Nintendo Switch announced to the public

Sergio Payeras

Photo by Flickr Nintendo Switch reinvents gaming with a mobile twist.
Photo by Flickr
Nintendo Switch reinvents gaming with a mobile twist.

With the official reveal of the Nintendo Switch on Oct. 20, Nintendo unites the mobility of handheld gaming with the power of home gaming.

The Switch features a main tablet-like LCD monitor with slots on either side of it, “JoyCon” controllers that slide in and out of the slots and a dock that is used to charge the monitor as well as connect it to a television. The JoyCon controllers can be detached from the main monitor to serve as wireless controllers, much like the Wii Remote and Nunchuk.

Nintendo’s president has said that the new system will not directly replace the current Nintendo 3DS and Wii U systems, but will instead offer new ways to play that will have larger impacts than that of the Wii U.

After the Wii U failed to make much of a retail impact, the Switch can be seen as recognition of Nintendo’s vulnerable position on the gaming market. Financial analysts worry that the console might be being marketed to a smaller group of gamers, and also express concern over unconfirmed details that could make or break the system.

Game developers, however, seemed to be more positive on the Switch’s reveal, calling the system “a more unifying experience,” though they also had concerns over unconfirmed hardware details. Even the head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, was impressed with Nintendo’s ability to “state a bold vision and build a product that delivers on that vision.”

The Nintendo Switch is scheduled for its worldwide release in March 2017.