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A closer look at the Nintendo Switch

The Nintendo Switch will be released around the globe in less than two months on March 3. Here's a closer look at what's inside the box.

Daniel Van Boom
Daniel Van Boom is an award-winning Senior Writer based in Sydney, Australia. Daniel Van Boom covers cryptocurrency, NFTs, culture and global issues. When not writing, Daniel Van Boom practices Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, reads as much as he can, and speaks about himself in the third person.
Daniel Van Boom
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Coming (really) soon

The Nintendo Switch will be released around the globe on March 3. It'll retail for $300 in the US and £280 in the UK. Australian pricing is yet to be announced, but retailers are listing the Switch for AU$470.

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The colors...

You can choose between a gray control option or one kitted out with neon blue and red Joy-Cons.

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A closer look

Here are the various parts of the front of the Nintendo Switch.

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Around back

And here's what you'll find around back. Note the microSD slot for easy storage expansion.

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Option A

You can attach the Joy-Con controllers to the Joy-Con Grip to form a gamepad for TV play...

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Option B

...or you can attach the Joy-Cons to the Switch itself to form a handheld with a 6.2-inch screen. It also has a kickstand, so you can use it as a display with the Joy-Cons detached.

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Charged up

Depending on what game you're playing, you'll get between 2.5 and 6 hours of gameplay in handheld mode. Expect Skyrim to be on the lighter end of that scale.

Charging can be done via USB-C or replacing portable batteries.

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Spread the joy

There's a whole lot going on in the Joy-Con controllers, which pack NFC, accelerometers, gyro sensors and "Rumble HD" haptic feedback. You can read all about them here.

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Lots to play with

Each Joy-Con has four main buttons, a joystick, which can also act as a button, and L and R buttons.

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How they detach

These tiny grey buttons around back are what let you unsnap the Joy-Con controllers from their positions on the tablet or Grip peripheral.

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The dock has USB ports

You'll find a couple of USB 2.0 ports on the front of the Switch dock, to keep your controllers charged or plug in a USB to Ethernet adapter. (The Switch has built-in 802.11ac Wi-Fi, but Ethernet is another option this way.)

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Inside the dock

What's inside the dock? Not a lot: just one more USB port and the power and HDMI cables you'll need to get it working.

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Old school(ish)

Nintendo is also offering a traditional gamepad for $70 (AU$95, £60).

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Everything in the box

Here's everything you'll get in the box.

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