Our final Nintendo Switch predictions

Nintendo will finally unveil the Nintendo Switch and confirm or disconfirm lots of our reports. Here's our final predictions and everything we know.

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I can't believe the Nintendo Switch ride is almost over, folks. I started writing about the Switch back in July 2015 back when it was the "NX," and since then I've pushed out dozens upon dozens of articles on the hardware. Tonight Nintendo will finally end the wild speculations with its official Nintendo Switch 2017 Presentation reveal.

On the eve of the handheld-and-console's unveiling, we discuss all the predictions and summarize more than a year's worth of coverage. Tonight at 11PM EST, Nintendo will reveal full pricing, availability, launch date, games lineup, and much more, showcasing the entirety of its Switch hardware. It's a weird feeling to know the ride is almost over, but I do understand that it won't ever really be done: this hypetrain will continue rolling throughout the months, especially given Nintendo's mysterious nature.

We hope you've enjoyed our Nintendo NX and Nintendo Switch content over the years, and don't worry, we're not abandoning the subject. Far from it. I think 2017 will bring tons of Switch coverage, but it won't be the same crazy reports, speculations, rumors and patent-rifling reveals.

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I can honestly say I've learned a lot by covering the Switch, especially about patents--I've looked through about five different Switch patents now, much to the dismay of my poor eyes!

But in reality, there's not much we can say now that we haven't said before, and you can find a huge catalog of everything we know about the Switch below, aligned and sorted in bullet points.

We'll be sure to keep you updated when the Nintendo Switch Presentation kicks off at 11PM EST, so be sure to keep an eye out for our coverage.

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Expected Nintendo Switch specs and performance

(Note: most of this information has not been officially confirmed)

Console Mode

  • Chip type: highly-customized, revamped Tegra, possbily 20nm Maxwell or 16nm Pascal
  • Power: USB Type-C, charged docked
  • Video out: HDMI
  • GPU clock: 768MHz (max, could be variable based on game/app/program, won't always hit max perf)
  • CPU clock: 1020MHz (consistent perf)
  • System RAM: 4GB unified memory (unified VRAM and DRAM)
  • Resolution output: native 1080p switched over from handheld's 720p resolution
  • Unreal Engine 4 GFX display settings: High
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Handheld Mode

  • Chip type: highly-customized, revamped Tegra, possbily 20nm Maxwell or 16nm Pascal
  • Power: USB Type-C, external charger
  • Video out: N/A
  • GPU clock: downclocked to 302MHz (maximum based on game/app/program, won't always hit max perf)
  • CPU clock: 1020MHz (consistent perf)
  • System RAM: 4GB unified memory (unified VRAM and DRAM)
  • Battery Life: ~3 Hours?
  • Resolution output: 720p resolution in 6.2-inch tablet handheld
  • Unreal Engine 4 GFX display settings: Medium
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Nintendo Switch Info and Specs

  • Nintendo Switch handheld tablet uses non-removable, rechargable 3.7V Li-Ion battery
  • Both 2.4GHz and 5GHz 802.11ac MIMO Wi-Fi supported
  • No LTE/cellular internet support
  • USB Type-C confirmed
  • No Ethernet port in the Switch cradle/dock, requires USB-to-ethernet adapter, compatible with Wii's LAN adapter
  • Switch handheld supports MicroSD for expanded memory
  • Laptops can be hooked directly to the cradle
  • Detachable JoyPad controllers are connected via Bluetooth
  • Low-power Bluetooth, likely Bluetooth 4.0 +
  • AC Adapter output (from dock to handheld) DC 5 V - DC 15 V, 2.6 A - Switch has max power draw of 39W while charging on cradle, supports Type-C quick-charge*
  • AC Adapter input (from wall to dock) AC 100 - 240 V, 50 / 60 Hz, 1 A - standardized power, hinting the Switch may be region-free (the Wii U's adapter, however, is similarly rated and isn't region-free)

*Basic formula to convert volts to watts is Watts = Volts x Amps, so we plug in the Switch's 15V times the 2.6A to get 39W, meaning the Switch will draw a max of 39W while docked.

At TweakTown we've extensively covered all Switch reports and news, and you can find a full catalog of our content here. You can also scroll down below for a bullet list of all the pertinent details.

The Nintendo Switch launches in March 2017, possibly at a $249 and $299 price point, with a major reveal including full specs, launch lineup and more being held on January 13-15, 2017. Check below for everything we know about the Nintendo Switch so far, including confirmed details, analyses, rumors, specs and more.

Everything we know about Nintendo Switch so far:

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Everything we know about the Nintendo NX so far:

Derek joined the TweakTown team in 2015 and has since reviewed and played 1000s of hours of new games. Derek is absorbed with the intersection of technology and gaming, and is always looking forward to new advancements. With over six years in games journalism under his belt, Derek aims to further engage the gaming sector while taking a peek under the tech that powers it. He hopes to one day explore the stars in No Man's Sky with the magic of VR.

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