Nintendo Switch

Post-release

A Splatoon 2-themed bundle was released in Europe on July 21, 2017 and in Japan; additionally, a separate bundle that included "neon" green and pink Joy-Con (matching the color schemes from Splatoon 2) was offered in Japan.[70][71] The bundle was released in North America as a Walmart exclusive on September 8, 2017.[72] A Monster Hunter XX pack-in bundle was released in August 2017 in Japan, with themed decals on the console and dock.[73] A Super Mario Odyssey pack-in bundle was released alongside the game on October 27, 2017, which includes red Joy-Con and a themed carrying case.[74][75]

In May 2018, the "2nd Unit Set" was released in Japan, exclusively on the My Nintendo Store at a reduced price of ¥24,980. The bundle was positioned towards households which already owned a Switch and. as such, it did not include a dock, AC adapter, HDMI cable, and Joy-Con Grip.[76][77] A Mario Tennis Aces and 1-2-Switch pack-in bundle with neon red and blue Joy-Con was released in North America on September 5, exclusively at Walmart.[78] A Fortnite bundle with red and blue Joy-Con which included Fortnite Battle Royale exclusive items and in-game currency was released in North America on October 5 and in Japan on November 22.[79][80] A Minecraft pack-in bundle with gray Joy-Con and Minecraft stickers was released in Japan on November 30.[80] A Diablo III: Eternal Collection pack-in bundle with themed decals on the dock, console and a carrying case was released on November 2 in Europe and in the United States exclusively at GameStop.[81][82][83] A Super Smash Bros. Ultimate-themed bundle, including a branded Dock and Joy-Con, was released the same day, which includes a download code for the game.[84] A Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and a Let's Go, Eevee!-themed bundles were released worldwide on their game's launch day on November 16. They included a console with Pikachu and Eevee decals on the back, a dock with a decal of both on the front, a right and left Joy-Con and their straps based on the color scheme of each Pokémon respectively, a preinstalled version of the game, and a Poké Ball Plus peripheral.[85][86] A Mario Kart 8 Deluxe red and blue Joy-Con pack-in bundle was released in North America on November 23 Black Friday.[87]

A red and blue Joy-Con bundle with US$35 Nintendo eShop credit was released on February 15, 2019.[88]

The Nintendo Switch is a hybrid video game console, consisting of a console unit, a dock, and two Joy-Con controllers.[89] Although it is a hybrid console, Nintendo classifies it as "a home console that you can take with you on the go".[90][91] Furthermore, the company has stated that the Switch and the Nintendo 3DS are meant to co-exist, considering the 3DS as an entry-level product for younger players.[90][92]

Console

The main unit of the Switch is the Console, a battery-powered tablet-like monitor that consists of an LCD screen measuring 6.2 inches (160 mm) on its diagonal, the same as the Wii U GamePad.[93] The unit itself measures 173 by 102 by 13.9 millimetres (6.81 in × 4.02 in × 0.55 in) and weighs 297 grams (10.5 oz).[94] The screen supports ten-point multi-touch capacitive sensing and includes haptic technology from Immersion Corporation.[95] The LCD screen supports resolutions up to 720p (1280×720 px).[96][47] The Console includes a 3.5 mm audio jack, stereo speakers on the bottom face of the unit below the screen, a USB-C port for charging, and a kickstand on the back side.[97][98] The unit also includes slots for a game card (cartridge-based media) and a microSD card slot located under the kickstand. The Switch Console itself includes three buttons, all on the top of the device, Volume +/- and Power. The Console has rails on the side, into which the Joy-Con controllers can be slid into to attach them to the Switch unit.[99] An ambient light sensor on the front of the Console adjusts the screen's brightness automatically.[100] The Console's model number is "HAC-001".[101]

There are three gameplay modes that can be used with the Switch; "TV Mode" with the Console slid into the Dock to support play on a television, "Tabletop Mode" with the Console placed on a table or other flat surface using its kickstand for shared gaming away from a dedicated screen, or in "Handheld Mode" as a standard portable tablet device.[102][103][47] Users can switch between these modes simply by placing the Console in the Dock or removing it, extending or retracting the kickstand, and detaching or connecting the Joy-Con.[47] Games may be designed to play only in specific modes; for example, Voez initially could not be played in TV Mode and relied on touchscreen controls.[104] Support for controllers and TV Mode was later added to Voez in January 2018 via an update for the game.[105] Another example is Super Mario Party, which does not support Handheld Mode.[106]

Nintendo stated that the Switch is a "single-screen experience", in that the player either sees the content on the Console when it is out of the Dock, or on the screen attached to the Dock when the Console is docked. The Switch cannot feature dual-screen functionality that was offered through the Wii U via its GamePad.[107]

Nintendo patented a means of using multiple Switch consoles to create a multi-monitor configuration, by arranging them on a flat surface and spanning a single gameplay environment across their screens. This technology was first seen in Super Mario Party.[108][109]

Dock

The Console, with or without Joy-Con attached, can be placed into the Switch Dock, a docking station with electrical connectors to connect the Console to a power supply to charge its battery, and to a television via an HDMI connection for video/audio output.[39] The Dock also includes two USB 2.0 ports and one USB 3.0 port.[99] While docked, the unit can support resolutions up to 1080p and a maximum frame rate of 60 frames per second,[103][110] though the maximum resolution varies depending on the game. As an example, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild runs at a maximum 900p and 30 frames per second while the Switch is docked.[111] The Dock measures 173 by 104 by 54 millimetres (6.8 in × 4.1 in × 2.1 in) and weighs 327 grams (11.5 oz).[94][112]

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  Front of the dock; the Switch console is inserted from the top
  

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  Back of the dock, showing its two USB ports on the right side
  

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  Back of the dock, opened; a USB-C AC adapter and HDMI cable must be connected for TV gameplay; there's an additional USB 3.0 port inside
  

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  Top of the dock, featuring a USB-C male port that connects to the console
  

Controllers

Joy-Con