Nintendo Switch

The Nintendo Switch is a <a href="/facts/Video_game_console/K72D1NSS">video game console</a> developed by <a href="/facts/Nintendo/dMrLpaHu">Nintendo</a> and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the <a href="/facts/Eighth_generation_of_video_game_consoles/ATJVb6Sf">eighth generation of home consoles</a>, the Switch succeeded the <a href="/facts/Wii_U/Hv4EI4la">Wii U</a> and competed with <a href="/facts/Sony_Interactive_Entertainment/tnH01NqQ">Sony</a>'s <a href="/facts/PlayStation_4/wMtdFnoP">PlayStation 4</a> and <a href="/facts/Microsoft/nGIDDXdx">Microsoft</a>'s <a href="/facts/Xbox_One/Nom1XYbe">Xbox One</a>; it also competes with the <a href="/facts/Ninth_generation_of_video_game_consoles/ewvnbAR0">ninth generation consoles</a>, the <a href="/facts/PlayStation_5/vJ2ahUoK">PlayStation 5</a> and <a href="/facts/Xbox_Series_X_and_Series_S/gkN9VjV2">Xbox Series X/S</a>.
The Switch is a <a href="/facts/Tablet_computer/6pGX2I7b">tablet</a> that can either be <a href="/facts/Docking_station/6dA1GQmq">docked</a> for <a href="/facts/Home_video_game_console/zP1RTC84">home console</a> use or used as a <a href="/facts/Handheld_game_console/l1hmKVPx">portable device</a>, making it a <a href="/facts/Video_game_console/K72D1NSS">hybrid console</a>. Its wireless <a href="/facts/Joy-Con/VBanNeLN">Joy-Con</a> controllers function as two halves of a standard controller and alternatively as individual controllers, featuring buttons, directional <a href="/facts/Analog_stick/okum8wxt">analog sticks</a> for user input, motion sensing, and tactile feedback. A pair can attach to the sides of the console for handheld-style play, attach to a grip accessory to provide the form of a separated <a href="/facts/Gamepad/WeNdbxjt">gamepad</a>, or be used unattached. The <a href="/facts/Nintendo_Switch_system_software/9YDwUhfd">Switch's system software</a> supports <a href="/facts/Online_game/UH6ItLnW">online gaming</a> through internet connectivity, as well as local <a href="/facts/Wireless_ad_hoc_network/Gwb3FlAD">wireless ad hoc</a> connectivity with other consoles. <a href="/facts/List_of_Nintendo_Switch_games/Ay52eTzI">Switch games and software</a> are available on both physical <a href="/facts/Flash_storage/Cn8JsStx">flash</a>-based <a href="/facts/Nintendo_game_card/9zvFm0PC">ROM cartridges</a> and <a href="/facts/Digital_distribution_of_video_games/TA6BjvSh">digital distribution</a> via <a href="/facts/Nintendo_eShop/gIcrK2yP">Nintendo eShop</a>; the system has no <a href="/facts/Regional_lockout/u7dolWM5">region lockout</a>. Two hardware revisions have been released: the handheld-only Switch Lite, released on September 20, 2019; and a higher-end version featuring an <a href="/facts/OLED/219L1aMJ">OLED</a> screen, released on October 8, 2021.
The Switch was unveiled on October 20, 2016; the concept came about as Nintendo's reaction to financial losses attributed to poor sales of the Wii U and market competition from <a href="/facts/Mobile_game/H3e7p0K7">mobile games</a>. Nintendo's then-president <a href="/facts/Satoru_Iwata/6bF5DsGa">Satoru Iwata</a> pushed the company towards mobile gaming and novel hardware. The Switch's design was aimed at a wide demographic of players through multiple modes of use. Nintendo preemptively sought the support of many <a href="/facts/Video_game_developer/6gbHyvDu">third-party developers and publishers</a>, as well as <a href="/facts/Independent_video_game/yacpsYTA">independent</a> studios, to help build the Switch's game library alongside its first-party games, while standard electronic components, such as a chipset based on <a href="/facts/Nvidia/8QfCgqbu">Nvidia</a>'s <a href="/facts/Tegra/qolVa8CJ">Tegra</a> line, were chosen to make development for the console easier for programmers and more compatible with existing <a href="/facts/Game_engine/lojx7lTG">game engines</a>. As of December 2024<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nintendo_Switch&action=edit">[update]</a>, the Nintendo Switch has shipped over 150 million units worldwide. It is Nintendo's best-selling home console and the <a href="/facts/List_of_best-selling_game_consoles/kuTLMx42">third-best-selling game console of all time</a>, behind the <a href="/facts/PlayStation_2/gbFBT7AX">PlayStation 2</a> and <a href="/facts/Nintendo_DS/4uVHPrnp">Nintendo DS</a>. The <a href="/facts/Nintendo_Switch_2/3QmGIeem">Nintendo Switch 2</a>, which will be <a href="/facts/Backward_compatible/FbHFBu5y">backward compatible</a> with most Switch games, is scheduled for release in 2025.

Nintendo Switch open-in-new

Nintendo Switch