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| Also known as |
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|---|---|
| Developer | Nintendo PTD |
| Manufacturer | |
| Product family | Nintendo Switch |
| Type | Video game console |
| Generation | Eighth / Ninth[a] |
| Release date |
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| Availability | 2017–present |
| Lifespan | 2017–present |
| Introductory price | |
| Units shipped | 146.04 million (as of September 30, 2024[update])[b] (details) |
| Media | |
| Operating system | Nintendo Switch system software |
| System on a chip | Nvidia Tegra X1[c]/Tegra X1+[d] |
| CPU | ARM 4 Cortex-A57 cores @ 1.02 GHz[e][f] |
| Memory | 4 GB LPDDR4 @ 1,331/1,600 MHz |
| Storage | 32 GB[g]/64 GB[h] eMMC |
| Removable storage | microSD/HC/XC (up to 2 TB) |
| Display | |
| Graphics | 256 Maxwell-based CUDA cores [i][j] |
| Sound |
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| Input | Volume +/−, power buttons |
| Controller input |
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| Camera | Ambient light sensor |
| Touchpad | Multi-touch capacitive |
| Connectivity |
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| Power | |
| Current firmware | 19.0.1, as of October 28, 2024 |
| Online services | |
| Dimensions |
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| Mass |
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| Best-selling game | Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (64.27 million, as of September 30, 2024[update]) (list) |
| Predecessor | Wii U |
| Related | Nintendo Switch Lite |
| Website | nintendo |
The Nintendo Switch[m] is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the Wii U and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4; it also competes with the ninth generation consoles, Microsoft's Xbox Series X/S and Sony's PlayStation 5.
The Switch is a tablet that can either be docked for home console use or used as a portable device, making it a hybrid console. Its wireless Joy-Con controllers function as two halves of a standard controller and alternatively as individual controllers, featuring buttons, directional analog sticks 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 gamepad, or be used unattached. The Switch's software supports online gaming through internet connectivity, as well as local wireless ad hoc connectivity with other consoles. Switch games and software are available on both physical flash-based ROM cartridges and digital distribution via Nintendo eShop; the system has no region lockout.[n] Two hardware revisions have been released: the handheld-only Switch Lite, released on September 20, 2019; and a higher-end version featuring an OLED 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 mobile games. Nintendo's then-president Satoru Iwata 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 third-party developers and publishers, as well as independent studios, to help build the Switch's game library alongside its first-party games, while standard electronic components, such as a chipset based on Nvidia's Tegra line, were chosen to make development for the console easier for programmers and more compatible with existing game engines. As of September 2024[update], the Nintendo Switch has shipped over 146 million units worldwide. It is Nintendo's best-selling home console[o] and the third-best-selling game console of all time, behind the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo DS.
- ^ Kim, Matt (February 17, 2024). "When the PlayStation 6 Might Be Released". IGN. Archived from the original on August 28, 2024. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
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