[ 012 ]
NINTENDO SWITCH
$
http://www.nintendo.com.au
CRITICAL SPECS
6.2-inch 720 p LCD; Nvidia Tegra
X1 SoC; 4GB DDR4 memory;
32 GB internal flash storage;
microSD slot (supports cards up to
2TB); detachable Joy-Con controllers;
up to 1080p output via HDMI/
charging dock; 802.11ac Wi-Fi;
4,310mAh Lithium-ion battery;
401 g (with Joy-Cons attached)HAVING USHERED IN the modern console
landscape back in the day, Nintendo’s focus of late has
been on trying out weird and wonderful ideas with
each new hardware release — a trend that’s continued
with its latest console, the Nintendo Switch. The idea
here is that it’s one piece of hardware that can function
as both a 1080p home console and a 720p handheld,
allowing you to seamlessly transition from playing
your games at home to taking them on the go.
For the most part, the Switch delivers well on this
premise. It’s a solid, premium-feeling handheld
and works as you’d expect a home console to work
when you slip it into the charging dock, which also
outputs to your TV via HDMI.
In terms of hardware, you get the main body
of the console, plus two detachable controller sides,
a grip which enables you to combine these controller
portions into a more traditional gamepad, two straps
which can be attached to these sides to make them
slightly better when used as individual controllers,
and a dock that allows you to plug the console into
your television.
You’re right if you think that sounds like a lot of
stuff and these multiple roles mean the controllers
end up being jacks of all trades and, unfortunately,
masters of none. They’re not unusable, but the lower
positioning of the right stick, in particular, can cause
some thumb discomfort after longer sessions.
The Xbox One and PS4 pads are, in comparison,
far more comfortable — although they have the
advantage of only having to do one thing well.
For a much better experience in the Switch’s[ ZELDA M ACHINE ]Switching it up
IS NINTENDO’S NEW SWITCH THE ULTIMATE HOME/PORTABLE
‘COMBO’ CONSOLE, OR A FLAWED COMPROMISE?
[ JON PORTER ]4HOTSPOTNINTENDO SWITCHWINNERAPPROVED
AWARDdocked console mode, we recommend picking up
a Pro Controller for $99.95.
The launch line-up of games is perhaps a little thin,
too — Zelda is the one real standout title (and if
you’re a fan, it’s almost worth buying the console for),
but there’s no Mario, Metroid, F-Zero or Mario Kart
to join it, although the Mario titles have at least been
confirmed as in development, as is Skyrim and a
reasonably promising selection of indies.
In use, the Switch does work best as a portable device
in its handheld configuration; this sees you attach the
Joy-Cons to the left and right edges of the screen and
then use the console much like the PlayStation Vita.
Its vibrant 720p display is crisp and bright, and you
might also find that certain games perform better in
handheld mode due to its lower resolution.
The way the console transfers the viewing experience
from its own screen to the television is as seamless as it
could possibly be — you don’t even have to pause your
current game as it happens completely in real time.
Internally, the Switch is using an Nvidia Tegra X
chip, which is broadly similar to what was found in
the Nvidia Shield. That’s not a bad thing, considering
the Shield is a 4K-capable set-top box but, as a portable
device, the Switch needs to make compromises to
ensure a good battery life. When actively playing
the new Zelda, we got around 2.5 hours, which was
enough to cover our commute to and from work
in a single day before we recharged the Switch
overnight.