Nintendo has announced its next console, which will be called the Nintendo Switch, as it is convertible and can be used at home or on the go. The unit, which is shown in the teaser video below, is like a small tablet with controllers on the sides that can be detached, and a docking station for use with a TV. Only limited details of the unit have so far been revealed and the full launch is planned for the end of March in 2017.Analysts have suggested that the final price might be in the $250 to $300 range.
The console uses a custom Tegra processor from Nvidia and Nvidia said that video will be hardware accelerated. There will be new gaming APIs to allow features such as a re-vamped physics engine. It’s not yet clear if the console will be software compatible with existing titles, but it is reported that existing apps on memory cards cannot be used ‘as is’ on the new console. There was no information released about support for UltraHD or other features such as HDR or VR.
Analyst Comment
Nintendo is a long way back from Microsoft and Sony, now, so really needs this to be a success for Nintendo if the company is not simply going to fade away from the console business. Statista showed the chart below which highlights how the company’s sales have fallen away. It is ten years since the success of the Wii. (BR)
