We finally have a specs sheet for the Nintendo Switch

Despite the fact that it’s now had two dedicated events there are still plenty of questions being asked about the Nintendo Switch. Fortunately, many of those questions now have some answers thanks to a new specifications section on the Nintendo UK site. 

The page reveals and confirms details about the Switch tablet, dock, and Joy-Con controllers, as well as their straps and grip that have until now been pretty unclear. 

So what do we know that we didn’t know before? Well, the weight of the console for one thing. Without the Joy-Con controllers the tablet weighs 297 grams and with them it weighs 398 grams, which makes it just slightly heavier than the 3DS XL which came in at around 336 grams.

Making things clear

We can also finally say with certainty that the 6.2 inch touchscreen of the tablet will offer 720p resolution while the video output when docked is 1920 x 1080 and 60 frames per second.

Good news for anyone lamenting the loss of the headphone jack in the latest smartphones – Nintendo is keeping it going here. Like the latest smartphones, though, the console’s 4310 mAh battery can’t be removed and any replacements will have to go through Nintendo. 

With this battery Nintendo say you can expect to get more than 6 hours of play on the move. That said, this is dependent on software and usage conditions so if you’re playing a game that’s more demanding like the new Legend of Zelda title, Nintendo say you can expect to get around 3 hours out of a single charge. Fully re-charging from empty will apparently take around 3 hours when the console’s in sleep mode.   

Less impressively the specs sheet also confirms the rumor that the Joy-Con grip that comes boxed with the console won’t charge the Joy-Con controllers – they’ll have to be attached to the console to charge unless you decide to purchase a charging Joy-Con grip separately. 

Fortunately, this shouldn’t be too much of an issue since the controllers last around 20 hours before they need to be charged. Chances are, you’ll re-attach the controllers and charge the console in that time. 

There’s good news on the expanded memory front; the console will support micro SD and SDHC cards as well as the previously confirmed SDXC cards which gives plenty of options.

Outside of the hardware, we’re also given a peek at the console’s home menu which looks clean and easy to use. From the home menu it looks like playable games will appear as touchable tiles like on the 3DS home screen. 

Users will also be able to switch between player accounts from here as well access the Nintendo eShop and any screenshots they’ve captured while playing. 

The biggest thing we’re still waiting for information on in terms of hardware at the moment, then, is the CPU/GPU which on the specifications page is still only listed as a NVIDIA customized Tegra processor.

There’s also still much more we’d like to know about the planned online service. The console’s March release is fast approaching and though details are trickling out slowly, at least they’re coming. 

• Check out our Nintendo Switch page for all the latest news about the console

January 30, 2017 at 05:23PM
Emma Boyle