Nintendo Switch
This article needs console improvement. Specifically:
- Document the Nintendo Switch Gaming Station by Starlight
- "Switch" redirects here. For other uses, see Switch (disambiguation).
| Nintendo Switch | |
|---|---|
 Official logo  TV mode  Tabletop mode  Handheld mode | |
| Generation | Eighth generation |
| Release dates |  March 3, 2017[1] March 3, 2017[1] March 3, 2017[1] March 3, 2017[2] March 3, 2017[3] March 3, 2017[1] March 3, 2017[4] March 3, 2017[1] March 3, 2017[1] August 15, 2017[5] December 1, 2017[6] December 1, 2017[7] July 2018[8][9] November 30, 2018[10] March 1, 2019[11] March 29, 2019[12] September 27, 2019[13] December 10, 2019[14] January 17, 2020[15] September 18, 2020[16] November 9, 2021[17] December 10, 2026[18][19] Q1 2027[20]Nintendo Switch Lite: October 8, 2021[32] October 8, 2021[33] October 8, 2021[34] October 8, 2021[35] October 8, 2021[36] October 8, 2021[37] October 8, 2021[38] October 8, 2021[39] October 8, 2021[40] October 8, 2021[41] October 8, 2021[42] October 8, 2021[43] October 8, 2021[28] October 8, 2021[29] October 8, 2021[44] October 8, 2021[30] October 8, 2021[45] January 11, 2022[46] |
| Discontinued | HAC-001 August 2019[?]HAC-001(-01) Mid-February 2027[47]HDH-001 Mid-February 2027[47]HEG-001 Mid-February 2027[47] |
| Predecessors | Nintendo 3DS Wii U |
| Successor | Nintendo Switch 2 |
- “Switch and Play”
- —Advertising slogan for the Nintendo Switch
- “Anytime, Anywhere, with Anyone”
- —Alternative advertising slogan for the Nintendo Switch
The Nintendo Switch (also known as simply the Switch, and officially abbreviated as NSW in internal names and serial codes) is a hybrid video game console released by Nintendo. Being both a home game console and a handheld system, it is Nintendo's seventh major console as the successor to the Wii U, and its eighth handheld, after the Nintendo 3DS.[48] It was officially announced on October 20, 2016,[49] and was released simultaneously on March 3, 2017, in Japan, America, Europe, Hong Kong, and other territories.[1]
A Nintendo Switch presentation containing more information about the system was live-streamed on January 13, 2017, at 04:00 AM to 05:05 AM UTC.[50][1] The Nintendo Switch had a hands-on event on six separate Sundays in six different cities across America prior to its release date,[1] along with Tokyo Big Sight, Japan.[1] Preorder retail reservations started on January 21, 2017, in Japan.[1] The Nintendo Switch was a significant commercial success, and it is often credited with bringing Nintendo back to financial relevance following the Wii U's disappointing sales.[51] The Nintendo Switch and its peripherals have made multiple appearances in the Super Mario franchise. During development, the console was codenamed "NX".[52]
The Nintendo Switch's successor, the Nintendo Switch 2, was officially revealed on January 16, 2025, and released later that year on June 5.[53]
Features
The Nintendo Switch is an LCD tablet-like console that is designed to be a hybrid between home and handheld systems, and the system can be played in three different styles: TV mode, tabletop mode, and handheld mode.[54] In TV mode, the system is plugged into a "Nintendo Switch Dock".[55] With the system docked, gameplay footage is displayed on the TV screen. With the console detached, the footage is displayed on the console's screen. When a player uses tabletop mode, the console uses a built-in kickstand to prop the system up. When the console is in handheld mode, the two "Joy-Con" controller pods are attached to the sides of the console, giving it a similar design to the Wii U's GamePad. The Joy-Con can also be removed and used as separate controllers, used as one controller together, or optionally docked into the "Joy-Con Grip"[55] to give a more traditional experience.
The Nintendo Switch console uses "game card" cartridges resembling those used for Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS units. Due to this, it is the first Nintendo console since the Nintendo GameCube to not be backwards-compatible with its immediate predecessors (in this case, the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U), and the first Nintendo console since the Virtual Boy to not be backwards-compatible at all. The Nintendo Switch has built-in Wi-Fi,[1] Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity (with sound support since the version 13.0 update), a multi-touch capacitive touchscreen of 6.2 inches diagonally,[1] a resolution of 1080p on TV mode and 720p on tabletop and handheld modes, a USB Type-C connector[1] (used for docking, charging, driverless USB-C speakers, and direct Pro Controller connections), internal storage of 32 GB, a microSD slot (which also supports microSDHC/SDXC cards up to 2 TB; ejecting the card during use will forcibly turn off the Switch), a 3.5mm headphone jack, a brightness sensor, two speakers in the bottom, and a battery life ranging anywhere between 2.5 to 6.5 hours.[1] For example, battery life during The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild gameplay is three hours.[56]
Players can also link up to eight multiple consoles to play against each other via local multiplayer.[1] Each Joy-Con can be used for two-player co-op, dubbed by Nintendo as "sharing the joy".[1]
Due to being both a home console and a handheld console, the Nintendo Switch is the first one-screen dedicated handheld since the Game Boy Micro in 2005.
Nintendo Switch Dock
The official Nintendo Switch Dock that is packaged with the original version and extended battery version has three USB 2.0 ports, an HDMI output,[1] an AC adapter port, and a TV output LED light. It supports USB Ethernet adapters that use the AX88179 (certain 1Gb/s adapters) or AX88772 (certain 100Mb/s adapters) chipsets, the latter of which had its support carried over from the Wii and Wii U.
The later dock model that is packaged with the OLED model includes an Ethernet port by default.
The system menu, bootup screens, and any in-game screenshots and video captures are always set to a resolution of 720p, even if the system is docked. Video captures are also locked to 30fps.
Language and region support
The Nintendo Switch does not have region-locking (except the mainland China model),[57] similar to Nintendo handhelds prior to the Nintendo DSi, and features enhanced language and region accessibility. The system can be changed to any of twelve languages available at launch:
- Dutch
- English (United Kingdom)
- English (United States)
- French (Canada)
- French (France)
- German
- Italian
- Japanese
- Portuguese (Portugal)
- Russian
- Spanish (Latin America)
- Spanish (Spain)
Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese and Korean were added as languages with the release of version 4.0.0 on October 18, 2017 for software only; the home menu was left untranslated in these three languages until the release of version 7.0.0 on January 29, 2019.[58] Brazilian Portuguese was added as a language with the release of version 11.0.0 on November 30, 2020.[59]
There are five different region codes that the user can select from: Japan, The Americas, Europe, Australia/New Zealand, and Hong Kong/Taiwan/South Korea.[60] The Hong Kong/Taiwan/South Korea option was added on April 15, 2019. Depending on the region code chosen, the dialect for the English, French and Spanish languages will also change (e.g., setting the region code to Europe or Australia/New Zealand and the language to English sets the overall language to British English, while setting the region code to The Americas, Japan, or Hong Kong/Taiwan/South Korea and the language to English sets the overall language to American English). As of December 1, 2020, setting the region code to The Americas and the language to Portuguese sets the overall language to Brazilian Portuguese.[59]
The mainland China (Tencent) model is region-locked, and users cannot change their region (China) or language (Simplified Chinese). It plays import cartridges, but it does not support online multiplayer on import games or non-China eShop access. China-region cartridges cannot be played on other Nintendo Switch models.[57]
Hardware revisions
Nintendo Switch Lite
The Nintendo Switch Lite (model number HDH-001) is the second version of the Nintendo Switch, announced on July 10, 2019 and released worldwide on September 20, 2019. Unlike the original, this console is smaller and is handheld only, lacking the ability to be docked. This console can only play games that support handheld mode. Games that require use of motion controls (e.g. Super Mario Party) are not supported due to absence of the IR Motion Camera (though regular Joy-Con controllers can be connected to play these games). The directional buttons are also replaced by a single directional pad. Due to only being able to play in handheld mode, the Nintendo Switch Lite can only render games at a maximum output resolution of 720p.
Extended battery revision
On July 17, 2019, Nintendo announced a slightly enhanced version of the Nintendo Switch with the model number HAC-001(-01), which is identical to the original in appearance but sports substantially longer battery life; whereas an original Nintendo Switch has only 2.5 to 6.5 hours of battery life, this version has 4.5 to 9 hours of battery life. It was first released on August 13, 2019.[61] Like its original revision, this extended battery revision is both a home console and a handheld console.[48]
Nintendo Switch – OLED Model
The Nintendo Switch – OLED Model (model number HEG-001) is an enhanced revision of the Nintendo Switch that was announced on July 6, 2021, and features a 7-inch OLED screen, a wider and adjustable stand, enhanced audio, a wired LAN port built into the dock, and 64 GB of internal storage. It was released on October 8, 2021, and is available in white and neon blue/neon red.[45] Like the original model and its extended battery revision, the Nintendo Switch – OLED Model is both a home console and a handheld console.[62] It is the first Nintendo console to be released in the United Kingdom after its withdrawal from the European Union, which was finalized on January 31, 2020.
In the Super Mario Bros. Wonder Direct on August 31, 2023, Nintendo revealed a Mario Red Edition of the OLED Model, which features a silhouette of Mario printed on the bottom left on the back of the dock, and coins printed on the port station behind the dock's back cover. It was released on October 6, 2023.[63]
Peripherals
Joy-Con
The two Joy-Con have an accelerometer and gyro sensor.[1] The Joy-Con (R) has an IR motion camera that can sense and measure the real-time shape, motion, and distance of objects.[1] Two 
and 
shoulder buttons are on each Joy-Con,[1] which can be only be pressed while the Joy-Con are not connected to anything other than straps. The Joy-Con can be slid into the Joy-Con Grip on the controllers' rails.[1] The Joy-Con launched with two color sets: the standard gray, along with neon blue and neon red.[1] Neon yellow Joy-Con were released on June 16, 2017, and neon pink and neon green Joy-Con were released on January 5, 2018.[64] Much like the Wii Remote, each Joy-Con has gray, detachable wrist straps with slide locks,[1] with other wrist strap colors sold separately.[1] Neon purple and neon orange Joy-Con were released on October 4, 2019.[65] Aside from just neon colors and gray, Joy-Con are available in standard blue, Mario-themed red, and Luigi-themed green colors.[65] An "HD Rumble" feature for high definition haptic feedback is included in the Joy-Con, which can convey realistic effects.
The Joy-Con (L) has a capture button that can take a screenshot of gameplay, which can be saved onto the system's Album, and can later be edited and uploaded to social media. A Nintendo Switch 4.0.0 update on October 19, 2017 added the capacity to record real-time gameplay of up to 30 seconds and allow that to also be uploaded to social media.[1] The Joy-Con (R) contains a built-in camera for taking pictures and recording video.
Buttons
- Release buttons
- Sync buttons
- Volume buttons
- Power
- Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | Joy-Con | - | [66] | |
| Dutch | Joy-Con | - | [67] | |
| French (Canada) | Joy-Con | - | [68] | |
| French (Europe) | Joy-Con | - | [69] | |
| German | Joy-Con | - | [70] | |
| Italian | Joy-Con | - | [71] | |
| Korean | Joy-Con | - | [72] | |
| Portuguese (Brazil) | Joy-Con | - | [73] | |
| Portuguese (Europe) | Joy-Con | - | [74] | |
| Spanish (Latin America) | Joy-Con | - | [75] | |
| Spanish (Europe) | Joy-Con | - | [76] |
Nintendo Switch Pro Controller
The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller[55] is a more traditional controller with a 
D-pad replacing the 
directional buttons of the Joy-Con (L). The Pro Controller features the same set-up as the Nintendo GameCube Controller, with 
placed below the face buttons. The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller includes an NFC touchpoint between (Plus) and for reading and writing amiibo figures and amiibo cards, and is sold separately.[1]
- Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | Nintendo Switch Proコントローラー Nintendo Switch Pro Kontorōrā | Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller | [77] | |
| Dutch | Nintendo Switch-Pro-controller | Nintendo Switch Pro Controller | [78] | |
| French | Manette Nintendo Switch Pro | Nintendo Switch Pro Controller | [79] | |
| German | Nintendo Switch Pro Controller | - | [80] | |
| Italian | Nintendo Switch Pro Controller | - | [81] | |
| Korean | Nintendo Switch Pro 컨트롤러 Nintendo Switch Pro Keonteurolleo | Nintendo Switch Pro Controller | [82] | |
| Portuguese (Brazil) | Controle Pro Nintendo Switch | Nintendo Switch Pro Controller | [83] | |
| Portuguese (Europe) | Comando Pro da Nintendo Switch | Nintendo Switch Pro Controller | [84] | |
| Spanish (Latin America) | Control Pro de Nintendo Switch | Nintendo Switch Pro Controller | [85] | |
| Spanish (Europe) | Mando Pro de Nintendo Switch | Nintendo Switch Pro Controller | [86] |
amiibo
- Main article: amiibo
The Nintendo Switch has amiibo support.[87] The Joy-Con (R), Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, and Nintendo Switch Lite, all have an NFC touchpoint for reading and writing amiibo figures and amiibo cards.[1][88]
Nintendo Labo
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Nintendo Labo is a do-it-yourself cardboard toy platform for the Nintendo Switch, primarily targeted at children.[89] Players insert the Nintendo Switch console and Joy-Con in cardboard constructions (collectively referred to as "Toy-Con"), which are compatible with certain games.[90] First shown in January 2018, the Toy-Con themselves were released on April 20, 2018 as either a variety kit for US $69.99[91] or a stand alone robot suit for US $59.99.[92] The customization set for Nintendo Labo includes stickers of eyes of various Nintendo characters, including, but not limited to, Mario, Peach, Goomba, Boo, and Bowser.
As of the version 1.5.0 update on June 26, 2018, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe can be played with the Toy-Con Motorbike. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe can also be played with the Toy-Con Car, Pedal, and Key as of the game's version 1.7.0 update.
Through the version 1.3.0 update, Super Mario Odyssey includes a VR experience that uses the Nintendo Labo Toy-Con VR Goggles, and includes three mini-missions taking place in the Cap Kingdom, Seaside Kingdom, and Luncheon Kingdom.[93]
The Nintendo Switch version of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker became compatible with the Toy-Con VR Goggles through the version 1.3.0 update, which features a mode where the player can play VR versions of four of the game's levels: Episode 1 Prologue, Walleye Tumble Temple, Briny Bowl Swimming Hole, and Mine Cart Tunnel Throwdown.[94]
While the Toy-Con VR Goggles are not officially supported for Virtual Boy – Nintendo Classics,[95] they can still be used with the application on Nintendo Switch. Conversely, Nintendo's Virtual Boy accessories produced for said application can be used to play Nintendo Labo VR content on both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.[96]
GameCube Controller Adapter
As of version 4.0.0, the GameCube Controller Adapter originally developed for the Wii U can also be used for compatible games on the Nintendo Switch such as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, allowing the user to connect up to four Nintendo GameCube Controllers. Like on the Wii U, there are two USB ports on the Switch dock into which the adapter is plugged. All games recognize GameCube Controllers as wired Nintendo Switch Pro Controllers without motion controls, with the exceptions of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and the Super Mario Sunshine remaster in Super Mario 3D All-Stars (as of the version 1.1.0 update), both of which have native GameCube Controller support.
Mappings
| Pro Controller | GameCube Controller |
|---|---|
| / / |