Parent Trap: Nintendo Switch Takes on Tablets

My mother would have loved this thing when I was a kid. Nintendo is really trying to hit as many fronts as they can. So far it seems to be working!

The thing is, they made no mention of the screen actually having touch capabilities, so we don't know for sure if it's a tablet.

Not to be negative for the 4th time today but you guys said the same thing about Wii U :I

Was just thinking about tablets in another thread

User replaceable batteries? - almost all tablets lack this very important feature. Nintendo has good history with this, but this is new territory.

Those mini controllers looks like a pain on the hands after some time they don't seems ergonomic at all.

It's not meant to compete with tablets. It's not trying to function like them. It's selling itself to gamers who like the idea of convenience. Being able to play your game wherever, whenever, is a an improvement to the life of the modern day gamer.

Kids are only a small fraction of the consumer base that this console is trying to sell itself to. This is essentially trying to be the ultimate gamer console, having a bit of everything.

This is the console Wii U should always have been been.

I wonder if the screen will be touch-sensitive... In this day and age, it's almost impossible for it not to be, right?

Though I have a hard time trying to get the boys from staring at YouTube videos all day, Nintendo is a name that resonates in my home. It's the Wii,3DS and DS lite that see the most use in the household (the Wii U a close third, Minecraft on the XOne takes second).

They both loved what they've seen. Hopefully I can give them a Switch and take away their windows tablets 😄

The problem with competing with mobile/tablet games is that there is so much free stuff parents can grab and let their kids play with.

That said, the Switch is pretty cool and I will get one.

It doesn't take on tablets in the slightest if there's zero touch input, or even basic tilt for that matter. And, from what I saw in the video, I don't think there is. By very definition, and assuming the Switch doesn't use touch input of any kind, it's not even close to being a tablet. It is what you see in the video, which is pretty much a handheld that can be docked for TV play (with a few configurations for various use scenarios).

By the way, were the detachable controllers really shown to have some kind of motion control? I must have missed that. If anyone has a timestamp on the video of the moment where the motion control is shown it would be much appreciated.

@danmonse

It has to be. Look at that huge screen real estate, look at it's origins in the Wii U GamePad, look at this day and age of where we live in. It NEEDS to be multi-touch sensitive. I am honestly surprised though, that they never demonstrated that. Or ever gave any indication of a stylus of some sort.

One thing is clear. This system NEEDS to be finger-friendly, one way or another.

i hope it's $300

@ottospooky And herein lies one of my major issues with it: There's not a lot here that particularly blows me away because this is GENUINELY what I thought the Wii U should have been from the very first moment it was shown (other than the detachable controller bits).

I mean, this was really just my version of the original Wii U repackaged as an idea for NX, since I never actually got the Wii U I was hoping for (and some of the ideas have even been floating around in my since before even the original Wii):

http://www.inceptional.com/2015/06/26/heres-the-gist-of-my-idea-for-nintendos-nx/

And, I also never imagined the Switch would actually lose the likes of stylus input, touch control, basic motion control, and even dual screen gameplay—although, part of me feared it*—which it seems to have done for all of those things from what I saw in the video and what I've read on Nintendo's official press release and wherever else.

So, it's more like a "better late than never", with a few surprising/bewildering compromises once again, than a brand new next-gen concept to me. However, if it had/has done all the extra stuff it appears to have now dropped, the stuff I mentioned, I think the sum total of its parts would have been or could be something genuinely very special indeed.

The Switch as it is seems like a pretty cool little console to me but not one that's going to make most non-Nintendo gamers "switch" and I actually think it might be a little annoying for many people that Nintendo has once again stepped forward with something "new" but brought with it so many silly and unnecessary compromises along the way.

If I had lots of cash I know I could thoroughly enjoy this for what it is and on its own merits, but I don't, and I also don't think Nintendo realises just how much competition there is for those same pounds/dollars that might be spent on the Switch or something else, like one of the other consoles or a smartphone/tablet, in this day and age. I guess we'll see how it all plays out.

*http://www.inceptional.com/2016/03/24/why-did-nintendo-largely-abandon-the-wii-remote/

Super Mario Run should be somehow tied with the new "Super Mario Switch" game. Somehow it should include pseudo-adverts (not too many as it is a paid for app) that informs the player of the Switch and its features.

At least touch control should be in according to Emily Rogers leak. Still, I agree with @Ryu_Niiyama - my mom would have been so happy to get one of these for my brother and me when we were children.
Instead she got us the GBC with copies of Pokemon, but we never found the Game Link cable, which kind missed the point.

@iGEn I hope it has touch controls too but it seems strange that the video never showed anyone touching the screen. Also, when you play at home you can't really use the screen because it's docked and shut off, so it's definitely possible there might not be a touch screen at all.

It hasn't been confirmed though if you HAVE to buy the add-on controllers with it though....if it does that will drive up the cost significantly. I'm a little worried, but still it's DAY ONE for me! No regrets buying Wii U Day One either.

All my driving parent friends was sold on that car scene from the trailer. For me it sold me on being able to escape the family TV jacking. (The Wii U had range issues, the X1's version fails if you use the pass through)

I think this will find a niche thanks to the PS4Pro and Scorpio creating a gap in the same generation, The Switch will be going up against the normal Ps4/x1. If Nintendo can get the Switch to work as a "portable X1/Ps4" it wont matter if its weaker that will be its edge.

No touch screen no Mario Maker.

Of course does the Nintendo Switch have a touch screen. Please people, don't be foolish.

Why else does it have removeable controllers? Why should you need a dumb little screen without touch input?

If it didn't have a touch screen, those controllers would not be removable!

I'm hoping this puts an end to my kid's dueling iPads . . . they can use this "tablet" together....

@danmonse

Well, I and almost everybody else SINCERELY hope they do not ditch it. Dual screens might be used and tired, but touch capable surfaces are not. They are timeless and futuristic.

Here's hoping they're not completely dead on Nintendo's front.

Oh, and you said my name wrong.

@Furealz the skeptic in me believes the Switch will come in 3 bundles. "handheld" which only has the console + joy-cons "home" Which is handheld + Joy-cons with console dock and Joy-con mount. "premium" all the above with the pro pad and something else.

@dres To use as a standalone screen with the controllers as shown in the trailer perhaps?

It has to have a touch screen if splatoon and Breath of the Wild are ports

@iGen I hope so, too. And sorry about the misspelling.

I just want Splatoon to have real local multiplayer. We don't have the money to buy a new console for both my wife and myself to play the one great first party Nintendo game that for whatever reason didn't put a prioirty into local. Online with strangers is not usually my cup of tea.

The more I see it the more it just seems like a wii u.

I guess it needs the games to sell. Hope it sells well. Hope

@MarinoKadame
agreed, my large hands will crush those tiny things like peanut shells

@UK-Nintendo

To the second line of text:

Preach.

@dres Yes they would, so multiple people can play at once using only those detachable controllers, and so people can use them to play with it in the car attached to a chair like in in-car gaming system, and so you can use those same detachable controllers as both the default inputs when in handheld mode and also when in TV mode on a more traditional gamepad-like controller by simply attaching them to whichever one you're currently using (and I fully expect the "Joy-Con grip" to come bundled with the Switch in the box as standard), and whatever else it can do.

@Mr_Zurkon As a parent and a gamer, I can tell you that most of what's available free in tablets for kids is complete garbage. Only a handful of companies makes good games for kids, and the ones that do get buried under piles and piles of garbage (who thought ad supported games is a good idea for a kids game? Who puts so many ads and "buy now" buttons where anyone can click them by accident)

Don't be surprised if it doesn't have a touch screen, if it does why didn't they show it?

@Paddle1
Year, but you are just not making it look like a tablet like that, when it does not have touch screen. Nintendo is not stupid.

If it does not have a touch screen, you would just leave those controllers on permanent, and have some spare controllers in the box.

If you can't interact with it without controllers, then they would not be removable. Nobody want a dumb screen, and kids are expecting touch screens today. It wont sell, if there is no touch screen.

I hope it has a touch screen. But it unfortunately won't get kids playing because of the high price point. All the Switch does is play games, not be an oversized phones. But I blame the parents for handing their kids dumb smartphone games instead of playing real video games with them!!! D:

@bherdm User replaceable batteries were once a thing everyone demanded, but the reality is that these days you're more likely to change your device sooner than needing a new battery. Plus having them makes the device bigger and some times clunkier. I doubt any device maker these days would bother to have replaceable user batteries

@impurekind yeah what you said. Totally. But an additional point:

People game on mobile because of the convenience afforded to them by carrying around one device. I don't think that this is going to change this. People who typically play mobile games aren't bothered about the complexity of the experience - they purely want a way to distract themselves. They'll settle for Candy Crush Saga because it's there.

Saying that I'm hoping gamers will adopt this because of the allure of playing AAA titles anywhere.

It doesn't matter how many different tablets you can get or at what cheap of price it's missing that X-Factor which is Nintendo.

I'm disappointed. The controllers look like the were designed for a 2 year old. So tiny. It's comical in the video watching adults with large hands pick up such small controllers. Waited all this time for something revolutionary and this is what is put out. Gee,

The Nintendo Shield.... oh!! I mean switch!!! I don't like this AT ALL!!!

Also, the idea of traveling around with the brain of your new console which will retail for over 300 dollars is a horrible idea!!!! You lose that main hub or damage it in any way you will not have a console. I'm not sure this was thought through

The 3ds systems in my house are used daily, so are the tablets. I don't see the Switch taking away tablet users as much as I see portable gamers getting an awesome device powerful enough to double as a home console, or vise versa. Its Nintendo's niche made even more seperate. Now, what is the next Pokemon title going to look like on that.👍

The screen will be touch sensitive, the Wii U was and the new Zelda was promised to be the same experience on both consoles.

Nintendo is only trying to please all the core gamers and fans in the teaser. They know that this is the audience that are the first to have a look.

By toning down the tablet functions, touch control etc. They make it look like a real dedicated gaming console, and that it is all about the games.

But the Switch will also have plenty of tablet functionality, to please the mobile gaming crowd and kids. Just wait and see.

@dres While I agree w/ all of your reasoning, did you watch the video? The firstt hing the guy does is take the sides off his home controller and attaches them to the tablet. And as another person already said, they come off for multiplayer. And how do you play touchscreen games while it's in th edock? The pro controller doesn' thave a screen. Not evne a PS4 tocuhpad.

So while I agree w/ you, a tablet w/o a touchscreen isn't a tablet, it's a screen, has Nintneod ever said this was a tablet? Maybe it's just a "Screen"? Some older phones had screen you coldn't touch. Some older TVs as well.

Here's a 7" screen that isn't touch. Looks kind of like Switch.

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B007FEEZ00/ref=psdc_979930011_t3_B01GK9I4Q6

I hope somebody figures this out soon.

Will it be able to run games like mass effect 4 and latest cod ect?

@jj87 That certainly doesn't stop people from carrying around $200 3DS XLs, $750 iPhones, along with tablets, laptops, and many other expensive devices.

@ottospooky Well, one of its plus points, imo, is definitely that it's now the most powerful dedicated handheld game console on the market. That goes in the good column for sure.

@JH64 it would be a backwards move if it didn't.

Imagine being able to take these titles with you on the go....

@impurekind absolutely! Totally agree. While the Wii attracted people who don't Game with short attention spans who were excited by the prospect of playing tennis indoors, waving their arms around, the Switch's 'gimmick' is there to attract gamers. It takes games out of the bedroom and into the real world. Imagine playing AC on holiday without lugging your PS/Xbone around with you. It's a pretty genuis move

I'm sure there is quite a bit of stuff that no one is telling us. I like the look of the system. I will buy it day 1.

Despite what they are saying now, I would bet that this is going to phase out 3DS by year 2. If they can then sell 60 million of these, I think Nintendo will be pleased.

@JH64 I don't think it will. This seems like a Wii U that you can take with you on the go, which is still amazing by the way. And by Wii U, I mean in terms of power. So think last generation power.

@Yoshi in my opinion those devices are built to handle such abuse however a portable vgs is another story. Is the screen gorilla glass 4? Water proof? Good shock resistance? Today's laptop and smartphone and tablet has all these features. I foresee issues with this.

Day 365 purchase for me

The design of the handheld portion is okay. Actually it looks exactly like the Nvvidia Shield tablet which makes sense given Nvidia made this. But just like the Shield tab, the screen has way too much bezel. My problem with this console is that it doesnt look like it was designed by Nintendo. Also there are way too many moving parts to lose. I guess thats why the trailer has 30 somethings instead of kids. Lets hope the price is right.

Of course no one touched the screen in this trailer. Touch capability is assumed. It's not a unique selling point like the switch from mobile to console and the detachable controllers. They pushed the central concept in this reveal. That's good marketing.

The third party controller scene for this console is likely going to be robust. If you're really clever and have access to a 3d printer, you could probably make some neat custom form factors, cannibalizing the innards from a third party peripheral.

Also, joy-cons is a stupid name. I henceforth dub them Sidearms.

@Yoshi by the way also if u research just how many smart devices are water damaged or get cracked screens or are just obliterated whether phone or tablet or laptop u will see what I mean

I really hope the battery life on this thing is amazing.

Of course it's a touch screen. The same sources that told us hybrid dockable tablet with detachable side controllers with the D-pad split into separate buttons told us 720p 6-inch touch screen. They didn't show any games using it because this trailer was laser-focused on the thesis of "this is a brand new device that lets you play actual full AAA console games anywhere you go" and console games use buttons (a huge advantage the Switch has over tablets). The only place to show touch controls would have been in UI, which would have distracted from the main point (we'd all be dissecting that like "does it have 3g? is that a calendar? does it have an app store? is it android?" when it's not meant to be a tablet replacement) and probably isn't finalized anyway. There'll be other trailers later showing Art Academy and more mobile-type games, but the point of this trailer is "yes this is a real game console that plays real games" just like the point of the initial NX announcement alongside the DeNA announcement was "we are still making actual game consoles; we're not just doing Angry Birds."

Guys you're such an "old man", really. I know that money don't come easy, mine at least is hard as hell, but everybody that has video game as a hobby or way of fun has 300,00 bucks to expend on a new machine from time to time. 300,00 was a lot in 2000 or in the 90's but 300,00 isn't the same anymore. And I'm from Brazil, which means that I'll pay at least 600,00 us dollars on this machine.
And yeah I have wife, dogs, and human stuff that take my money away as all of you too.

There is some faulty logic in this article, there is no way it will take on and iPad comma Nintendo will never open up their Hardware like that for those type of applications. Yes it will probably have a web browser that but that is probably about it.

@CB85 I doubt it because it'd be useless in the dock. Motion controls may save the Wii library (maybe), but I really do think they're letting Wii U's games go down with the system, just like the old days.

Price & Battery life. If they nail at least those two they have a winner in the most default delivery. Memory and online are next.

'With the advent of tablets one of the challenges for parents is both knowing where they are and keeping track of what they are used for. Having a home for the Nintendo Switch will solve this headache as well as ensure it is always charged when you need it.'

And those tiny controllers...hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

R.I.P PS VITA ; )

This may be the best console ever!!!!

needs a second screen.

Pfft. Families. This is the article I read last.

You guys don't know families today. Parents don't buy their kids games to keep them entertained. They buy them games because the kids want them. The first Switch some bratty kid sees in public and it's over for that family until they get one. It's basically a given that every kid will have to have one. That's why they are marketing to adults only right now.

The two player portable aspect is genius. Kids share playing with their friends, get addicted, then can't stop thinking about getting one. Kind of different than the loner 3DS. Having this as a kid would have so awesome with my friends.

I don't know. I don't see people saying "I already have Wii U gathering dust, but let's buy this one". I think, according to the teaser, that this time Nintendo aims to young adult cool people -maybe too cool and too wealthy for their age- instead of families and grannies and mothers that after the first Wii abandoned Nintendo because its only improvement over the Wii were HD graphics.

Anyway, if what people like about tablets is the cheap or free games, there's nothing to win here.

I'll buy it because I'm a Nintendo fan and as long as it comes with a Mario Kart, I'll continue to buy Nintendo systems, but I hope -and massive third party support seems to hint this- this time the console is more aimed to gamers not entirely hardcore (like me) nor casual (like people who bought Wii Sports and Wii Party and then abandoned the Wii). In doing this, people will come. Otherwise the Switch will ship far less units than the first Wii, which was a terrific success.

@Moroboshi876 I think this first trailer was meant to address the Wii elephant in the room. So no kids, no motion controls and no touch screen. But we know its getting just dance which according to ubisoft is "exclusive to motion control systems" and all the previous reports stated the NX had multi touch screens.

I think for now the "core" is the focus but I'm sure we'll see more of the family stuff later

@abe_hikura Then I hope it is aimed to all kinds of people, because the kids and family approach wasn't enough with the Wii U.

Touch screens would be welcome, although I, for one, won't miss them if they're finally not in the Switch. For now Nintendo doesn't confirm nor deny this. Weird.

It takes on tablets for gaming, but gaming is the worst thing about tablets.

@bherdm external batteries are cheap and amazing now. Who cares about internal battery life when the 24000 mAh charger in my bag can keep it running for a week without a recharge.

@teucer It matters b/c I don't buy trash. When I buy a Nintendo console I can depend on it working for a long time. My NES is still hooked up at our main TV, along with the Wii U and gaming PC. If the battery is not user-replaceable, in 10-15 years that battery is going to be completely useless, and many mobile devices will not boot if their battery is completely kaput. I've gotten 30 years out of this NES, 20 years out of my N64, and 13 from my SP, and 10 out of my Wii. They are all still used at least once a month. Replaceable batteries ARE A MUST for the gamer whose backlog spans 30 years, because I may not get a particular game for a few decades ^.^; Just beat Twilight Princess for the first time on Wii, and it was fantastic btw

@bherdm i hate to be the one to tell you this because you are obviously a little sensitive about perceived slights, but nintendo battery life often sucks in my recollection. fortunately amazon and ebay will always stock chinese replacement parts.

@teucer lol, you're right I am a bit sensitive about it, but I assure you I know Nintendo's hardware history, my first comment was more of a worry about where they are headed. Battery life on a day-to-day basis is not my concern, it's overall lifespan and how difficult it is to replace. Most tablets will be garbage in a few years b/c you have to break their screens to get to their batteries, my fear is that with Nintendo partnering with mobile hardware manufacturer's we may start to see some of those crappy practices.