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. The Switch was unveiled on October 20, 2016. Known in development by its codename NX, the concept came about as Nintendo’s reaction to several quarters of financial losses into 2014, attributed to poor sales of the Wii U and market competition from mobile games.

A microSD card slot located under the kickstand. An ambient light sensor on the front of the console adjusts the screen’s brightness automatically. The model number of the original Switch model is “HAC-001”. There are three gameplay modes that can be used with the Switch; “TV mode” with the console slid into the dock to support play on a television, “Tabletop mode” with the console placed on a table or other flat surface using its kickstand for shared gaming away from a dedicated screen, or in “Handheld mode” as a standard portable tablet device. Power. The console has rails on the side, into which the Joy-Con controllers can be slid to attach them to the Switch unit.

Following this financial report, the Wall Street Journal asserted that Nintendo anticipated to continue ramping production of the Switch in its 2018 fiscal year, with plans to produce between 25 and 30 million units that year or more depending on the 2017 holiday sales. During the November 2017 Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday sales that kicked off the holiday shopping season in North America, Adobe Digital Insights’ analysis showed the Switch was one of the top-five selling items, outpacing the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. NPD Group adjusted their future performance of the Switch to follow more closely with the Wii’s lifetime sales rather than the Wii U’s.

Instead, for the Switch, Fils-Aimé said the company was “very aggressive and clearly communicating the proposition that it’s a home console you can take on the go wherever and whenever you want”. Kimishima said that the intent of the trailer was to show that the device was aimed across all player demographics, showcasing features that core gamers would recognize and appreciate to carry this intent. Switch can be used so that viewers would recognize that “each of its forms offer different play experiences for people to enjoy”.