the Switch by revealing some details about it, and especially offer some clarity on whether it’ll have a touchscreen or not. The video (watch below) doesn’t give enthusiasts enough to chew over in terms of specifications.
After the lackluster performance of the Wii U in the market, it’s clear than Nintendo needs a winner in the Switch. Mobile gaming is the way to go (which is why Sony has a special division called ForwardWorks now) and making it cross-platform compatible is even more important.
The upcoming hybrid console looks a bit a gimmicky right now. That feeling could have more to do with the lack of details than anything else. So far, Nintendo has announced that the device took 500 man-years (a man-year being the amount of work a person does in a year) to develop.
What we do know for sure about the Switch is that it is powered by a custom Tegra processor. The latter works in tandem with an Nvidia GPU, new gaming APIs (including NVN), a revamped physics engine, hardware-accelerated video playback and specialized software among other things.
The Nintendo Switch is scheduled for launch in March 2017. There’s no word on the price, though UK retailer Tesco appears to have slipped up and marked the console at £349.99 ($428 or Rs 28600), before quickly realizing its mistake.
Let’s see what happens. Crossing our fingers for Wii ports, though it’s not likely.