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Nintendo Switch Release Date, Price To Be Announced As ‘Hands-On’ Reveal Hits In January

By David Cornell
Published on: 07:32 PST, Nov 29, 2016

The Nintendo Switch release date has been one of the most eagerly anticipated details in gaming this year. In October, the gaming giant revealed what was previously known as the NX, and it turned out to be a kind of hybrid which lets you play your way.

The Switch can be played on your HDTV, or as a mobile device, making it one of the most versatile ideas Nintendo has had in years. The decision to keep the mobile option open was likely due to the disappointing performance of the Wii and Wii U in comparison with that of the DS series. The console controls and selection of available games doomed the consoles to mediocrity when faced with options from Sony and Microsoft.

Of course, if you want to play Mario or Pokemon, you have to stick with Nintendo. The first-party titles have always been one of Nintendo’s biggest draws, as revealed earlier this year when the NES Classic Edition was announced. The mini-console had only faced negativity when Nintendo had done the same thing they did with their Amiibo collections.

Hopefully, there won’t be any unusual shortages when Nintendo reveals the Switch in January with a “hands-on” event. Don’t book that flight, though, as the public hasn’t been invited to the event, according to Polygon. Most of us will have to be content with streaming it on YouTube, Twitter, or wherever Nintendo plans to share it. As you know, every public video eventually finds its way to YouTube.

The event is being held in New York on January 13, and no details have been released yet. However, there will be a five-hour live presentation from Tokyo on January 12, where it’s been announced that they will finally reveal the Nintendo Switch release date and price.

Not much else is known about Nintendo’s latest console release, but the video they released as the official announcement showed plenty of details.

  • The mobile screen will dock in a device where the display will switch over to your HDTV or possibly 4K Ultra-HD TV. The controllers will slide into the sides of a more conventional controller shell to turn the device into something like their competitors.
  • When you want to take your game with you, your options are even more open as you slide the controller pieces onto the screen and convert it into a kind of tablet device with more Wii-U style controls.
  • If you want to set the device on the table, you have the option of sliding the sides off and using them, one in each hand, and prop the screen up with a kickstand on the back.
  • The Switch will also let you share the controller parts so two people can use the minimal controls for co-op or competitive games on the same screen.

More details will be revealed on January 12, such as possibly the launch title line-up which might not include The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, as ShackNews revealed one retailer claims it could be a July, 2017, release.

Don’t expect any major open-world titles either, as the controls alone would make them awkward at best.

On the Nintendo Switch release date reveal, we will possibly have more questions answered such as battery life, DLC plans, and possibly backwards-compatibility with digital Wii-U and DS titles.

Of course, when the release date hits, gamers are hoping Nintendo plans on having more than enough on hand, so we won’t end up being scalped on eBay and Amazon as we were with the NES Classic Edition.

[Featured Image by Nintendo/The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild]

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