price, release date and technical sheet

The Nintendo Switch is now official. On January 13, at 5 a.m. French time, Nintendo unveiled its brand new console with many details. Among them, the price, the release date, some technical characteristics and other information, especially the list of games.

A complete but not official technical sheet

	Technical sheet	Accessible for applications
CPU	4 ARM Cortex-A57 cores, 2GHz max 2 MB L2 cache ARM v8 64 bit Encryption enabled	3 hearts (to be determined)
GPUs	NVIDIA Maxwell 2nd gen architecture 256 CUDA cores, 1 GHz max 1024 flops/cycle Texture: 16 pixels/cycle Fill: 14.4 pixels/cycle	To be determined
video decoder	H.265, H.264, VP9, ​​VP8, MPEG4, MPEG2	Only supports H.264, VP9 and VP8
System memory	4GB Bandwidth: 25.6 GB/s VRAM: shared	3.25 GB (yet to be determined)
System storage	32GB, max transfer rate: 400MB/s	Backing up data and installing apps
SD card	microSD, SDHC, SDXC	Disabled (enabled in the future, only for developers)
Wireless	IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac	Limitless
LAN	optional, 1 gb/s	Limitless
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 4.0 + LE	Disabled
USB	USB 2.0 and 3.0	Disabled
Video output	1920×1080 at 60fps 3840×2160 at 30fps	1920×1080 at 60 fps max
Audio output	192KHz max, 24-bit, 7.1	48KHz max, 16 bit, 5.1
Screen	6.2 IPS LCD, 1280x720p	Limitless
Speakers	48KHz, 16-bit, 2.0 stereo	Limitless
Touch screen	Capacitive multi-touch 10 points, 1280×720 points	the 15 points at the edges are disabled
Light sensor	Yes	Disabled

Following the leak of the official Nintendo Switch developer notebooks, we are able to reveal the complete technical sheet of the console. On the left you can see the technical capabilities of the console. On the right, the exact power that developers are allowed to use for their games and applications.

Note however that this information, although confirmed by several developers and internal sources, is not official. The Japanese manufacturer has only officially unveiled the size of its 6.2-inch screen and its 720p definition, while the console switches to 1080p once placed on its TV station.

Its storage capacity is 32 GB with a part dedicated to the system. Nintendo has still integrated a microSD port, so we can increase its capacity with a microSDXC card.

On the connectivity side, the console is Wifi 802.11ac compatible and will allow up to 8 players to play locally wirelessly. The console also has a USB-C connector for recharging the tablet, located at the bottom of it, as well as two USB ports on its TV dock. It is also possible to connect an Ethernet cable via a USB adapter.

Clear and minimalist interface

This first image, extracted by a developer, shows us the interface as it is when a game is paused. Nintendo seems to play the card of simplicity and minimalism, as usual.

In tablet mode, the console will have a lock screen to avoid inadvertently throwing it in your bag. A quick menu can be accessed by pressing and holding the Home button, although we don’t yet know its purpose.

Here are the parameters that will be accessible on the console:

• Airplane mode
• enable bluetooth
• manage wifi
• manage NFC
• manage screen brightness
• screen lock
• user settings
• create/edit Mii
• theme management
• controller management
• system update

We also know that a maximum of 8 users will be able to have an account on the console. It is possible to connect a Nintendo Account on multiple Switches, but saves will not sync.

Lots of games, but not right away

A console is good, but with games it’s even better. Nintendo was transparent on the subject and announced that no less than 80 games were currently in development on the console. If large licenses will be in the game, the release dates are still unclear.

We already know that “Zelda Breath of the Wild” will be released at the same time as the console, and that’s good because it’s highly anticipated. Another game planned for the release, “1 2 Switch” which is a multiplayer game in which we compete by interposed controllers. Mario will be back but the new game Super Mario Odyssey won’t arrive until late 2017.

Other games from third-party publishers are also scheduled. We think for example of FIFA, Rayman Legends or even Skyrim which will be available on the Nintendo Switch but no precise date has yet been announced. Despite the console’s limited storage size, they will be able to offer Season Passes with their games.

Average battery life

The Switch also being a portable console, the autonomy of the machine raised many questions. Again, Nintendo was transparent and announced a range of between 2:30 and 6:30. We are in the middle of what already exists. The Nintendo 3DS, for example, has a battery life of between 3 and 5 hours.

Everything will actually depend on the games that are running. Nintendo explains for example that we can play Zelda for 2h30 before the battery fails. The autonomy of 6:30 should meanwhile concern less greedy games, certainly the NES and SNES games offered with the subscription to the firm’s online service.

From free online play, to the beginning

The online service precisely let’s talk about it. Nintendo has never been an expert on the subject, it’s nothing to say. But the Japanese does not let down and wants to catch up on its rivals Sony and Microsoft with their respective consoles.

So, Nintendo will offer a paid online gaming service, like its competitors, in the form of a monthly subscription of around €30. We can therefore play, chat with friends through a dedicated chat service and also enjoy the entire Nintendo environment. Moreover, Nintendo already offers to create an account and reserve its nickname.

But before paying, the service will be free. In fact, when the console is launched, the online game will be totally free since it is in beta. But a few months later, in the fall, it will pay for its final release.

Note that NES and SNES games will be offered to all subscribers on a monthly basis. However, these games will only be available during this month before disappearing: you do not own them, but de facto rent them.

Also note that the chat features will be linked to a mobile application which will be chargeable. It seems impossible to launch a “Party” as on PS4 via the console: you will have to go through this application.

However, online gaming on Nintendo Switch plans to be able to invite friends from the console, create gaming groups and view online rankings. A “social network” aspect would also be there, allowing you to create news and comment on those of your friends. Online backup would also be provided.

If you were expecting more web features, stop here. We already know that Netflix won’t be present on the console, nor is a web browser expected at launch. Do not panic, however: a web applet will still allow you to connect to a public wi-fi network.

The Miis will be back, with even more customizations. But they will no longer store the name of their creator or their birthday, and will be editable by everyone.

Packs and accessories: take out the tissues

To begin with, the Nintendo Switch will be sold in two different packs. The first will integrate sober black controllers, while the second will integrate these same controllers but in blue and pink. And if you want to complete the collection, prepare the handkerchiefs.

Because it is the bad surprise of the Nintendo Switch. The accessories are simply sold at prohibitive prices. Half a Joy-Con controller costs 50 euros, a complete controller 80 euros. The console is also sold without any game.

Nintendo bills “1 2 Switch” at the normal rate when it deserved to be integrated directly into the pack. For the prices of all the accessories, you can consult the article of our colleagues from Papergeek.

Pre-orders, price and release date

The Nintendo Switch has been marketed in France since March 3, 2017. In its six-year career, it has successively become the best-selling game console in France in December 2022, and the third best-selling console in the world from the month from February 2023.

Just on the launch day, the prices kept changing. We therefore advise you to follow all this day by day since the prices are likely to change. If you’re worried about seeing the NES Mini episode coming again, don’t panic: Nintendo is planning 2 million stocks for its launch, so pre-orders should be easily fulfilled. While waiting to find out if you are going to crack, we invite you to discover our complete test of the Nintendo Switch, just to give you a first opinion.