Nintendo Switch

Nintendo Switch is a ninth generation dedicated game platform developed by Nintendo.

During the reveal of their partnership with DeNA, Satoru Iwata revealed the new console. The Nintendo Switch is a portable system which can be docked for home play, effectively hybridizing home consoles and handhelds.

Joy-Con Controllers can attached to the system to work like a GamePad or used separately for multiplayer. The system is cartridge-based, storing physical copies of games on Game Cards like the Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS lines; while continuing this tradition for handhelds, it notably breaks the trend of home consoles storing games on discs.

Features
The Nintendo Switch is a home console/handheld hybrid device; while the main unit is a portable tablet with a multi-touch screen, it can be inserted into a special dock that connects to a monitor for at-home play.

Games are controlled using either the Joy-Con, wireless controllers that can be attached to either the sides of the tablet or a special controller bridge called the Joy-Con Grip, or a Pro Controller similar in design to the controllers used in the competing Xbox One.

The Joy-Con can be used either as standard controllers or as motion controllers analogous to the Wii Remote and Nunchuck. Physical games are stored on Game Cards similar to those used in the Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS.

Nintendo Switch Online
The Nintendo Switch utilizes a paid online service requiring a subscription fee of around $20 per year; while certain features are still available without a subscription, payment is required to access most features, including online play. The service also introduces new and convinient features, like online cloud saving. The service launched on September 19, 2018. Most features are centralized around the smartphone app which also released the same day.

Subscribers are also able to access a free app which allows them to play from a selection of popular Nintendo Entertainment System games for as long as they are subscribed.

Development
On October 16, 2015, the Nintendo Development Kits for Nintendo's new console, code named "NX", were confirmed to be distributed to various publishers. This confirmed that the NX is succeeding the Wii U and 3DS and is coming out in multiple formats. There seems to be a massive boost in making them developer friendly with development portal at developer.nintendo.com with the Nintendo Dev Interface.

On April 27, 2016, Nintendo confirmed a March 2017 release with The Legend of Zelda as a launch title. Additionally, they said that the NX would not be shown at E3 2016.

Nintendo chose not to give much information about the console throughout most of its development due to concerns over industrial espionage; as a result, an overwhelming majority of the NX's publicity prior to its official reveal focused on unconfirmed rumors and speculation from various third-party sources.

The information Nintendo had provided clarified that the NX would not truly succeed the 3DS or Wii U and that games would still be developed for the latter two consoles, as it would be impractical to discontinue both. However, the Wii U was discontinued shortly after the NX's official reveal due to the commercial failure of the former. Additionally, Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima confirmed during a Q & A session following E3 2016 that Nintendo has been doing research on virtual reality.

On October 20, 2016, Nintendo released their official preview trailer for the console after months of little to no information; this trailer showcased the variety of ways that the NX, now referred to by its official name of the "Nintendo Switch", can be played; particular emphasis was placed on its handheld capabilities, while still showcasing the ability to use it as a home console. Despite positive fan reception, Nintendo's stock took a significant downwards spike due to investor skepticism caused by the trailer appearing to market the device towards a combination of casual and core audiences rather than the core market alone and by the continued lack of information towards the Switch's technical specifications.

On December 7, 2016, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime did a surprise live demonstration of the Switch during his guest appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon; there, he allowed Fallon, a noted fan of Nintendo, to play a brief demo of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. While nothing was stated about the technical specifications of the Switch, its live demonstration showcased its home-to-handheld transition capabilities and its ability to run Breath of the Wild at a noticeably smoother frame rate than the Wii U version, implying a greater technical prowess.

In January 2017, Nintendo discussed the Nintendo Switch in full in an hour-long presentation, detailing the system hardware, its accessories, the prices of the system, games, and accessories, the release date, and several notable games coming to the system, including Splatoon 2, Super Mario Odyssey, Fire Emblem Warriors, FIFA and Project Octopath Traveler.

The following weekend, Nintendo had a hands-on event in New York, Japan, the United Kingdom and more with tours to travel across Europe and North America up until the system's launch in March 2017. Additionally, numerous internet celebrities known for specializing in video game-related content (such as Emile R. Rosales-Birou, Ross O'Donnovan, and Jirard Khalil) were shipped Nintendo Switches and copies of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild early for the purpose of reviewing both the console and the game.

On March 3, 2017, the Nintendo Switch saw worldwide public release, with retailers describing sales of the console as being ambiguously strong. While reception of the console was mostly positive, many noted the underwhelming launch lineup, with Breath of the Wild, the system's most anticipated game, having the added caveat of being available for the previous-generation Wii U as well as the Switch. Others also noted software issues such as spotty connectivity between the left Joy-Con and the console, stating that issues such as these marred the experience of the system. Nevertheless, consumers, reviewers, and even other video game companies generally praised Nintendo's console.

On June 20, 2017, the 3.0 update was released, it added the possibility to choose new profile icons inspired by Splatoon 2. It also allows the user to add their friends from the Wii U, 3DS and mobile games friend lists, to register a specific channel to receive News for specific games, receive notifications when your friends go online, to find controllers within communication range by activating the vibration feature, to change the user icon order on the Home Menu, to change the system volume from the quick settings, to lower the maximum volume for headphone or speakers connected to the audio jack, to change display colors to Invert Colors or Grayscale, it allow the connecting of a USB keyboard to the dock and to type whenever the keyboard is on the screen.

The update also added a feature that suggests deletion of software data if there is insufficient space when downloading other software.

On September 20, 2017, the system was announced to be released in South Korea and Taiwan on December 1, 2017.

On October 19, 2017 the 4.0 update was released, it added the possibility to choose new profile icons inspired by Super Mario Odyssey characters as well as more The Legend of Zelda characters. The update also allow the user to capture short video for the games supporting the feature, the possibility to transfer saved data and profiles to another Nintendo Switch and the option to pre-purchase (also known as pre-order) certain games on the Nintendo eShop were also included in the update.

Sales

 * See also: List of best-selling Nintendo Switch games

During its first month 2.74 million Switches were sold worldwide. After 16 weeks on the market, the Switch sold more than 1 million copies in Japan. As of June 2017, the Nintendo Switch sold 4.70 million units worldwide. After 26 weeks the Switch sold more than 1.5 million units in Japan which is extremely fast, for comparison, the PS4 took 69 weeks to reach these numbers. By October, the Switch reached 390,000 units sold in France which is a huge number to reach for a Nintendo system in a single European country during such a short span of time. As of September 2017, the Nintendo Switch sold 7.63 million units worldwide. The Nintendo Switch reached 10 million units sold worldwide by the end of November 2017. In January 2018, Nintendo announced that the Switch was the fastest selling console in 10 months in the United States, Canada and France with France already selling 911 000 units in 2017.

As of the end of December 2017, The Nintendo Switch sold 14.86 million copies which means that Nintendo's hybrid console outsold the lifetime sales of its predecessor, the Wii U, in less than a year. As of March 30 2018, The Switch sold over 4 million units in Japan. As of the end of April 2018, the hybrid sold 17,79 million units worldwide. The Nintendo Switch reached 19.67 million units sold by the end of June 2018. As of September 30, 2018, the Nintendo Switch sold over 22.86 million units, which is more than the lifetime sales of the Nintendo GameCube.

According to Nintendo, in November 2018 the Nintendo Switch broke the US sales record previously held by the Wii during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend. This five days period was also marked by a lot of sales records being broken by individual Nintendo Switch games.

Launch Games
There were over 100 games in development for the Nintendo Switch. The system launched with the following titles:
 * 1-2-Switch
 * Just Dance 2017
 * Skylanders: Imaginators
 * Super Bomberman R
 * The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
 * Fast RMX (eShop)
 * Human Resource Machine (eShop)
 * I am Setsuna (eShop only in West)
 * Little Inferno (eShop)
 * SnipperClips (eShop)
 * Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove (as well as Specter of Torment) (eShop)
 * Vroom in the Night Sky (eShop)
 * World of Goo (eShop)
 * Disgaea 5 Complete (Japan only)
 * Dragon Quest Heroes I + II (Japan only)
 * Nobunaga's Ambition: Sphere of Influence (Japan only)
 * Puyo Puyo Tetris (Japan only)
 * Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII (Japan only)
 * 5 Arcade Archives titles (Japanese eShop)
 * Blaster Master Zero (Japanese eShop)
 * New Frontier Days: Founding Pioneers (Japanese eShop)
 * Soldam 2 (Japanese eShop)
 * VOEZ (Japanese & European eShop)

Trivia

 * The Nintendo Switch was codenamed NX during development.
 * The Nintendo Switch is Nintendo's first hybrid console.
 * The Nintendo Switch is the first home console in the world to store physical games on cartridges as the main format in 20 years; the last cartridge-based home console before it was the Nintendo 64, released in mid-to-late-1996.
 * The Nintendo Switch is Nintendo's first home console since the Nintendo GameCube to have the word "Nintendo" included on its name.
 * The Nintendo Switch is Nintendo's first console to charge using a USB Type-C connector.
 * The Nintendo Switch is the first Nintendo console to have the player indicator light based on the number of lights as opposed to placement. In prior systems, the placement of 1 light out of 4 indicated the player. Now the number of lights total indicates the player number (player 2 will have 2 lights, 3 will have 3, etc.)
 * The Nintendo Switch is the second home console to not have a Mario game as the launch game, since 1-2-Switch released first. The first console is the Wii with Wii Sports.
 * The Nintendo Switch is Nintendo's first region-free home console, and their first fully region-free system since the Nintendo DS, released in 2004.
 * It sold better than its competitors on its first year.