Nintendo hasn’t created a console since the Wii U. Back in the 1990s, Nintendo was the gold-standard in home consoles, but all of that went by the wayside when the company attempted to make failed console after failed console.

So failed, in fact, were the last attempts by Nintendo to create a home console that the company stated it would not do so again - but now we have the Nintendo Switch. The Switch is technically a home console. It plugs into your TV like any other console. But it’s also a handheld. Here are the details.

Something of an Oddity

The Switch is odd. Then again, so is pretty much anything that Nintendo puts out (and some might argue that odd consoles and games are the crux of the company). The Switch kind of resembles dog ears if you look at it closely. Those ‘ears’ or sides of the console are detachable and can be turned into handhelds.

The idea behind the handheld detachable aspect of the Switch is that gamers can move from TV to handheld seamlessly. Those that were able to attend the latest launch of the new Nintendo console noted that the handheld parts were small enough to lose but that’s what the straps attached are for, I suppose.

Monthly Subscription

The Switch will come with a monthly online content subscription (as it the norm with gaming these days). That price might be justified if the content lined up to go along with the Switch is great.

So far, Nintendo has released the most popular title in its lineup to go along with the Switch: ‘The Legend of Zelda’ But this version is ‘The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.’ The company has promised more titles by next Christmas (including Mario Brothers titles), but that content is quite lined up yet.

Gameplay

Testers noted that the console did seem to switch from TV to handheld rather seamlessly, and it was easy to snap the handheld back into place quickly enough once done playing with it. However, many did note that the console was tethered during demonstrations so it was difficult to see whether or not the handheld option was really easy to use.

Availability

The Nintendo Switch is currently available for pre-order. The exact release date has not yet been noted by the company. Should you pre-order this console? If you’re a die-hard Nintendo fan and love everything this company does, the Switch might be something you’ll want to collect.

Will it replace your current console or bring back memories of old Nintendo consoles? Maybe not. Then again, the console hasn’t been released for real hands-on testing yet, so it might just be something worth pre-ordering.

Pricing for the Switch is a bit skewed. Different controllers are priced differently, there’s a subscription to think about, and then there’s the console price. The base unit is $300 but that doesn’t come with charging docks or games. So make sure to tally up the full price before pre-ordering.