After months of rumors and speculation, Nintendo announced their newest console this past October; The Nintendo Switch. Nintendo has a history of breaking barriers and releasing new forms of revolutionary technology. From normalizing handhelds with the Gameboy in 1989 to motion gaming with the Wii in 2006, and 3D gaming with the Nintendo 3DS in 2011.

The Switch is expected to change gaming by unifying stationary (console) gaming with portable gameplay. The Switch is equipped with a 6.5-inch screen with two detachable joystick controllers, one on the left and one on the right side. It can be docked to play on a modern TV at home, or taken to play on the go. Its hardware being a Tegra (NVIDIA) based design, and also ARM-compatible.The Switch is also shifting from the standard disc format to cartridges like the rest of Nintendo’s portable systems lineup.

Along with Nintendo’s classic series like Zelda, Mario, and Pokemon, the Switch’s powerful specs within it is attracting big game developers and publishers like EA and Bethesda. Some triple A titles which have been rumored include Skyrim and the NBA 2K series. With more developers working on the Switch, it will be seen as a more serious competitor with Sony’s PS4 and Microsoft’s Xbox One. The Switch will set a new level to the console wars.

The rumored price of the Switch is said to be around $250 USD for the release, setting it at a price that rivals Sony’s PS4 and Microsoft’s Xbox One. It will be lower than Nintendo’s Wii U release price of $300-$350 USD. With the lower price, Nintendo hopes to attract more buyers.

Nintendo is set to release the Switch’s official price, launch date, and more specs and details at their Nintendo Switch Presentation on January 12, 2017, in Tokyo, Japan.

– Saira Gonzalez