The Nintendo Switch is being released in Australia on March 3rd, 2017. With it being two weeks away until that date, we’ve put together this launch guide which we hope will inform you of any necessary information you may have missed or perhaps help you decide if you want the console from Day One.
The Console
The Nintendo Switch is a unique device that captures both the home console and portable gaming markets. The console is capable of being played on a TV via a docking station, but you also take it with you when you leave the house for gaming on the go. The main console unit has a 6.2 inch screen touch screen, as well as connectors for the Joycon controllers. For a full explanation of technical features, we recommend watching Nintendo’s official Switch Hardware video which we have embedded into this article.
At launch, the Nintendo Switch will be available in two SKUs – the Grey Switch console, and the Neon Switch console. The main difference between the systems is the colour of the controllers.
The console retails for AU$469.95, and contains the following items:
Nintendo Switch console
Left and Right Joycon controllers
Nintendo Switch dock
Joycon Grip
Nintendo Switch AC Adaptor
HDMI Cable
Joycon wrist straps
At the time of writing, pre-order consoles were still widely available in Australia – although the Neon console is sold out at popular retailer EB Games. It’s worth noting that some countries have sold out of allocated pre-order stock, so if you want to avoid disappointment we recommend pre-ordering ASAP.
Accessories
Nintendo have really gone all-out with official Nintendo Switch accessories. The Joycon controllers alone are available in a variety of colour schemes, including standard Grey and various Neon colour combinations. Given you can separate the Joycons, you can also purchase individual left and right controllers. Here is a list of available accessories:
*This guide only focuses on official Nintendo manufactured accessories.
Nintendo Switch Left and Right Joycon controllers set (available in Grey, Neon Blue, Neon Red and Neon combination): $119.95
Nintendo Switch Pro Controller: $99.95
Nintendo Switch Left Joycon controller: $69.95
Nintendo Switch Right Joycon controller: $69.95
Nintendo Switch Charging Grip: $39.95
Nintendo Switch wrist straps (available in Grey, Neon Blue and Neon Red): $14.95
Nintendo Switch wheel accessory: $24.95
Nintendo Switch dock set: $129.95
Nintendo Switch AC Adaptor: $39.95
Nintendo Switch Carry Case and Screen Protector: $29.95
Other Information
While the console comes bundled with a Joycon grip, this is only a stand that allows for the Joycon controllers to be held in a more traditional manner. If you want to the Joycons while playing, you will need to purchase a charging grip separately. When not in use, the Joycons can be charged while docked to the Nintendo Switch system. They have a 20hr battery life, depending on the game being played.
The Nintendo Switch docking station can be purchased separately, though this is mainly for convenience so that you can easily connect the Switch to different TVs without having to worry about all those messy cables.
The Nintendo Switch boasts an internal memory of 32GB. This won’t be completely available to the player however, as a chunk is dedicated to the system’s OS. Thankfully, the console supports Micro SDXC card expansions, meaning you can expand the memory up to a theoretical 2TB. Micro SDXC cards are currently available up to the size of 256GB, but we should start seeing bigger sizes in the next year or two. We recommend shopping around for the best bargain, particularly onlines stores which often sell the cards for cheaper.
The decision to purchase a Micro SDXC card will largely depend if you intend to download a lot of games. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, for example, has a file size of 13.4GB on the Switch. This can be considered one of the larger games that will be available on the system, so use that as basis for your ultimate decision. You can always use the internal memory and then purchase an expansion later.
Games
The launch line-up for the Switch may not win hearts in terms of quantity, but it more than makes up for it in quality. The heavy hitter that most gamers will be purchasing is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but 1-2 Switch has the potential to be nice introduction to the console and an early party game.
On the horizon Nintendo plans to release Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Splatoon 2, Fire Emblem Warriors and Super Mario Odyssey by the end of 2017. In the meantime, the following games will be available at launch in Australia:
1-2 Switch: $69.95
Fast Racing RMX (download only): $TBC
Human Resource Machine (download only): $TBC
I Am Setsuna (download only): $TBC
Just Dance 2017: $89.95
Little Inferno (download only): $TBC
Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment (download only): $TBC
Rocket Chainsaw will be reviewing the major launch titles shortly after release. Stay tuned for our continued coverage on Nintendo Switch in the future.
