In the middle of the eighth generation of home consoles, a device emerged that defied all expectations by existing in two worlds simultaneously. The Nintendo Switch, released worldwide on the 3rd of March 2017, was not merely a successor to the Wii U but a radical reinvention of what a video game console could be. It was a tablet that could dock to a television for home console use or be used as a portable device, creating a hybrid experience that no other competitor had attempted. This bold move came at a critical time for Nintendo, which had suffered its first loss as a video game company in 2012 and faced declining revenues due to the poor reception of the Wii U. The company's then-president, Satoru Iwata, had pushed the company towards mobile gaming and novel hardware, believing that to survive, they had to embrace the mobile market without losing their identity. The Switch was the culmination of this strategy, designed to bridge the polarization of the gaming market by offering both leisurely and deep gaming experiences. It was a device that could play on a television screen or as a portable unit, and its detachable controllers, known as Joy-Con, allowed for a flexibility that was previously unseen. The Switch's design was aimed at a wide demographic of players, from Japanese players who tend to play on the go and with social groups to Western players who tend to play at home by themselves. The Switch's name was selected not only to refer to the console's ability to switch from handheld to home console modes but to present the idea of being a switch that would flip and change the way people experience entertainment in their daily lives. The console's success was immediate, with global sales exceeding 150 million units, making it the third-best selling console of all time behind the PlayStation 2 and the Nintendo DS. It was Nintendo's most successful home console to date, surpassing the Wii's 101.6 million units. The Switch's success was not just a commercial triumph but a cultural phenomenon, with games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey becoming instant classics. The console's ability to switch between modes seamlessly, combined with its innovative Joy-Con controllers, made it a unique device that could adapt to any situation. The Switch's success was also due to its ability to attract third-party developers, with Nintendo actively seeking support from many third-party developers and publishers to build the console's game library. The console's use of an Nvidia Tegra chipset made development easier for programmers and more compatible with existing game engines, ensuring a steady stream of games for the platform. The Switch's success was a testament to Nintendo's ability to innovate and adapt to changing market conditions, and it set the stage for the future of video game consoles.
The Birth of Joy-Con
The Joy-Con controllers were the heart of the Switch's innovation, designed to be both a standard controller and two individual controllers that could be used separately. These controllers attach to the console via side rails with a locking mechanism, and a small release button on the back allows for detachment. When connected to the console, the Joy-Con recharge automatically, and when detached, they can be used as a pair by a single player, attached to a grip accessory to mimic a traditional gamepad, or used separately as individual controllers for two players. The Joy-Con controllers feature buttons, directional analog sticks for user input, motion sensing, and tactile feedback, making them a versatile input device for a wide range of games. The Joy-Con's design was inspired by feedback players had given Nintendo on the Wii Remote, with players asking if they could make the Wii Remote in a smaller form factor, potentially strapped to a part of their body. This led to Nintendo envisioning what a smaller form-factor controller could provide in both hardware and gameplay, and it led to the idea of a console that was small enough with these new controllers to also be portable. The Joy-Con's ability to be used in multiple ways made the Switch a unique device that could adapt to any situation, from playing games on a television to playing games on the go. The Joy-Con's design was also a response to the criticism of the Wii U's GamePad, which became functionless if players moved a distance away from the main console. The Joy-Con's ability to be detached and used separately allowed players to play games anywhere, without being tethered to a television. The Joy-Con's design was also a response to the need for a more flexible and versatile controller that could be used in a variety of ways, from playing games on a television to playing games on the go. The Joy-Con's design was also a response to the need for a more flexible and versatile controller that could be used in a variety of ways, from playing games on a television to playing games on the go. The Joy-Con's design was also a response to the need for a more flexible and versatile controller that could be used in a variety of ways, from playing games on a television to playing games on the go.
One of the key factors in the Switch's success was its ability to attract third-party developers, with Nintendo actively seeking support from many third-party developers and publishers to build the console's game library. Nintendo's approach to third-party support was a stark contrast to the Wii U, which had suffered from a lack of support from third-party developers, leading to a weak library of games. Nintendo was more aggressive in trying to bring on third-party developers, early in the Switch's development, to ensure a stronger lineup of games. Takahashi and Koizumi reached out to many of the third-parties directly to help gain their support early on. Electronic Arts' executive Patrick Söderlund said that Nintendo had taken a different track with attracting third-party developers to the Switch and have engaged Electronic Arts and other major developers throughout the development of the Switch, listening to their input, to help make the Switch more successful. Nintendo also began gaining support of independent video game developers in the middle of 2016 to provide assistance to help them bring games to the Switch, led by Nintendo's head of partner management Damon Baker. They had tried to draw in indie developers near the end of the Wii U's lifetime, providing indie game demos that were highlighted during E3 2015, but by this point, the Wii U had already been considered a failure. Nintendo sees games such as Snipperclips as a model of their target for indie games, in which they worked to help provide Switch implementation support and software tools to these parties early in the console's lifecycle. Some, like Yacht Club Games, who have ported Shovel Knight to the Switch, noted that some of the major innovations in the Switch, such as the Joy-Con, were not revealed to them until just prior to the January 2017 announcement. Nintendo of America reached out to many independent developers and publishers, including Chucklefish, Team17, and Devolver Digital, to gain games for the platform and make the process of publishing easier. Nintendo still curates which games they allow on the system, using the company's past portfolio for evaluation, and still carefully time releases to keep a steady stream of new content. However, once a game is greenlit, pushing out patches and updates can be done rapidly and at no further cost to the developer. Nintendo also offers the Switch's dev kit at 50,000 yen, or about $450, far under the cost of a comparable dev kit for other consoles, making it more amenable for smaller developers to afford and build for the unit. Nintendo offers several of these indie games as Nindies through the eShop. Nintendo had anticipated that they would have at least sixty indie games released for the Switch through 2017, but ended up with over 320 games by the end of 2017 as a result of the console's popularity. Indie developers have found that Nintendo has also had a significant role in the promotion and marketing of their games, including using the games to help promote the Switch itself, in contrast to Microsoft or Sony. These developers also found Nintendo tries to keep a better rapport with fans of Nintendo's products, and help these fans identify Switch indie games they feel they will like the most, including those games that build on Nintendo's classic games from the NES, SNES, and Game Boy eras that can draw in a more global audience.
The Evolution of the Switch
The Nintendo Switch has evolved significantly since its launch, with two hardware revisions released to address the needs of different types of players. The Switch Lite, released on the 20th of September 2019, was a handheld-only version of the console, designed for players who wanted a more portable and affordable option. The Switch Lite integrates the controller hardware into the main unit, and uses a smaller screen measuring diagonally, with a regular directional pad replacing the four directional buttons on the integrated left Joy-Con. While using a smaller battery than the original Switch, the Switch Lite uses a more power-efficient chipset, the 16-nanometer Tegra X1+, to extend the estimated use time from 2.5 to 6.5 hours to 3 to 7 hours on a single battery charge. The Switch Lite is physically larger than previous Nintendo handhelds, with its display being larger and the unit measuring longer when compared to a New Nintendo 3DS XL, which itself was the large-sized model in the Nintendo 3DS line. The Switch Lite normally only supports games that can be played in handheld mode, retaining features like the Switch's gyroscopic sensors, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and NFC compatibility. Some tabletop games that require the HD Rumble or IR camera features, such as 1-2-Switch, require players to use separate Joy-Con controllers with the Switch Lite. The system does not support any docking or connectivity to a television and is thus incompatible with games that require television mode. Players who attempt to purchase games that require television or tabletop mode via the eShop on the Switch Lite will be notified of the incompatibility. Though not included with the system, the Switch Lite does support external controllers otherwise compatible with standard Switch models, such as standalone Joy-Con controllers, though they cannot be docked to the system. The Switch OLED Model, released on the 8th of October 2021, was a higher-end version of the console featuring an OLED screen, a metal body, and a redesigned kickstand. The OLED model features a 720p OLED display, and when docked, outputs to 1080p resolution similar to the original model. Additionally, it features 64 GB of internal storage, enhanced audio functions, a magnesium alloy body and a wider adjustable stand for use in tabletop mode. The unit ships with a new dock that includes a wired LAN port. It features similar technical specifications as the base Switch model, and is compatible with all Switch games and existing accessories. The unit ships in two bundles: one that includes a black dock and a red and blue Joy-Con, and one that includes a white dock and a white Joy-Con. Ahead of the release of the OLED version on the 13th of September 2021, Nintendo reduced the base price of the original Switch model in Europe from 299 to 279 euros, and in the UK from 279 to 249 pounds, which Nintendo said also reflected changes in currency exchange rates. All other regions, including North America and Australia, did not receive a price cut. Four special-edition models were released: those for Splatoon 3, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and a Mario Red Edition to tie into Super Mario Bros. Wonder. The Switch's evolution has been driven by the need to address the needs of different types of players, from those who want a more portable and affordable option to those who want a higher-end version of the console with better features. The Switch's evolution has also been driven by the need to address the needs of different types of players, from those who want a more portable and affordable option to those who want a higher-end version of the console with better features. The Switch's evolution has also been driven by the need to address the needs of different types of players, from those who want a more portable and affordable option to those who want a higher-end version of the console with better features.