As of right now, the Nintendo Switch is available for purchase in South Africa – but is this the answer to the powerhouse consoles on offer from Sony and Microsoft?

The Switch is a dual system which will allow players to either play “on the go” using the Switch screen and “Joy Con” controllers, or enjoy the usual gaming experience by connecting the Switch into a “base station”and playing via the TV. The idea of starting your game at home and continuing it on the commute to school, varsity or work is definitely an appealing one to gamers worldwide!

Interested? So am I. We’ve had the Gameboy and PSP and their respective variations which were all great devices, but this feels like the next big step in “portable” gaming.

Nintendo claims the Switch can last for more than six hours, but that will vary depending on the software and usage conditions.

This can roughly be translated as three hours with some of the bigger games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, not bad! The Switch has 32GB of internal memory, a portion of which is reserved for use by the system, but there is the option for users to expand storage space using microSDHC or microSDXC cards. The device features a 6.2-inch, multi-touch capacitive touch screen and can display a resolution of 1280 x 720.

The Switch places emphasis on social gaming and supports multiplayer gaming options of all kinds. You can play together online or in the same room using one system or multiple systems.

Specific features vary by game, such as voice chat or split-screen play, but sharing fun with friends and family is a key focus for Nintendo Switch. BUT the current version does not support internet browsing, so no “facebooking” just yet.

The Switch maintains the Nintendo tradition of unconventional controllers, as you can see on the images.

“One player can use a Joy-Con controller in each hand; two players can each take one; or multiple Joy-Con can be employed by numerous people for a variety of gameplay options,” Nintendo said in its press release. I’m not so sure if this design will assist gamers in long term comfort, but I guess this is one of those things you need to test out for yourself.

It would be an injustice for Nintendo to release a new console without paying respect to its all-star roster, so the Switch teaser trailer features gameplay footage of a new 3D Super Mario, the previously mentioned The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, NBA 2K17, Skyrim: Definitive Edition, and what appear to be updated versions of beloved titles Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon, all of which have apparently been brought to the new console.

Nintendo also announced an extensive roster of third-party publishers and developers that will work with the new console.

The Switch was never designed to take on the likes of Sony and Microsoft in a war of processing power and multimedia. It rather stakes a claim as your trusty companion on those (otherwise) long boring commutes; more importantly, it isn’t too phased when Eishkom (pardon, Eskom) decides we need to shed some load.

If the view out the window is getting a little dull, then the Nintendo Switch is for you. Get a massive selection of great prices for the Nintendo Switch on bidorbuy!