Nintendo Reveals New System: The Switch U

by
Mark Nielsen
, posted 2 hours ago / 597 Views

After months of speculation, Nintendo has finally unveiled its upcoming system, the Switch U, in the form of a three-hour deep dive on the Nintendo of America YouTube, detailing features, pricing, games, and Miyamoto’s favorite color (it’s magenta).

Starting at $599, the Switch U is a “revolutionary new system” building upon the hybrid foundations of the Switch while also reimagining gaming as we know it. The most notable change from the Switch is that each of the system’s new dual controllers, the Joy-Pads, come with their own LCD screen and a full button configuration, giving you four analogue sticks, eight buttons, and four sets of triggers for handheld play. Addressing complaints of Joy-Con size and cramp, these new controllers are also significantly bulkier in size, each weighing in at around two pounds which, as Nintendo itself puts it, eliminates the need for a fitness game this time around.

While Nintendo’s three hour reveal video didn’t cover any internal specs for the system, initial reports state that its power is roughly equivalent to that of a Toyota Prius.

“The reason the Wii U failed was not that it had the wrong idea, it simply didn’t have enough screens,” Nintendo President Shuntaro Furakawa elaborated at 2 hours and 17 minutes into the reveal video. “On the Switch U you can have the game itself on your TV, your map on the console screen, your inventory on the controller, and your health bar on your smart watch.” (Nintendo Smart Watches are sold separately, starting at $299). “Gaming has never been this immersive.”

Backwards compatibility has been a large concern among the Nintendo fanbase and in relation to this Furakawa stated “we hear you loud and clear”. The Nintendo Switch U is backwards compatible with all previous Nintendo controllers, leading back to and including the N64, and is also compatible with a variety of older peripherals, including the Power Glove, the Game Boy Link Cable, and the Wii Tennis Racket. Unfortunately, the Switch U cannot natively play any games from previous systems as they “don’t fit the new multi-screen setup,” Furakawa explained. “That would be weird.”

When asked for a comment on this new system on his first day on the job, PlayStation CEO Hiroki Totoki stated it was “intriguing” and that Sony would “study it closely for inspiration for peripherals ten years from now”. While not asked for a comment, Head of Xbox Phil Spencer stated that he “loved it” and “can’t wait to play Skyrim on it”. Video game visionary Hideo Kojima stated on Twitter (previously known as X) that he would buy the system in a heartbeat if it could take him to space, but sources are still ambiguous as to whether or not this feature is included.

Another big surprise was that Nintendo will be replacing Mario as the face of the company going forward, instead opting for a different character from the series: Waluigi. This previously overlooked handsome devil will also be the star of the system’s big launch title: Waluigi Odyssey.

After nearly 40 years with the red plumber as the company’s mascot, Shigeru Miyamoto stated the character had never reached the mainstream popularity he had hoped for. “Sure, he’s the most famous video game character of all-time, but he doesn’t have his own brand of tacos. That’s something we’re hoping to remedy with Waluigi.”

Here’s a full list of confirmed launch titles for the system:

Waluigi Odyssey.
Metroid Prime 3.5.
Tears of the Kingdom & Everybody 1-2 Switch – Twin Pack (not sold separately).
Waluigi Kart ∞ Deluxe.
Newer Pokémon Snap.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Vth Edition.
Watch Dogs: Who Watches The Dogs? Edition.
Dance Dance Revolution.
Gex.
Mother Trilogy Remake (Japan Only).