Nintendo's seventh game console, released in the Eighth Generation of consoles and the successor to the Wii U. Known as the NX during development. The first production model went on sale on March 3rd, 2017.
The Nintendo Switch has two dedicated game controllers (one for each hand) called Joy-Cons. These can be attached to and removed from the console at will, essentially making it a hybrid home/handheld platform.
A smaller version, the Switch Lite, was revealed July 10th, 2019, built strictly for handheld gaming. The Lite has no detachable Joy-Cons; the controllers are hard-built into the console. It also has no HDMI output so cannot be connected to a TV like the original model Switch can. A higher-end version featuring an OLED screen was released on October 8, 2021.
The platform has enjoyed a positive reception and high sales numbers in the years since its release. In addition to carrying many popular flagship titles like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey, the Switch has also become a welcoming home for many older games from last-gen systems. This led the Switch to be the de facto portable way to play popular older titles like Diablo 3, Dark Souls I and Castle Crashers which had previously only been playable on non-portable platforms. As of early 2023, the combined Switch product line is one of the best-selling platforms in Nintendo's entire history, outselling both the Wii and the Game Boy and now second only to the Nintendo DS.
