Nintendo “Switch”es up the game!

  

Today marks the long waited and highly speculated first look at Nintendo’s “NX” project.  The new console’s name is aptly “Switch” as it literally can be switched from a TV console to a handheld.

It’s an innovative and smart move on Nintendo’s part to merge their long-standing platforms together.  Recent years have seen Nintendo’s in-home product struggling to stay relevant while remaining the leader in the handheld department.  Moving in a direction like this will balance out their cost over earnings.

Switch could be a real game changer. Nintendo may keep to their trend of allowing for some backwards compatibility with older consoles.  The console will be cartridge based and many 3DS gamers will flock to this product if compatibility remained.

Concerns will immediately fall to what the price of this two-in-one console will be.  In Canada right now the price of a Wii U is $330 on Amazon.ca and the NEW 3DS retails at $240.  I would guesstimate the new console will ring in at a net cost saving of $400-$450. This would be on par with current gen for both Sony and Microsoft consoles.

Nintendo Switch has a decent shot at the market depending on release of internal specs, backwards compatibility with past console games and a comparable price to current gen consoles.  It would be nice to see a huge influx of previous gen games in the E-shop.

We will have to wait until Nintendo make a more official announcement outside their teaser trailer to tell if they are continuing to be innovative and appealing to a large audience or if they had a good idea and squander it.

–Krysil