EUR30,67
Nintendo Joy-Con Charging Grip
Nintendo
Nintendo Switch review: What the new 2-in-1 console can do
3.3.2017
Translation: machine translated
The Nintendo Switch takes the approaches of the Wii U and continues them consistently. A home console that also wants to be a handheld? Will it be the jack of all trades or neither fish nor fowl? We put it to the test.
Five years after the Wii U, the successor has now been released. Nintendo's ninth generation of consoles is a mixture of classic home console and handheld. While the Japanese company has always proved a good hand with its Gameboys and 3DSs, it has not always been equally successful with its consoles. The Wii U in particular was only met with a moderate response despite many great games. Which is probably also the reason why we are already getting a new console after a relatively short time.
The first thing we did was to put the Nintendo Switch in the hands of our unsuspecting employees and film their reactions.
Tablet vs console mode
The Nintendo Switch picks up where the Wii U left off. Instead of a fat tablet that works just a few metres from the actual console, the naked tablet on the Nintendo Switch is the actual console. The dock into which you plug the Switch when you want to play on the TV only serves as a charging station and bridge to the TV. All the computing power is in the tablet. The tablet has a resolution of 1280x720 pixels, while the resolution on the TV is increased to 1920x1080.
But that doesn't make the Switch any less of a console. Switching from portable to stationary is done in seconds and both modes work perfectly. I often played on the train journey to work. However, titles like "Zelda Breath of the Wild" in particular really come into their own on the large TV. The 6.2-inch LCD display also impresses with rich colours and finally multi-touch.
Because the Switch wants to be two in one, it doesn't do any of this perfectly. In terms of performance, it can never keep up with PS4 and Xbox One. As a result, many third-party games will not appear on the Switch at all or only in a slimmed-down form. In tablet mode, on the other hand, the battery doesn't last long enough.
Despite this, versatility is clearly one of the most striking features. Docked from the sofa, on the move in tablet mode or during a lunch break with colleagues, each with a Joy Con in hand - no other games console offers so many possible uses.
The controllers
Which brings us to the controllers: the Joy Cons. There is an astonishing amount of technology in these small input devices. Motion sensors, infrared proximity sensor, HD rumble and more buttons than you can count. They are technically impressive, the workmanship is flawless and the HD Rumble feature is amazingly precise. It can give you the feeling of rolling marbles or a glass of ice cubes.
Unfortunately, they are very small. Even with normal-sized hands, you get cramps just watching them. Fortunately, this hasn't happened to me while playing. However, I have also never used a single one of them crosswise for a long time, as would be the case in a two-player "Mario Kart" match. The buttons and analogue sticks are significantly smaller than on a PS4 controller, for example.
The Joy Cons can be used in different ways:
- You can use the Joy Cons plugged directly into the Switch
- You can hold a single Joy Con in each hand for regular games
- You can hold a single Joy Con in each hand and wave it around in motion games
- You can use one Joy Con in landscape mode in two-player games
- You can use one Joy Con for motion games in two-player games
- You can plug the Joy Cons into the included grip controller and you have a regular controller
There are also two small plastic strips with a wrist strap. These are about one centimetre thick and can be attached to the Joy Cons, making them slightly wider and therefore easier to handle. They also replace the tiny SL and SR buttons with real buttons.
The grip controller
The included grip controller is not a controller in itself, but merely a holder for the Joy Cons. With a satisfying click, you can insert them into the grip and you have a classic controller. It fits relatively well in the hand, but after playing for a while I wish it was a bit bigger. If you primarily game on the TV, I recommend the Pro Controller, which is available separately.
One major drawback of the Grip is the lack of a charging port. If the Joy Cons are connected to the Grip, you can't charge them at the same time. This is only possible with the additionally available Charging Grip. Pure money-making, if you ask me. If the Joy Cons run out of juice, you won't be able to continue playing via the TV.
The games
There are relatively few games available at launch. They come either as a module that looks like an SD memory card or as a digital download. As the Switch only has 32 GB of internal memory, you don't have much space for the latter. However, you can upgrade with microSD cards (up to 2 TB). Here is the complete list
- 1 2 Switch
- Dragon Quest Heroes I & II (Japan, EU without date)
- FAST RMX
- Human Resource Machine
- I Am Setsuna
- Just Dance 2017
- Little Inferno
- Shovel Knight
- Skylanders Imaginators
- Snipperclips
- Super Bomberman R
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- World of Goo
One of the most important is certainly the fantastic "Zelda". You can find the detailed test here
The second Nintendo-owned title is "1-2-Switch".
"1-2-Switch"
A collection of 28 mini-games. Unfortunately not nearly on the same level as Wii Sports. The interesting thing is that you don't usually have to look at the screen, but into the eyes of your opponent. In Quick Draw, a Wild West duelling game, the aim is to see who can draw faster. In other words: pull the Joy Con up at the right moment and pull the trigger. Then there's table tennis, where you should also rely on your hearing. It plays just as strangely as it sounds. And this feeling runs through all the mini-games. Milking cows, rocking babies to sleep, answering the phone: The collection is nothing more than a quick joke to show off the Switch to your friends. Nintendo obviously sees potential as a drinking game, but if that's the benchmark, then good night.
"1-2-Switch" feels more like a collection of tech demos designed to introduce you to the use and versatility of the Joy Cons. "1-2-Switch" should have been included directly with the console.
"Snipperclips"
I have not yet been able to test the puzzle game extensively, but my first impression was very positive. You can play it in pairs. Each player takes control of one of two paper figures. You can customise each other by placing your bodies on top of each other. This is how you try to solve the different levels. Sometimes you have to pop balloons, sometimes balance a pencil and then sharpen it. Sounds sophisticated, but it's really tricky and a lot of fun.
Online service and expensive accessories
In future, Nintendo will charge for the online service. However, it will initially be free of charge. It is required if you want to play multiplayer games such as "Mario Kart" or "Splatoon" with friends. I wasn't able to test this yet, as none of these games were available at the time of the review.
The Virtual Console, where you can buy Nintendo classics, will also be available again. However, it is not yet available at launch. It is also unclear whether you will receive discounts for games that you have already purchased there.
You will have to dig deep into your pockets for accessories. Starting with the charging grip, which you have to buy if you want basic functions such as playing while the controller is charging. The additional Pro Controller or additional Joy Cons also cost Nintendo a lot. And you will probably also need a microSD memory card.
Difficulties getting started
Some testers complained about connection problems with the Joy Cons. The game blog Eurogamer was able to reproduce the problem to a certain extent. In most cases, the reason was that the distance was too great, the Joy Con was wrapped too tightly or if you had it behind your back and thus lost visual contact with the console. I didn't have any problems myself.
In the beginning, my Switch crashed every time the screen switched off. All I got was a meaningless error message telling me to do a hard reset by pressing the power button for 12 seconds. Only after I had reset the device to the factory settings did everything run smoothly.
A colleague of mine who was also testing the Switch didn't fare much better. He was occasionally unable to start the device. However, the problem went away on its own. This was all before the first update, which I have since installed.
Availability
As we have received a lot of pre-orders, but Nintendo can only supply us with a limited number of units, there will only be a few models available to buy at the beginning. And even those will be gone quickly. But we should get new ones all the time, so hopefully everyone will get a Switch as soon as possible.
Conclusion: on the right track
I really like the Switch. The hybrid concept works. When I'm out and about, I enjoy the big screen on which I can play a real "Zelda" for countless hours. At home, I plug the Switch into the dock and, poof, I'm back on the TV. With the technically sophisticated Joy Cons, the flexibility principle continues. Unfortunately, there's no getting around how borderline small they are. Nevertheless, it can be played quite well in all variants (and there are quite a few). The range of games on offer at launch is still a little thin, but "Zelda" is a must-have for all Nintendo fans. In contrast, "1-2-Switch" is disappointing. The mini-game collection would have worked at best as a free supplement. The lack of support for Bluetooth headphones is a pity, but at least there is a headphone socket. We still don't know enough about the online service and the measly 32 GB of internal memory is also a downer.
Apart from that, Nintendo has developed an extremely attractive console with the Switch - with Nintendo's typical charm and quirkiness. The foundations have been laid for a successful console generation and I'm very excited to see what curious games await us in the future.
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Philipp Rüegg
Senior Editor
Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.chBeing the game and gadget geek that I am, working at digitec and Galaxus makes me feel like a kid in a candy shop – but it does take its toll on my wallet. I enjoy tinkering with my PC in Tim Taylor fashion and talking about games on my podcast http://www.onemorelevel.ch. To satisfy my need for speed, I get on my full suspension mountain bike and set out to find some nice trails. My thirst for culture is quenched by deep conversations over a couple of cold ones at the mostly frustrating games of FC Winterthur.