The Nintendo NX is dead. Long live Nintendo Switch.

Earlier this morning, Nintendo confirmed what months of insider reports and rampant rumors indicated: that the Switch is a two-in-one console/handheld hybrid device with a tablet-like form factor, and that it will launch in March 2017.

Below, you'll find the three-minute trailer, as well as a breakdown of everything Nintendo confirmed—tacitly or explicitly—about its next hardware platform.

Hardware

Nintendo Switch is a console, and a handheld. You can play it at home by clicking the tablet-like hardware into the Nintendo Switch Dock, or carry it around with you like your smartphone or Nintendo 3DS. A kickstand—possibly sold separately—can be fitted to the back so you can play comfortably on flights and other areas where holding a tablet up to your face would grow tedious quickly.

The Switch runs on a custom NVIDIA Tegra processor. No specs have been released; Nintendo and NVIDIA are likely holding those nuggets of info back for a longer Nintendo Direct presentation. In the same vein, the trailer showed no touchscreen functionality. This is not an admission that the Switch tablet will not respond to touch, only that it was not demonstrated in today's reveal.

No price was announced for the Switch.

Controllers

Nintendo Switch comes with the "Joy-Con," a detachable peripheral with two analog sticks and face buttons as well as triggers. The Joy-Con comes in two halves; each half snaps into place on one side of the Switch tablet, or onto a grip accessory that you can hold like a traditional controller. If you want to play a multiplayer game like Mario Kart with a friend, each half of the Joy-Con functions like a separate controller, held similar to a Wii remote.

A Pro-style controller was also shown, giving you yet another way to play.

Multiplayer

There are other ways to enjoy Switch games with your friends besides carving up Joy-Con controllers. Multiple Switch systems will be able to connect locally, and since it's a handheld at heart, carrying your Switch to a friend's house or other LAN-style gatherings will be a breeze.

Although online play was not shown in the trailer, it's safe to assume you'll be able to play Switch games over the Internet. No mention was made of whether the system will support Nintendo's friend codes or switch to another, more palatable infrastructure such as friend lists.

Game Lineup

Nintendo confirmed droves of third-party publishers who are or will be developing games for the Switch. Highlights include Bethesda, FromSoftware, Ubisoft, Activision, Take-Two, Square Enix, Sega, and Capcom.

As for first-party support, Nintendo already said The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will launch alongside Switch and the Wii U version next spring. Today's trailer also showed clips of new Splatoon, Mario, and Mario Kart titles.

Game Format

Nintendo has forsaken optical media—considered by many to be a bottleneck, as optical drives are significantly slower than modern processors, memory, and GPUs—in favor of cartridges. Game carts are small, approximately the size of 3DS media.

David Craddock

Long Reads Editor

David L. Craddock writes fiction, nonfiction, and grocery lists. He is the author of the Stay Awhile and Listen series, and the Gairden Chronicles series of fantasy novels for young adults. Outside of writing, he enjoys playing Mario, Zelda, and Dark Souls games, and will be happy to discuss at length the myriad reasons why Dark Souls 2 is the best in the series. Follow him online at davidlcraddock.com and @davidlcraddock.