After the commercial failure of its previous home console, the Wii U, Nintendo has a lot to live up to with the Nintendo Switch. It was only at a special Tokyo event in January this year that we finally started to learn the much-needed details about the console.

Nintendo’s new hybrid console was to be an amalgamation of three different playing styles, split across a big-screen mode, handheld mode and tabletop mode respectively. Slide the Switch console into its docking unit and place the two Joy-Con controllers in the grip frame for the typical big-screen experience.

Remove the Switch from the dock and you can attach a Joy-Con controller to each side for its handheld mode. Finally, two Joy-Con controllers can be detached from the console and used separately for multiplayer games in Tabletop mode. Nintendo’s message is simple: Play at home; play anywhere; play with anyone.

For a handheld, the Switch is light and slick. Its Joy-Con controllers fit comfortably into the grip frame and feel somewhere in the middle of an Xbox One and PS4 controller. When turned sideways and used individually, the Joy-Cons are reminiscent of a miniature NES controller – or the Gameboy Micro – for those familiar with the handheld console.

It was an ambitious move for the company, but a calculated one nonetheless. Nintendo has dominated the handheld market thanks to the success of its Gameboy and DS consoles.

This, coupled with their recent foray into the mobile market with titles such as Super Mario Run and Fire Emblem Heroes, is proof that Nintendo recognizes that more consumers are looking for titles to play on the go. By playing to its strengths, Nintendo has managed to create a revolutionary console that combines big-screen gaming with gaming on the go.

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