Everything you need to know about the Nintendo Switch

Venturebeat | January 22, 2019

Nintendo Switch sales are off the charts. The system was the best-selling gaming console in the United States in December and for all of 2018, according to industry-tracking firm The NPD Group. The Switch sold well throughout the year, but the release of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate gave it a massive boost to close out the last month.The hybrid home/handheld system outsold the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. But it didn’t just outsell them, it had the best December of any console this generation.“Nintendo Switch generated the highest December-month hardware dollar sales for a single platform since the Nintendo Wii in December 2009,” NPD analyst Mat Piscatella said. “And it achieved the highest December unit sales for a single platform since December 2010.”And it’s clear that Super Smash Bros. was one of the driving forces behind those hardware sales. The Nintendo fighter had the best launch month of any console exclusive since NPD began tracking sales in the ’90s. That puts it ahead of Marvel’s Spider-Man and, historically, Xbox 360’s Halo: Reach. But the rest of the Switch library also contributed to the system’s success because Nintendo had seven of the top 20 best-selling releases of December.

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variety | January 02, 2019

Wireless charging product maker Powercast unveiled new wireless charging grips for Nintendo Joy-Con controllers ahead of CES 2019.The Wireless Charging Grips for Nintendo Joy-Con Controllers are meant to replace the need for players to dock their Joy-Con controllers to juice them up. Instead, Switch owners can leave them inside these grips to utilize wireless charging instead.The grips look much like others you see on the market, with contactless wireless charging functionalist that you can use as regular snap-on grips and backup battery packs. Powercast’s Powerharvester receiver and a rechargeable battery are found within the grips, which will allow for about 38 hours of play off of one charge.When placed within two feet of the PowerSpot RF Wireless Transmitter from Powercast, the grips will connect automatically to begin charging. The grips use Bluetooth Low Energy for intelligent wireless charging, and only use power as needed. As Powercast explains, the grips only request power from the wireless transmitter when the batteries are depleted, and will send signals to stop when the controllers are fully charged.More information is expected to be shared as Powercast debuts the charging grips at CES 2019 this year in booth #41767 in the Smart Home Marketplace’ Sands Expo. The grips are planned for release in Q3 2019.

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Digital Trends | December 10, 2018

The Nintendo Switch has been on a tear since it launched last year. It started off strong with what ended up being 2017’s Game of the Year — The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild — and kept up the momentum this year with a reign of addictively fun games such as Octopath Traveler and Mario Tennis Aces.The Switch isn’t just a good platform for first-party Nintendo titles, it’s a host to a wide range of stellar third-party role-playing, strategy, action, adventure, shooters, and more. If you’re looking into picking up a Switch or on the lookout for more games to add to your library, we’ve compiled a list of the best Nintendo Switch games available today.Developed by Dodge Roll and published by renowned indie studio Devolver Digital, Enter the Gungeon is one of the Switch’s absolute must-play indie titles. Enter the Gungeon is a challenging dungeon crawler with twitchy shooting mechanics and copious amounts of loot to uncover. It’s also a roguelike, though not in the traditional sense. All rooms stay the same, but the enemies, treasure, and location of the rooms are randomly generated.

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