Nintendo Switch Event

In case you couldn’t be bothered waiting up to 4am to watch it (I don’t blame you Nintendo are awful at this type of thing) here is everything you missed of the Switch reveal!

If you want, you can watch the entire direct right here – but I wouldn’t recommend it (it’s not that good).

Here’s the stuff you WANT to know – it releases March 3rd for £280. 

Technical Specs

Nintendo did not give us a break down of system specs, instead they gave some core game play information.

Despite the rumours of multiple SKUs there is only one, and it doesn’t have a pack in game; only a choice of joycon controller colour.

The console is not region locked and the tablet will have a battery life between 2.5 and 6.5 hours depending on the game you’re playing. The tablet also has a capacitive touchscreen rather than a stylus based one seen on their previous hardware.

The joycon have a massive range of functions including a new generation of rumble (demonstrated with a gin and tonic simulation), NFC reader for amiibo, screenshot button and motion control functions.

You can link up to 8 Switchs for multiplayer and online chat is handled via your phone rather than the console. Oh and the online will be paid for – like PSPlus or Xbox live!

Games 

The launch lineup is incredibly disappointing; the titles for launch are;

• Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
• 1,2 Switch
• Just dance 2017
• Skylanders: Imaginators

Although there are a number of great games to come including some surprising third party titles that I personally wasn’t expecting;

• Splatoon 2
• Xenoblade Chronicles 2
• Mario Kart 8 deluxe
• Super Mario Odyssey
• Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
• FIFA 17
• NBA 2K18
• Lego City Undercover

How any of the third parties will support the machine remains to be seen. Remember that Ubisoft and EA both supported the WiiU early in its life and dropped it quickly and brutally! Time will tell if lessons have been learned by all parties.

Overall

The launch reveal for the Switch was disappointing for a number of reasons. 

The price is quite high for us here in the U.K. (the RRP is $300), the battery life sounds atrocious; 2.5 hours is simply unacceptable. And Legend of Zelda aside (there is the WiiU version don’t forget) there is absolutely a lack of quality games at launch and even in the launch window! 

No one is going to buy a system for 1,2,Switch. 

I’m buying Zelda on my WiiU and I’ll hold off on the Switch until Christmas, at the very earliest! 

What did you think of the launch reveal? 

Tell me in the comments/twitter/Facebook!