Nintendo Switch

It could be argued that the Switch is natural progression for Nintendo; the Wii U, Nintendo’s last console, had a screen that could be used instead of the TV, thought that was tethered by a weak wireless signal which meant that even leaving the room to play a game was impossible. The console before that had Wii Remotes, motion sensitive batons which promoted new and exciting ways to play games, especially in multiplayer. Consider Switch the next evolutionary leap, then, in Nintendo’s console history. It takes the Wii remotes and makes smaller but far more accurate motion sensors, this time with real analogue controls built in, then it takes the off-screen play idea and transforms it into a proper handheld device, capable of not only leaving the room but also the house, both as a dedicated handheld and a portable TV with separate controllers. My first real impressions of the Switch, earlier in the week, were that it was a little smaller than the pictures made it out to be and immediately much better looking than the plastic shiny shell of the Wii U’s screen-controller. The quality turned out to be the same across the board, from the stand which houses the console for TV play to the slide in wrist straps which hark back to the Wii days but also bring improvements to the controllers themselves. In the box you get a neatly packed screen and Joy-cons (Nintendo’s name for their latest controllers), the stand, power cable, HDMI lead and a grip which transforms the 2 controllers in to a single, slightly more traditional device. It takes all of 5 minutes to set up, if that, and then the fun begins. If you’re getting a Switch the best thing you can do is avoid the temptation of sliding the controllers in before you turn on the system. For one, the initial menu will guide you through the rest of the set up, including the sliding in of said Joy-cons, and secondly because it means that finally sliding them in gives you the same satisfying ‘click’ from the adverts, cue grin. Setup is intuitive and soon has you up and running, with 2 further day one firmware updates bringing the eStore and large SD card support online. The UI has a clean, easy to use feel to it, with option icons lining the bottom of the screen, games centre stage (blank until you insert a cart or download a game) and information boxed off to the left. The eStore has been online for over 24 hours now, so I’ve played around with it for a bit, but it’s certainly not the most comprehensive of stores at present, lots of coming soon titles and some launch indie games to download, as well as Nintendo’s big hitters like Zelda, Bomberman and 1 2 Switch. In docked mode the console runs at 900p with the UI, upscaled to 1080p. It should be able to provide 1080p standard on any game that requires it but the 900p compromise may be to keep the UI fast and responsive. When taken out of the dock the console only needs to run in 720p, the resolution of the screen, so the GPU clock is reduced to save power. Unfortunately, even with this power-saving trick, the handheld lasted just over 3 hours. Handheld mode is a seemless transition from TV mode, where lifting the console out of its dock will switch the picture from the TV to the small screen. Gameplay continues from this point, either with the joy-cons attached to the sides (to form a ‘proper’ handheld gaming device) or using them as you would with the TV and using the main device as a portable screen. The second option is great for taking the console around to a friend’s house and playing multiplayer games with the screen propped up on a table. Viewing angles from the side are good enough for this to work but I did find that moving above the screen washed the colours out considerably, so you’d need to ensure the screen was at full height. Although the docking station isn’t currently available separately, it’s thought Nintendo will bring these out as added extras, allowing you to dock the Switch on different TVs. Without the docking station you won’t be able to connect to a TV, even though the console’s main connection is through the standard USB-C port. As mentioned, battery life in portable mode is a little disappointing, though it’s not all that different from the 3DS. Nintendo states 3-6 hours depending on the game, I found that just over 3 and a half hours on a medium brightness was all it could take play Just Dance, for instance (a game which streams from the internet at times and therefore will require the power-sapping wireless connection). Indies may require less power, so last longer but I’ve not had a chance to test the power of other games in this mode as yet. The console, when docked, can manage 1080p though, as previously stated, the UI runs at 900p. It’s also clear that 1080p/60fps gaming will depend on the sort of game being played. At launch, I only know that Fast RMX manages this. That said, graphical fidelity has never been a top priority for Nintendo hardware and the focus is purely on fun and innovation. Even Zelda is running at native 900p resolution but still looks great, despite this, which bolsters Nintendo’s claims that it really doesn’t need to be competing for graphics. Are there issues? Well there have been occasional Joycon issues with syncing to the console while I played from about 6 feet away. Moving nearer seemed to solve it, but the issues were few and far between. There are also reports of scratches from the dock, which I haven't experiences but still used a few kids stick-on foam shapes to line the inside of the dock just in case. Overall, then, the Switch is Nintendo at its finest. For the most part, other than the dock issue, this is good quality solid feeling hardware that tries to push gaming in a different direction and provides a new way to think about playing games. If you’re anything like me, someone who doesn’t always have time to play a game on the main TV, then the idea of taking your main games catalogue on the move with you rather than some cut down mobile version is pretty amazing. Now all we need is a continuous catalogue of quality software to go with it.

Although I haven't had the console for very long, below are my initial impressions and a brief review; hopefully it'll be useful to others thinking about purchasing. --Dock-- The dock is surprisingly light and doesn't seem to have a massive amount in it. There are 3 ports on the dock; one HDMI, one AC and one USB. There also seems to be a USB type C port in the centre of the dock under where the tablet sits. The tablet doesn't seem to use it so not 100% what this is for. The dock connects to the Switch tablet via 2 pins which protrude from the base of the dock. There's not much of a visual indicator as to how these line up with the tablet, but it's quite clear visually when it is/isn't docked. I imagine it's something you'll get used to, and after having the Switch a while you'll easily be able to insert the tablet into the pins first time. For me though I found a couple of times I'd have to re-adjust the tablet so it'd fit into the pins properly. --Tablet-- I've not used the tablet too much yet, but it's a decent size for gaming on if you're holding it. I imagine some games will be a bit tricky if you're using it with the kickstand though; if you're a few feet away you might struggle with smaller details in games. This goes especially for multiplayer stuff - make sure you're both sitting close to the screen! The kickstand itself seems to do the job, although I'd recommend picking up a 3rd-party stand if you plan on using it this way a lot as it only has 1 position and the tablet can be easily knocked over whilst using it. The screen itself is bright and pleasant to look at, and lacks the reflective coating of the Wii U tablet. I'd also say it feels nicer to hold as it has a touch more weight to it. I've not held it for an extended gaming session, but for brief periods the weight didn't seem to be an issue. There are 2 grooves either side of the tablet, onto which the Joycons click. Doing this is very satisfying, and it's cool that there are multiple control options. As a first-time user changing from the Joycon grip to the the tablet wasn't too awkward, and as I get used to the controllers I can only imagine this improving with time. The Switch's concept of offering lots of different ways to play is definitely something they've achieved here. Speaking of which... --Controllers-- The Joycons individually are VERY small. Nintendo have done a good job of giving them a lot of usable buttons and making them functional, but unless you've got small hands you'll stuggle to use a single one for long sessions. However, the very fact that you're able to do this is pretty cool, particularly where on-the-go multiplayer is concerned. Using 2 of them in the grip though is a much more pleasant experience, and what most gamers will be doing 99% of the time. Although the right stick is a touch low for my liking, the Joycons themselves are clearly produced to a very high standard and each button has a pleasant feel to it. The slightly dusty matte finish helps with this and makes the Joycon's high individual cost a little easier to justify, particularly since they also include Amiibo functionality, IR cameras and 'HD rumble'. The latter is a massively underrated feature and genuinely is a huge piece of controller innovation. I really hope devs make full use of that functionality! --Software & menus-- The software feels a little sparse at the moment; the monochrome themes are missing a bit of Nintendo's charm, but it's clear they plan to add more themes in future. Of course there'll also be more apps and games out at a later date as well to help populate the home screen. Outside of games though, menus and options come with pleasing sounds and music, and everything is relatively swift to load. Personally I don't mind the minimalist approach, but others who are used to XBox's approach of 'fill the screen with as much content as possible' may be disappointed. --Conclusion-- All in all, I think the Nintendo Switch hardware shows a lot of potential for a new console; it presents quite a few genuine innovations, and manages to pull them off without the whole experience becoming too disjointed or awkward. Although playing on-the-go via a 7" tablet may not be an ideal way to play games, it certainly beats a phone or DS screen in terms of size, and offers new options for multiplayer gaming which haven't really been explored before. For a portable device, it's also surprisingly powerful! If you're looking at this as a 3DS replacement, you'll definitely be surprised at the step up in graphical fidelity. For many, the current lack of AAA games (Zelda: BotW being the main 'killer title', but what a title it is!) is an issue. I think that's a valid criticism, and for some the idea of spending £280 RRP to play a handful of games is too much. However, there is an array of titles scheduled for steady release throughout the year, and since this review is intended for the hardware itself I can't really penalise it for that. I find the premise of the Switch a lot more exciting than a PS4 or XBox One, and would probably use it a lot more than both of those. I can definitely see myself throwing this in the car or in a bag in case I have the opportunity to use it. That's something I'd never do with a traditional home console! An exciting games console for sure, and I look forward to seeing what Nintendo and dev studios are able to do with it over the coming years.

I got this under instruction from my friend. However I was dubious about it. In any case I got it and I'm quite happy with it. It's not perfect however. The good: It's fast, getting into a game is really quick. Resuming a game is even quicker, the device can be in a standby state for a week, and still have 50 percent battery left over. Graphics looks quite good on the device it's self. Sitting on the bus or lying in bed, you can have a good game. As far as portable gaming experiences go, it's pretty much the best you can get from a mobile device. Battery life. I've heard different opinions on this, some people yay it and others moaning. I'm going to say yay and I feel that the naggers have clearly got expectations that are too high. It is game dependent, and of course brightness is a massive impact on it. To give an example, you could play Mario Kart in the dark, brightness low, and you would get 8 hours plus. At high brightness, you'll get about 4. Playing Zelda on the other hand will drain you faster, due to the increased load on the system. If you compare this with high end mobile phone or tablet battery life, it's fairly on par! The flexibility with the controllers, being able to play with both, or switch to one and give the other half to a friend in acouole seconds is awesome. Battery on the controllers is also great. Having them charge through the main unit is also good. Having USB type C is great. The adapter of the future, be able to charge it with a phone charger. Can't complain. The dock. Simply put, this is what truely makes the switch work. It's in the dock, turn on the TV and pick up the controller. Like a PS4 you are in the game in less than 5 seconds due to the resume feature, you're playing your fave game, and then you've got to go. You pick the unit up out of its dock, fire it into your bag and jump on the bus. Pull it out your bag and within 2 seconds you are right back where you were and you can play for hours! The bad: The screen is plastic, not glass. I get that this helps prevent cracks, gives it that little bit of shock resistance. However what you loose is scratch resistance and that nice smooth feel you get from a new smartphone. The dock is also made of plastic, which isn't a bad thing. But after a single week of usage, you will be able to see scratches on the screen at the bottom left and right where the dock runs along it. It highlights how prone the screen is to scratching when another bit of smooth plastic can scratch the panel. I recommend a tempered glass screen protector for it as soon as you buy it. You get the protection, and the premium feel as well. Price of games. I'm not one of these people that have issue buying a £40 to £50 game. But some of the games aren't fully fledged games in m opinion. Tomb raider is an example of a complex piece of software, high quality voice acting, a script, etc. Fully justified a price of £50. Minecraft, great game with a great community, costing £10 to £15 on other platfrms, free on Android, £33 on switch? It's not all games, don't get me wrong. But you could argue that there is a few titles that could be considered mobile games, or experiences. On Android these would often be games you would see for free, or a few quid, maybe £5. The online experience. Nintendo is well behind the other manufacturers or providers when it comes to their online offering. On other consoles or PC there is entire online communities all easily connected and offering a broad range of features. Nintendo offers nothing in this area besides the basics. It was a free service which was fine, but they are going to start charging for that this month and the offering isn't really improving to justify the charge. Maybe this will change, but for now it just feels like a bit of a slap in the face. No apps or multimedia abilities. For a device that is effectively a tablet, that even uses a chipset which was designed for high end Android tablets, I find it completely mind boggling that there is no apps like netflix, BBC iPlayer, decent web browser, a media player so that you can pop some videos into an SD card. I spend about 4 hours a day on the bus, when I bought the switch I kind of expected that I'd be able to leave the tablet in he house and use the switch for games and movies. To finish off I'll touch back on graphics again. When docked, you get to play your games on the big screen. This I were the graphics might start to let you down as the cracks will start to show. It's not bad by any means, in fact there is some really nice looking stuff. But, if you are looking at buying one system, and portability is not something all that important to you, graphics on a console dedicated to the living room will impress to a much greater degree.

As a handheld console, the Switch is a reasonable compromise between performance and portability. It's fun to use and comfortable enough, though a bit on the heavy side to use without resting your hands somewhere. It's easily thrown in a backpack and carried around. Heat generation is reasonable and the fan is inaudible unless it's very quiet around you. The OS is simple, tidy and easy to use. The way you can put the console to sleep, then wake it up and resume playing in seconds is just brilliant. Battery life is unremarkable though, at 2-3 hours at best. If on a long trip, carry a suitably sized battery pack. When docked, if compared to a full-size console, performance is mediocre, as the Tegra X1 was dated even when the Switch came out. Your mileage may vary about how fair a comparison this is, but the hardware is not cheap for what it offers. More importantly, while Nintendo may be able to squeeze every drop of performance out of the system and tune their own games for pretty graphics at 30 FPS (Zelda) or smooth 60 FPS gameplay (Mario) while keeping reasonable resolutions (720p handheld/900p docked), third-party developers often struggle, as shown by several releases with terrible performance, graphics quality, or both. The major issue that I have had with the Switch was constant static noise out of the audio jack, getting far worse when docked. Only after I bought it I found the Switch was designed with poor audio port shielding. I got a replacement which fixed the issue in docked mode and improved it a bit in portable, but was left with the impression that a little hissing is normal for the Switch. After 30 years of designing portable consoles, I expected better of Nintendo, especially since I never had this issue in any of my laptops or phones. I would recommend you get a case to hold your Switch when you carry it around, as well as a covers for the main unit and controllers. The coating scratches extremely easily. Finally, the Switch lacks some essential features that the hardware could support, such as inbuilt Bluetooth audio, an Internet browser or a save data backup functionality. I read the explanations for their absence and wasn't satisfied. If Nintendo wanted to, they would go the extra mile and implement them.

Don’t get me wrong... I love my Switch and its games, I love the convenience of being able to play games on the go (well sometimes). What I don’t love is the fact that, over time, the connection between switch and joycon wears out to the point that the controllers no longer connect. What I love even less is Nintendo Customer Support UK’s refusal to fix the problem, each time mailing my Switch back to me claiming there’s nothing wrong with the switch body (although completely failing to tell me what tests they have performed. It’s not as if my Switch gets that much use in handheld mode, as it’s too cumbersome to use on Bus/Tube. I use it in this mode only on long distance travel by train or plane. So what I’m left with is a rather underpowered console that is now awkward to play when travelling, as I have to use the joycons detached. Nintendo used to be known for producing high-quality hardware; it’s a real shame to see them turn out cheap junk like this.

If not for the faulty right joycon, i would have given a 5 star review. The console is nice, looks nice on portable mode, it looks nicer on tv mode. The controller grip is confy, the joycons are nice too, but it's really sad that months go by and more faulty units continue to appear. I think i was lucky, for only one joycon failed me (the analog click, hence i CAN'T play zelda, i got stuck while i try to find where to get a pro controller or something asap, because the game was like a drug in the short hour i played so far). I never had a faulty nintendo (not the nes, nor the snes, or the n64, not the gc either, or the wii and wiiu, never, not even the portable ones, gb, gba, ds and 3ds/n3ds). If you're like me, live FAR away, and had to import the system cause its not released on your region (and probably won't for a long time, if ever), then this is a big bummer. Im really sad, i was really enjoying my gaming session.

This is the most exciting, most innovative games console I have ever picked up. Will it replace my PlayStation 4? Probably not, but as a father of 2 girls under 2 I don't get a lot of TV time so this will let me play games while freeing up the TV. I had a Wii U and loved it but it always felt a bit clunky and not entirely thought through. The Switch by contrast is an almost perfect blend of everything I want from a games console. A lot of critics are moaning that it's not as powerful as the Xbox or PS4 but honestly who cares. This isn't a powerhouse of a home console, it's a handheld that you can play on your TV. A handheld that will play blockbuster mainstream games like Skyrim and FIFA. Bottom line is the PlayStation and Xbox just can do what the Switch does. There's also a lot of moaning about the games available at release. Yes there is some truth to this and it is slightly worrying due to the lack of content for Wii U but you need to remember that the lineup for both the PlayStation and Xbox at launch were very unexciting. I got my Switch with Zelda and to be honest that's all you need right now. Breath of the wild is one of the best games released in years and by the time you are done with it there will be plenty of other games to choose from. The Console itself it incredibly well put together. The touch screen is very responsive and the display is crystal clear. With the Joy Con attached it feels like a beefed up PSP (which is a good thing). I have had some issues playing the console this way but I resynced the controllers and haven't had any further problems. The console has a really nice weight to it without being overly heavy. Using the Joy Con grip does feel a little strange at first as it is a bit on the small side but not off puttingly so and after 5 mins it felt fine. Unattaching the Joy Con and using them Wii style is also great but you need to attach the straps otherwise they are too small. Attaching the straps adds another centimetre to the width of each controller and makes a big difference. The Joy Con themselves are riddled with buttons and we definitely haven't seen the full potential of these yet, they are definitely the stand out controllers on the market just now. For any gamer casual or seasoned this console is a must have. You don't know what your missing out on until you get one.

Let me start off by saying that I tend to write reviews under the tag of the 'Middle-of-the-Road Gamer'. This basically means that I'm not exactly playing games on a daily basis (or in some cases maybe an hour a week) but I still hold a strong interest in it and always will do (I'm from the NES generation) Okay so I've had the Switch since launch but I didn't want to write my review until I had time to spend with it, in particular away from home as that's its main feature. The build quality is exceptional. The switch feels good in your hands, not too heavy but just enough weight there to feel really comfortable. Battery life is good but as with all portable devices it will depend on what you are playing on it. We sat and played Snipperclips and 1-2-Switch for a combined three hours and the battery had decreased around 8%. Breath of the Wild went on for thirty minutes and the battery decreased 30%. Playing portable with the Joy-Cons detached is surprisingly easy to get used to, but the hand-held gamer will prefer them attached to the unit. The Switch will slide into the dock and will output to your TV almost instantly. I've had it for three weeks now and all in all, I am very happy with it. I also purchased an additional AC adapter for when it comes with me - this was essential for me as I wasn't keen on digging out the included adapter from my set-up each time I'm away. The Joy-Con feel good. At first, I though they were a little small but you soon get used to them. There's been a lot of things floating around regarding desyncing issues with the left side (For which Nintendo have now issued a statement over) but I have experienced intermittent issues with the right side Joy-Con. If it is moved more than a few metres away from the Switch, it will either lose its connection and/or will suffer from lag. Link has unnecessarily died a few times as a result. The Pro Controller is also an excellent piece of kit. Granted, the price tag is a tad inflated but it's a solid build and makes Zelda feel more traditional. The Pro Controller has had no issues with connection whatsoever and is my preferred choice for an evening of exploration. The game cartridges are tiny, but in all fairness they are the natural progression for gaming on the go. It wasn't that long ago that PSP games became a nightmare to ferry around as well as all the kit needed (The PSP carry case I had was like hand luggage for a flight) Switch Cartridges have been coated in a chemical that tastes abysmal (Yes, I tested that) to prevent small children from putting them in their mouth. This is a great idea. I recommend a screen protector for the Switch. Although it will slide in and out of the dock with ease, there's a fair bit of play in it too, there's a slim chance a few scratches might be picked up so it's best to be safe. Overall, I love the Switch. Albeit a few hiccups with the Joy-Con I would highly recommend it to anybody who, well, doesn't wish to conform! There's a been a bit of hate for the Switch, complaints that it isn't as powerful as the PS4 or Xbox One, and this may be true, but gaming has never been about power or size - Anybody who plays games will have their reasons, and for me personally it's about an escape. Games and films are so similar these days and the same principle applies; a good story will always triumph. Nintendo is the reason I love games. I'd much rather sit and play something like Super Mario Galaxy as opposed to anything Call of Duty or whatever can offer. I hope that the Switch is a success. The Wii U was written off almost straight away, but that is something I still don't fully understand. It's was easy for people to judge the Wii U, but there are really good games available (Super Mario 3D World for a start) for it that some people will never see and I find that a shame. 9.5/10 - Nothing is perfect, but none of the best things will try to be either. Thanks.

Awesome

O video game chegou rápido. Não gostei da aparência frágil do mesmo, mas é só a aparência. Me divertindo com Smash bros Ultimate.

Awesome console. Best handhold ever, and solid home console. Legend of Zelda and Mario cart are awesome.

Arrived quickly great product

Little more expensive than I would have liked but it was in perfect condition. I got what I paid for and I am happy with it.