[TECH UNBOXING] NINTENDO SWITCH

Almost everyone knows “NINTENDO”. We all grew up playing the Family Computer and the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) at home. Nintendo was the juggernaut of the video game world. However, in recent times, Nintendo has become the underdog compared to Sony (Playstation) and Microsoft (XBOX). Their last console (Wii U) didn’t fair well against its competitors. Even though the Wii U had a number of good games, there was an evident lack in 3rd party support which was probably one of its eventual downfall. 

Now, Nintendo just released it’s newest hardware. It is a “hybrid” console. When docked, you can play games on your large screen LCD/LED TVs. But when you need to go out, you can just pull out the console from its dock and you got yourself a portable gaming device with a 720p resolution screen. You can also play with our friends outside by removing the controllers from the unit itself and pull out the kickstand at the back of the screen. 

I pre-ordered my unit from i-Tech/GameOne. Fortunately, I was able to land on the NEON colored unit/bundle. In South East Asia (which includes the Philippines), all official retailers are mandated by the distributor to sell the Nintendo Switch as a bundle with Zelda: Breath of the Wild and 1-2 Switch. This actually did not go well with a lot of Nintendo fans in the region since most fans are only interested with the new zelda game and would gladly pass on the “gimmicky” 1-2 switch game. However, most of us did not have choice and just went on to get the available bundle. The Nintendo Switch retails in the US for about $300 while the games like Zelda and 1-2 Switch are valued for $60 and $50, respectively. Thus, a similar package will cost you around $410 in the US while it costs around $470 (PHP converted to USD) here in the Philippines.

Let’s now head on to the unboxing and discover what are included in our local bundle.

When you open the box, you’ll see the controllers called joy-cons on the LEFT and the unit itself on the right. 

The second layer reveals the AC adapter (power cord/charger), HDMI, the joy-con adapter, the joy-con straps, and the dock. 

This is the dock where you put the Nintendo Switch in order to output your games into the LCD/LED TVs. 

 

 

You can forget about using a voltage transformer since the included AC Adapter which is gladly auto-volt. Good job Nintendo. However, it is a little bit large if you’ll be using it as your Switch’s charger when you’re on foot. 

This is the joy-con strap. You can attach them to the joy-cons especially when playing 1-2 Switch so that you won’t accidentally hurt yourself, other people and even your joy-cons itself. 

This is the LEFT joy-con colored NEON blue. There have been reports about “syncing/desyncing” issues with the LEFT joy-con. I, however, have yet to experience it. 

This is the RIGHT joy-con colored NEON red. 

This is the console unit itself. It just looks like an ordinary tablet. It uses a USB-C port for power. You can actually use your New Macbook AC Adapter to charge the Switch. 

At the top of the console lies the game cartridge port, the 3.5 mm audio jack, the exhaust vent, the volume controls and the power button.

You can attach the joy-cons into the included adapter and transform it into a dedicated controller to use whenever you play your games on your TV. I actually find it comfortable enough to play for extended hours. 

This is how it looks when the joy-cons are attached to the Switch unit itself. It actually looks like a tablet with those 3rd party controller adapters being sold on the market nowadays. 

This is the Nintendo Switch compared to its predecessor, the Wii U. They are most the same in terms of height and length. However, the thickness is where the Switch bests its “father”. You should also remember that the Wii U shown below is just a controller with a screen. There is an actual console unit that powers it. The fact that the power plant (console processing unit), the controls and the screen are packed in such a very thin device like the Switch makes Nintendo’s new device kinda amazing. 

This is the joy-con compared to the PS4 DualShock 4 (DS4) controller. The DS4 is a little bigger but has an overall slimmer profile.

This is the joy-con compared to the XBOX One controller. The profile of both controllers looks really similar including the button placements.

Once again, the bundle available locally includes these two games, Zelda: Breath of the Wild and 1-2 Switch. 

The actual game cartridge is around the size of an SD card, with just a bit more in thickness. 

The pre-order bundle also includes 3 animal crossing amiibos. I got KK slider, Mabel and Lotte. Since Iya is a full-fledged "Animal Crossing: New Leaf” (ACNL) fanatic, these would automatically be part of her growing collection of amiibo cards and figures. 

Though not part of the bundle, I also got the Hori Slim Hard Pouch for protection during the Switch’s portable mode. 

 

I’m going to be honest. I primarily bought the Nintendo Switch with the intent to use it primarily as a mobile device. Don’t get me wrong, I have a 3DS (old and new) and it still the king of handheld gaming. So why do I need a Switch if I have a 3DS as a portable? Since I regularly travel back and forth from Metro Manila to Cebu (and vice versa), there is a part of me that craves for more visually appealing “AAA” games during those 1-2 hour trips (including extended airport stays due to delays). There are a lot of times that I wish I have a compact PS4 with me on the plane or at the airport. Some say that the poor battery life of around 2 hours for a game like zelda is disappointing but that’s exactly just right for me. I’m still banking on Nintendo to roll out future firmware updates to improve the battery life. I’m also optimistic that companies will eventually sell other power options soon. 

For now and for the general public, if you are going to buy the Switch to replace a 3DS, you’ll surely be disappointed. The launch games are poor excluding the new zelda and the battery life sucks for a dedicated handheld device. The new Nintendo Switch, as of now, is really meant to be a console at your house that can be played on the go and at your friend's house for a couple of hours. 

If you have a Wii U and is only interested in playing the masterpiece which is Zelda: Breath of the Wild, you are better off getting the Wii U version and just purchase the Switch after a price drop or after the launch of the rest of the announced games such as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

The Nintendo Switch retails at P23,495 (cash) at your local gaming stores in the Philippines. The pre-order bundle which also includes 2 games and 3 amiibos actually gives the bundle enough value that I won’t be regretting my purchase anytime soon. I’ll probably be putting out a more detailed review of the unit, the user interface (UI) and the games in the coming days so please stay tuned.