Shacknews Best Hardware of 2017: Nintendo Switch
Take an uncompromised home console experience on the go!
Nintendo had a rough time getting the public to buy in to its Wii U console. Coming off the heels of the insanely successful Wii console, Nintendo hoped that the follow up would share in the success. The Wii U launched in 2012 and by the time Nintendo discontinued production in early 2017, the console had sold less than 15 million units worldwide. The Big N went back to the drawing board and on March 3, 2017, Nintendo unleashed its newest creation, the Nintendo Switch. Now we're playing with power as the Nintendo Switch has won the title of Shacknews Best Hardware of 2017.
The Nintendo Switch is what the company refers to as a hybrid console. It offers a docked mode for use with televisions just like traditional consoles. It can also be removed from the dock and used as a portable device, much like Nintendo’s own 3DS. What’s different about the Nintendo Switch is that the handheld mode offers no compromises versus the docked mode. All games in its library function the same in either mode. For the first time, Nintendo made the home console experience portable.
The Nintendo Switch looks a bit like a tablet, sporting a 6.2 inch LCD screen that runs at 720p. It comes with a pair of controllers, dubbed Joy-Cons, that attach to the sides of the tablet. The Joy-Cons can be removed from the tablet and used just like Nintendo’s Wiimote controllers. The system offers a 4300 mAh battery and when playing Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, offers up to 3 hours of battery life. Graphics processing is handled by a custom NVIDIA Tegra-based CPU.
Right out of the gate, the Nintendo Switch was a hit with consumers. Nintendo announced that they had shipped just under 3 million Switches in the first month of availability. By December 12, 2017, the Switch had sold more than 10 million units worldwide. The company hopes that the buzz around the Switch continues and that they plan to sell 100 million units in its lifetime, something the company achieved with the original Wii console.
Nintendo Switch fever took over the Shacknews community and staff alike. Converts to Nintendo’s handheld are not bashful about heaping praise on the unit any chance they get. Any time a new game is announced, those folks only want to know when the Switch version will arrive. Expect the console to be the apple of our gaming eye all the way through 2018, but for now Nintendo can savor the title of Shacknews Best Hardware of 2017.
Be sure to keep up with the rest of The Shacknews Awards as we celebrate the Year of the Games: 2017.
-
Shacknews
replyChris Jarrard posted a new article, Shacknews Best Hardware of 2017: Nintendo Switch
-
-
Xbox One X is a nice piece of hardware but it didn't have near the impact of the Switch.
-
[deleted]
-
