The recently-announced Nintendo Switch console, releasing on March 3, has a few different playstyles which tonight's Nintendo presentation has detailed.
Playstyles for the Nintendo Switch include:
- TV Mode: You can play games on the TV in "typical video game style."
- Table Mode: Stand the Nintendo Switch up with its kick stand and play using the Joy Con controllers. You can play video games in front of a screen with others wherever you want, even away from the TV.
- Handheld Mode: Attach the left and right joy-con to the system and take it with you. You can play wherever you want.
You can hand a Joycon controller to a friend or family member to split the screen.
Battery life varies by game, ranging from 2.5 hours to 6 hours. Using a USB Type-C, you'll be able to play even while charging the system.
The screen has a capacitive touch panel that lets you connect over Wi-Fi for multplayer battles.
Up to eight Nintendo Switch systems can be connected for local wireless multiplayer gaming.
The Joycon controllers attach to the grip for a basic style while playing on TV. Removing the joycon, you can stand the grip up by itself. There is a left and right Joycon, each of which has an analog stick that can also be pressed like a button. The right has ABXY buttons and the Home button. An NFC reader writer is also present that can read or write Amiibo data.
The square button on the left Joycon is the capture button for capturing screenshots of gameplay. In the future it will be able to capture video as well, though that functionality is not currently active.
Each Joycon has motion sensors. There are also two buttons on the rail that connect the joycon to the console. They're L and R buttons, and due to the design, each Joycon can be used as a fully-functioning individual controller. Many 2-player games will allow players to "share the joy."
The Nintendo Switch ships with these controllers.
The Joycon also has neon blue and red color variations and a wrist strap you can slide onto the rail to keep it from flying out of your sweaty hands. The wrist strap will also come with different colors.
The Nintendo Switch Joycon can tell the difference between rock, paper and scissors, and can tell how far away a hand is. Nintendo hinted this function may be used to create unique controls for upcoming games. The Joycon can also convey the feeling of ice cubes colliding in a cup and lets you feel how many cubes are in the glass, as well as water filling the glass. This sense of realism comes from the HD rumble the Joycon has and I'm sure will come in handy somehow... somewhere... in some game.
Looking forward to feeling like Nintendo's Next Top Barista? Feel free to let us know in the comments section below.
