Update: NVIDIA has confirmed it will be powering Nintendo Switch with a custom Tegra processor.
After months of speculation, Nintendo has finally provided gamers with a glimpse at its next home gaming console, Switch. Moments ago, the company released a three-minute trailer for the upcoming console, which until now has been known by the codename NX.
As had also been rumoured, the trailer confirmed that Switch will release in March 2017, and will combine aspects of both handheld and console gaming; allowing players to play their games either at home using detachable controllers or on the go using Switch’s tablet-like interface.
The promotional video gave fans a look at both the Switch’s hardware and a brief glimpse at upcoming games, including the likes of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, an Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim port, and as-of-yet untitled Super Mario and Mario Kart titles.
Nintendo drew users’ attention to the reveal with a simple one-line message on social media earlier today, which sent its shares rocketing by over four percent, according to business news outlet Bloomberg.
Be among the first to discover #NX. Watch the Preview Trailer at 7am PT/10am ET! pic.twitter.com/R2QTzjyLUo
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) October 20, 2016
As had been expected, the trailer seemed to reveal that Switch will not include an optical disc drive, with games instead either running on the console’s internal hard drive or accessed via a cartridge.
Nintendo Switch is the successor to the company’s Wii U, which drew initially strong sales upon its launch in 2012 but has struggled to compete with the likes of the Xbox One and PS4 in recent years.
With the Wii U’s lacklustre third-party support being cited as one of the main reasons for the system’s failure, Nintendo was quick to release a list of third-party developers and publishers confirmed to be supporting the Switch.
Do you think the Switch has the ability to compete with the likes of the upcoming PS4 Pro and Xbox One Scorpio for console supremacy? Let us know in the comments below.