Nintendo unveiled a new hardware concept during a three minute teaser trailer yesterday. As was widely expected, the Nintendo Switch will be a hybrid device that can function as a home gaming system or as a handheld/portable device for on the go gaming. The system will go on sale from March 2017. Pricing, specs and country availability are yet to be announced.
As a home console system, the console needs to be slotted into the accompanying dock (Nintendo Switch Dock) which then connects to the TV for the big screen gaming experience. The Switch also doubles as a handheld console thanks to its detachable controllers and the fact that the device has its own screen.). The different control options will allow gamers more freedom of play including portable multiplayer gameplay and this may prove significant as Nintendo attempts to win back gamers who have been shunning its Wii U system in favour of Smartphones and Tablets.
The detachable Joy-Con controllers look particularly innovative although it remains to be seen whether their small size will inhibit gameplay in multiplayer mode. However, Nintendo also revealed the more traditionally shaped Switch Pro Controller for in-home gaming.
Nintendo’s decision to move away from the more traditional home based console towards a hybrid device should perhaps come as no surprise given its long history of success in the handheld console market and recent missteps with the Wii U. Nintendo has sold just 13 million WiiU consoles since launching at the end of 2012 while 60 million 3DS units have shipped since its launch in 2011. According to Strategy Analytics Global Game Console forecast, global shipments of the Nintendo Switch (NX) will reach 4.1 million units during its first year of launch.
The yet to be revealed hardware price and specs will go a long way to determining the system’s success but at first glance it would appear that the Nintendo Switch will offer enough of a unique gaming experience to make it appealing beyond just the diehard Nintendo fans. Game title support will also play a critical role in generating early sales momentum for the Switch and the trailer suggests that Nintendo has an impressive list of first and (most crucially) third party titles lined up. As well as Nintendo classics such as Mario Kart and The Legend of Zelda, the video trailer also hinted at a new Mario platform game as well as showing footage of The Elder Scrolls V and an NBA 2K17 game.
Strategy Analytics will be running a webinar on November 15th focusing on the current state and future of the Video Game Industry. More details will follow soon.