Nintendo Switch

The Nintendo Switch is the sixth home console made by Nintendo. Codenamed the NX, it is Nintendo's first hybrid console, in that it also functions as a handheld system. It was released worldwide on March 3, 2017. As of June 2019, the system has sold 36 million units. On September 20, 2019, Nintendo released the Switch Lite, a smaller version of the system that is only able to be played as a handheld system.

History

Following the success of Nintendo's DS and 3DS lines in the handheld market and the Nintendo Wii as their home console, the successor to the latter, the Wii U, was released in late 2012. However, the Wii U's sales were not meeting expectations. In 2016, Nintendo announced they would be discontinuing the Wii U within the next year. In October, they officially announced the Nintendo Switch.

Some began questioning Nintendo's strategy with the system, as one of the first games announced was 2011's The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Even though the game was made during the previous generation of consoles (PS3 and Xbox 360), it was considered a high-performance game. Many questioned if it would run efficiently, given the system was not as powerful as the PS4 and Xbox One. However, upon the games release in late 2017, although it had some minor performance issues, the port was well-received. Other third-party games have also been released for the system.

The Switch would be the first home console since the Nintendo 64 to use cartridges rather than discs. Although, the game cards the Switch uses are more similar to those used for the Nintendo 3DS, as opposed to a traditional cartridge.

The controllers for the system are called "joy-cons." The joy-cons can fit onto either side of the system, be used solo, or placed onto a controller for a more traditional experience. Additionally, Nintendo also released a pro-controller.

Release

The Switch was released worldwide on March 3, 2017. Initially, stores got limited quantities of the system, which caused it to be sold out for the first few months of it's lifespan. However, by Christmas 2017, the system was widely available. There were problems with some systems cracking and bending due to heat, as well as the battery life being short. In August 2019, Nintendo would begin using a different type of battery with the Switch.

Memory became an issue with the system. The internal memory was 32 GB. If someone desired to play more games, they would have to buy a micro SD card. Nintendo would release their own micro SD cards, but the Switch was compatible with most any card, regardless of manufacturer.