Everything new in the Nintendo Switch trailer

Switched on.

Feature by Martin Robinson Former Editor-in-Chief

Updated on Oct. 20, 2016

It's happening? More like it just happened - Nintendo has lifted the veil on its next generation of hardware, and as reported it's a hybrid of home console and handheld that can be summed up succinctly (unlike its predecessor). It's the games you play at home, on the go.

Which is quite an exciting pitch, and Nintendo managed to cram three minutes and 37 seconds with a fair amount of exciting new details. We're not sure how final the hardware is (if you remember as far back as 2011, the first ever shots of the Wii U GamePad differed slightly from the final unit) nor how final the software is, with Nintendo providing its own caveat: 'Today's video incorporated short glimpses of representative gameplay to demonstrate the liberating nature of the Nintendo Switch home gaming system. Full game demonstrations, the list of launch window titles, as well as launch date, product configuration and related specifics will be shown and announced prior to the March launch.'

That hasn't stopped us poring over every new thing revealed in the trailer and running around with our shirts off, mind.

1. It's called the Nintendo Switch

Which is the headline news, of course. A simple, easy to understand name that sells the concept while avoiding the now slightly tainted Wii brand. (They could have gone for Swiitch, mind.) Also: great logo.

2. Nintendo's leading with it as a home unit first that you can take on the go

Our first look at the Nintendo Switch is telling - this is being marketed as a home console that you're able to take with you on the go.

3. That screen looks mighty fine

We're led to believe the screen on the tablet powered by a custom Nvidia Tegra processor is 720p, which should be more than adequate on that amount of real estate. How about that battery life, though?

4. Switch will use cartridges

If you're old enough to remember the N64's launch - as I sadly am - you'll recall Nintendo trumping its use of cartridges over the sloooooow CD drives of the Saturn and PlayStation. Of course, we've all moved on since then.

5. The Switch stand

A useful stand so you can ignore the world around you and play games on the move. Handy!

6. The 3.5mm headphone jack

Because screw you Apple, frankly.

7. You'll be able to take annoying fellow passengers on a plane to the next level

Or you could just challenge him to a game of Mario Kart. What happens when that guy having a nap wants to get up for a slash though?

8. Skyrim on the move!

Skyrim Remastered, while not officially announced just yet, looks like it'll be making an appearance. More importantly, it means Bethesda's onboard. When was the last time that happened? (Let's forget Star Trek: Conquest on the Wii, shall we?)

9. The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller

A mean looking controller. The most important question, though: does it have analogue triggers?

10. The Switch at home

Skyrim on a big screen looks pretty fine, doesn't it?

11. Seriously, Nintendo, please tell us they're analogue triggers

How else are we going to play Mario Sunshine on the Virtual Console?

12. Mario Kart on the move

Playing console Nintendo games while on the move is one of the Switch's biggest pulls, as is two-player multiplayer on a single unit. There might be one problem, though.

13. Tiny Joy-Con controllers

They've been called something as awful as Joy-Con to obscure the fact you need tiny pixie hands to be able to play them.

14. A new Mario Kart for Switch?

The track is from Mario Kart 8, but the two weapon slots and King Boo aren't. Is this a new game, or an enhanced remaster for the Switch's early days?

15. NBA on Switch

Some American thing I dunno. But hey, it at least means 2K is also onboard with the Switch.

16. Super Mario Switch

A new Mario game, though again it raises questions. This looks mighty similar to 3D World in execution, but does that mean we won't be seeing the all-new Galaxy we've been hoping for?