Video game industry leader Nintendo finally revealed to the world the most important details of its new gaming platform, codenamed the NX, through a YouTube video on Thursday, in which all the rumors that have been said during the last weeks were confirmed. The device's name is "Switch", and it's going to be a hybrid mobile and home console with a tablet element and detachable controllers.
Playing Video Games Beyond The TV
This tablet-based game platform will be launched worldwide on March 17, and it counts with the incredible option of displaying its games on a TV and a portable Wii U-esque gamepad. According to Engadget, the controllers, which are called "Joy-Con," not only can slide onto the slide of the table, but also be attached to a central unit called "Joy-Con Grip" to behave like a single game controller.
"In addition to providing single and multiplayer thrills at home, the Nintendo Switch system also enables gamers to play the same title wherever, whenever and with whomever they choose. The mobility of a handheld is now added to the power of a home gaming system to enable unprecedented new video game play styles," Nintendo stated in the official reveal's video's description.
According to Wired, Nvidia announced that the Nintendo Switch will be powered by its Tegra processor, which represents the confirmation of one of the most important rumors that have emerged since the video game company stated that it will launch a new gaming platform.
Nintendo Switch's Controllers Might Hide A Big Flaw
Although the official video of the device showed that the tablet´s design is thin and attractive, the only issue is definitely the machine's native multiplayer function. In the trailer, it showed people using each half of the device's controllers as two miniature gamepads for multiplayer play, using the device's 7-inches screen.
This doesn't look comfortable at all, and might actually become the most important flaw of the Nintendo Switch, giving the fact that the half controller concept is too small for a single player, and it could be even worse if it's played by two. It could be normal if the game requires push few buttons, since it could be played with one hand, but using a tiny controller for two-handed gameplay could be very annoying.
If you include the native multiplayer function using just one tablet, as it was shown in a scene during the official trailer, the experience could be a little bit disappointing for an expected Nintendo gaming platform. According to Engadget, Nintendo might have some kind of emergency measure for this miniature gamepad situation and might offer a "Pro Controller" option for more robust, and more comfortable, multiplayer option.
