Many gaming fans are already counting down the days until March 3, the day the Nintendo Switch goes on sale in several places around the world, including the UK.
The new system is a watershed moment for Nintendo as it introduces a new type of hybrid set-up to the world of gaming – the Switch is both a home and mobile system that incorporates a dock and connections to your TV as well as a mobile screen and modular controller that supports various modes of play.
Ahead of the launch, Nintendo held a preview event in London and we were lucky enough to get some hands-on time with the Switch. This is what we learned.
1. The Switch looks compact and stylish
Though it offers a range of different ways to play and as a result instantly creates the perception of a ‘jack-of-all-trades’ system, it couldn’t look much further from it.
The docking station that holds the screen is simple and compact, while the Joy-Con controller looks the part in its Grip configuration that most closely resembles a traditional console controller.
Splitting the Joy-Con up is also a pleasing experience, with both controller pieces designed in such a way that you always have a joystick and four buttons in each hand, as well as a range of smaller triggers.
2. Going mobile works well
Lifting the Switch console screen out of its dock and attaching the Joy-Con controllers to either side creates the Switch’s signature mobile gaming set-up.
The 6.2-inch screen is much larger than its mobile predecessors from the console world, and that’s handy because of the console level gaming the 720p screen can display.
Yes, it’s not full HD or next gen visuals, but graphics still scale well from the TV to the smaller screen, providing an engrossing handheld experience.
Where questions remain over the mobile setting is battery life. In our short time with the Switch it was impossible to tell how much of an effect high-end games and the extra strain they put on the system in particular, will fair when going remote.
3. HD rumble is a surprise treat
When Nintendo spoke of the precision of their new haptic feedback and vibrations system that’s housed within the Joy-Con controllers during their presentation last week, and how it was so subtle you could feel individual virtual ice cubes in a virtual glass when holding the Joy-Con, it seemed hard to quantify or imagine.
In reality, the sensation is incredibly impressive and absolutely accurate.
One mini-game within launch title 1-2 Switch sees players asked to hold one Joy-Con and tilt it in their hands as though it were a wooden box containing marbles. The aim of the game is to correctly guess how many marbles are in your box, with the slide and knocking together of the object brilliantly and realistically recreated by the rumble HD system.
4. 1-2-Switch could be the new Wii Sports
When the Nintendo Wii launched in 2006, the driving force behind its popularity was Wii Sports. Playing golf, tennis, boxing, baseball and more with the new motion controller in your living room was the craze and playing it round a friend’s house would led millions more to buying it for themselves.
Playing 1-2-Switch and its variety of mini-games feels like a similar experience.
It offers unique gaming experiences much like the Wii did 11 years ago – most notably in challenges such as the quick draw or cow milking that encourage players to look at one another and ignore the screen – until now a very alien concept in video gaming.
But it actually enhances the experience as there’s instantly a more real and social pay-off to gaming against someone you’re staring in the face.
However, there is a stumbling block in that at present 1-2-Switch is not lined up to be bundled in with the Switch console the way Wii Sports was with the Wii. This feels like a missed opportunity, and selling it separately for £40 seems like something Nintendo might regret.
5. The price is an issue
On a similar subject, the overall price plan for the Switch will likely create an issue for some players. The console itself is priced at £280, higher than many predicted for what the Switch offers power and looks-wise.
Then there’s the already mentioned lack of bundles and general gaming prices. The new Legend of Zelda is set to cost £60, while Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and fighting game ARMS will be £50 each. This is PS4 and Xbox One territory and while this isn’t necessarily an issue for the die-hard Nintendo fans, it won’t help the system’s mainstream user appeal.
Early Verdict
There is plenty to like and be excited by around the Nintendo Switch, the ability to seamlessly jump between premium home gaming and mobile play on the same device is an intriguing prospect.
The hardware too looks like a step up on the Wii generation.
But the lack of variety and indeed numbers when it comes to launch titles is a concern, as is the price of the system and its various accessories – A second set of Joy-Con controllers costs £75.
However, with more third-party game announcements expected and some console-games bundles bound to appear at some point, the Switch is still likely to be one of the gaming high points of 2017.
