Nintendo Switch
Nintendo · Released Mar 2017 · Original (HAC-001)
The original Switch that defined the hybrid console — detachable Joy-Con, TV docking, and a generational library, now succeeded by the OLED and Switch 2.
Pros
- +Launched the modern hybrid era
- +Detachable Joy-Con with HD rumble
- +Docks to a TV
- +Enormous first-party library
Cons
- −720p LCD screen
- −Joy-Con stick drift
- −Superseded by the OLED model and Switch 2
What can it play?
Emulation performance by platform, based on real-world testing.
Full specifications
Hardware
- Chipset (SoC)
- NVIDIA Tegra X1 (custom)
- CPU
- Quad-core ARM Cortex-A57
- GPU
- NVIDIA Maxwell, 256 cores
- RAM
- 4 GB LPDDR4
- Storage
- 32GB internal (+ microSD)
- Weight
- 398 g
- Dimensions
- 239 x 102 x 14 mm
- Cooling
- Active (fan)
Display
- Size
- 6.2″
- Resolution
- 1280x720
- Panel
- IPS LCD
- Refresh rate
- 60 Hz
- Touchscreen
- Yes
Battery & Connectivity
- Battery
- 4310 mAh
- Real-world life
- ~5 hours
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi 5
- Bluetooth
- Bluetooth 4.1
- Ports
- USB-C, 3.5mm headphone, microSD, Dock (HDMI)
- Expandable storage
- Yes (microSD)
Controls
- Analog sticks
- 2
- D-pad
- Yes
- Face buttons
- Yes
- Analog triggers
- No
- Gyroscope
- Yes
- Hall effect sticks
- No
Software & custom firmware
Ships with: Nintendo Switch OS
Also plays natively: Nintendo Switch games, Switch Online classics
No third-party custom firmware tracked for this device.
Our verdict
The original Switch reinvented Nintendo's fortunes by fusing console and handheld: detachable Joy-Con with HD rumble, instant TV docking, and a library that became one of the greatest of any platform. Its 720p LCD and Joy-Con drift are well-known weak points, and it has since been bettered by the OLED model and replaced at the top by the Switch 2, but as the device that started the hybrid era it is historic.