Nintendo Switch

Nintendo Switch Specifications

The Nintendo Switch is Nintendo's seventh major home console. Released in the middle of the eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the Wii U and competes with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4; it has also competed with the ninth-generation consoles, Microsoft's Xbox Series X/S and Sony's PlayStation 5. Originally known in development as the NX, it was officially unveiled in October 2016 and released worldwide on March 3, 2017.

The Switch is a hybrid console, allowing different modes of play. Its main unit is shaped like a tablet computer which can be used portably as-is, or connected to a television display through a detachable docking station. In addition it can also be used in a tapletop form with its kickstand. Despite these characteristics, Nintendo markets the Switch primarily as a home console rather than as a portable.

Its most distinguishable feature are the Joy-Con controllers. These are two detachable controllers that can be either attached to a "Grip" to provide a traditional home console gamepad form, attached on either side of the main unit for handheld play, or can be used individually in the hand like Nintendo's Wii Remote. The Joy-Cons are similarly motion-sensitive, and feature NFC for reading Amiibo data. The Switch uses flash ROM cartridges for media, rather than optical discs.

As of September 2023, the Nintendo Switch has sold over 132 million units worldwide, making it Nintendo's best-selling home console and the third-best-selling game console of all time, behind the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo DS. Switch sales have been strongly tied to sales of Nintendo's first-party games, with seven having sold over twenty million copies each: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Mario Odyssey, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Pokémon Sword and Shield, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.