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2017Nintendo Switch console familyConsole family

Nintendo · Console family

Nintendo Switch

A console that moves between television and handheld play made flexibility the main feature.

Documented hardware recordA separately reviewed, source-backed history appears below.

Nintendo merged its home and portable development paths around a single hybrid device. Detachable Joy-Con controllers and instant docking made the hardware’s promise easy to understand.

Released
2017 · Exact day not documented
Platform / family
Eighth generation
Format / type
Game card / digital
Region
Worldwide
Hardware source ↗Suggest a correction ↗

Curated archive history

Why this release matters

Source-backed

Nintendo Switch launched worldwide on March 3, 2017 as a hybrid system that can be played on a television, on a tabletop or as a handheld. Detachable Joy-Con controllers and a dock let one physical game library move between those modes. The simultaneous global launch was a major departure from Nintendo's earlier staggered regional releases.

Hardware design
Nintendo Platform Technology Development
Manufacturer
Nintendo
Editorial review
2026-08-05
01

Release context

Switch followed the Wii U and absorbed ideas from both Nintendo's home and handheld businesses. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild launched with the system, while later first-party and independent physical releases built a long-lived cartridge catalog.

02

Regional differences

Physical software is generally region-free, but boxes, rating boards, included languages, download-code notices and distributor marks remain regional. Japan, North America, Europe and Asia can therefore have distinct packages for the same playable game.

03

Physical packaging

Retail games use small game cards in narrow red plastic cases. Collectors should verify whether a package contains the complete game on card, requires a download, uses a code in box, or includes extra cards, steelbooks, sleeves and regional cover reversals.

04

Editions and revisions

The original HAC-001 was followed by the longer-battery HAC-001(-01), handheld-only Switch Lite and OLED Model. Themed consoles, game bundles and limited packages should be tied to their exact model and included accessories.

Research sources

  1. Nintendo — Switch family ↗
  2. Nintendo Australia — company history ↗
  3. Wikipedia — Nintendo Switch ↗