Nintendo Switch

Nintendo Switch is an eighth generation home video game console released by Nintendo, and its seventh major home game console as the successor to the Wii U. Despite this classification, Nintendo markets the system mostly as a home console that can be played on the go rather than a dedicated portable handheld system. It is the first hybrid console/handheld.

Features
The Nintendo Switch is a home console/handheld hybrid device; while the main unit is a portable tablet with a multi-touch screen, it can be inserted into a special dock that connects to a monitor for at-home play.

Games are controlled using either the Joy-Con, wireless controllers that can be attached to either the sides of the tablet or a special controller bridge called the Joy-Con Grip, or a Pro Controller similar in design to the controllers used in the competing Xbox One.

The Joy-Con can be used either as standard controllers or as motion controllers analogous to the Wiimote and Nunchuk. Physical games are stored on Game Cards similar to those used in the Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS.

Nintendo Switch Online
The Nintendo Switch utilizes a paid online service requiring a subscription fee of around $20 per year; while several features are still available without a subscription, payment is required to access most features, including online play. The service also introduces new and convenient features, like online cloud saving. The service launched on September 19, 2018. Most features are centralized around the smartphone app which also released the same day.

Subscribers are also able to access a free app which allows them to play from a selection of popular NES games for as long as they are subscribed. They release every month. During September 2019, Nintendo Direct announced the Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online, an app which allows players to play SNES games.

Development
On October 16, 2015, the Nintendo Development Kits for Nintendo's new console, code named "NX", were confirmed to be distributed to various publishers. This confirmed that the NX is succeeding the Wii U and 3DS and is coming out in multiple formats. There seems to be a massive boost in making them developer friendly with development portal at developer.nintendo.com with the Nintendo Dev Interface

In 2013, Nintendo chose to merge the handheld and home console development teams into a single Research & Development division, due to the emerging possibility of integrating the software used by both platforms. Satoru Iwata said that it was important to "take advantage" of the established architecture of the Wii U while developing a future system, because of the ability to use common ways to program a handheld display and a full-size television display. At the time, Iwata stated that Nintendo was aiming to change the situation of developing separate versions of games for both handheld and console versions. He expressed interest in developing new hardware using the common programming of Android software, which would help alleviate the time taken to port the same game between separate handheld and home console releases.

Yoshiaki Koizumi, the general producer of the Nintendo Switch console, made sure that the hardware development team included experience from "various different sections and disciplines", including both handheld and home console design. He wanted to make sure that there was a high potential of "mixing and matching" those different areas of experience, to reach a single product. Many different hardware designs were proposed and considered, including a patented elliptical touch-screen controller capable of 3D display, as well as a controller which uses a camera to sense the player's hand actions. The NX's vision was to appeal to the on-the-go lifestyle of today's consumers, and adapt to their needs. This lead to the concept of "switching" between a home console and a handheld.

Shinya Takahashi, the general manager of the Entertainment Planning & Development Division at Nintendo, described how the early brainstorming stages focused on the essential functions of a portable home console. The team also looked back at the accessibility and popularity of the Wii when developing the Switch, while still retaining features from other past Nintendo consoles, such as the handheld screen of the Wii U. Early on, it was also considered important for the system to come with two controllers that can be attached and brought on the go for two players to easily play together (in a similar way to how the Famicom docked two controllers on the system), although still providing a "full and satisfying single-player experience". Reggie Fils-Aime stressed the concept of "constant engagement" during Nintendo Switch planning, and appeal to an "anywhere, anytime, any way" approach. The use of color was recognized to have been emphasized by Nintendo's systems in the past, notably with the Nintendo GameCube and Super Nintendo's multi-colored buttons. This inspired the use of red and blue Joy-Con for the Nintendo Switch, whereas the alternative grey design was aimed to appeal more to a "core gamer who is looking for something more sleek".

A notable challenge during development was "packing" all of the required technology and features into the Joy-Con's desired weight and size, such as the IR Motion Camera, while still focusing on "communicating" the value of that technology through the software. The HD Rumble, described by Yoshiaki Koizumi as a form of "virtual reality", required a lot of collaboration and trials between the hardware and software teams in order to utilize it within game design.

In 2015, Satoru Iwata spoke about how the need for region locking wasn't entirely due to consumer actions, but of the seller in global vendor licenses and different circumstances between countries. Iwata acknowledged that there were advantages for both the consumers and Nintendo in lifting region restrictions, and if future hardware were to use region-free games, then such problems would need to be pre-determined and subsequently solved. On January 12, 2017, Nintendo announced during a livestream presentation that the Nintendo Switch's games will be region-free.

The name "Nintendo Switch" was decided due to the ability to easily switch from a television screen to a handheld screen, as well as being akin to flipping a switch to "change the way people experience entertainment in their daily lives."

On April 27, 2016, Nintendo confirmed a March 2017 release with The Legend of Zelda as a launch title. Additionally, they said that the NX would not be shown at E3 2016.

Nintendo chose not to give much information about the console throughout most of its development due to concerns over industrial espionage; as a result, an overwhelming majority of the NX's publicity prior to its official reveal focused on unconfirmed rumors and speculation from various third-party sources.

The information Nintendo had provided clarified that the NX would not truly succeed the 3DS or Wii U and that games would still be developed for the latter two consoles, as it would be impractical to discontinue both. However, the Wii U was discontinued shortly after the NX's official reveal due to the commercial failure of the former. Additionally, Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima confirmed during a Q & A session following E3 2016 that Nintendo has been doing research on virtual reality.

On October 20, 2016, Nintendo released their official preview trailer for the console after months of little to no information; this trailer showcased the variety of ways that the NX, now referred to by its official name of the "Nintendo Switch", can be played; particular emphasis was placed on its handheld capabilities, while still showcasing the ability to use it as a home console. Despite positive fan reception, Nintendo's stock took a significant downwards spike due to investor skepticism caused by the trailer appearing to market the device towards a combination of casual and core audiences rather than the core market alone and by the continued lack of information towards the Switch's technical specifications.

On December 7, 2016, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime did a surprise live demonstration of the Switch during his guest appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon; there, he allowed Fallon, a noted fan of Nintendo, to play a brief demo of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. While nothing was stated about the technical specifications of the Switch, its live demonstration showcased its home-to-handheld transition capabilities and its ability to run Breath of the Wild at a noticeably smoother frame rate than the Wii U version, implying a greater technical prowess.

In January 2017, Nintendo discussed the Nintendo Switch in full in an hour-long presentation, detailing the system hardware, its accessories, the prices of the system, games, and accessories, the release date, and several notable games coming to the system, including Splatoon 2, Super Mario Odyssey, Fire Emblem Warriors, FIFA, and Project Octopath Traveler.

The following weekend, Nintendo had a hands-on event in New York, Japan, the United Kingdom and more with tours to travel across Europe and North America up until the system's launch in March 2017. Additionally, numerous internet celebrities known for specializing in video game-related content (such as Emile R. Rosales-Birou, Ross O'Donnovan, and Jirard Khalil) were shipped Nintendo Switches and copies of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild early for the purpose of reviewing both the console and the game.

On March 3, 2017, the Nintendo Switch saw worldwide public release, with retailers describing sales of the console as being ambiguously strong. While reception of the console was mostly positive, many noted the underwhelming launch lineup, with Breath of the Wild, the system's most anticipated game, having the added caveat of being available for the previous-generation Wii U as well as the Switch. Others also noted software issues such as spotty connectivity between the left Joy-Con and the console, stating that issues such as these marred the experience of the system. Nevertheless, consumers, reviewers, and even other video game companies generally praised Nintendo's console.

On June 20, 2017, the 3.0 update was released, it added the possibility to choose new profile icons inspired by Splatoon 2. It also allows the user to add their friends from the Wii U, 3DS and mobile games friend lists, to register a specific channel to receive News for specific games, receive notifications when your friends go online, to find controllers within communication range by activating the vibration feature, to change the user icon order on the Home Menu, to change the system volume from the quick settings, to lower the maximum volume for headphone or speakers connected to the audio jack, to change display colors to Invert Colors or Grayscale, it allow the connecting of a USB keyboard to the dock and to type whenever the keyboard is on the screen.

The update also added a feature that suggests deletion of software data if there is insufficient space when downloading other software.

On September 20, 2017, the system was announced to be released in South Korea and Taiwan on December 1, 2017.

On October 19, 2017 the 4.0 update was released, it added the possibility to choose new profile icons inspired by Super Mario Odyssey characters as well as more The Legend of Zelda characters. The update also allow the user to capture short video for the games supporting the feature, the possibility to transfer saved data and profiles to another Nintendo Switch and the option to pre-purchase (also known as pre-order) certain games on the Nintendo eShop were also included in the update.