50 Fun Facts About Nintendo Switch

In which year was the Nintendo Switch released?

It launched on March 3 in most regions worldwide.

What codename did Nintendo use for the console before it was unveiled?

Nintendo first mentioned it alongside its DeNA partnership in March 2015.

What are the Switch's detachable wireless controllers called?

Up to eight can connect to a single console at once.

Which Nintendo console did the Switch succeed?

Poor sales of that console made the Switch a 'make or break product' for Nintendo.

What does Nintendo call playing with the kickstand out on a flat surface?

The other two modes are TV mode and Handheld mode.

How large is the original Switch's touchscreen, measured diagonally?

It is the same size as the Wii U GamePad's screen.

What resolution does the original Switch's built-in display support?

Docked, it can output up to 1080p at 60 frames per second.

The Switch's system-on-chip was developed in partnership with which company?

Using an existing chip made it easier for developers to port games.

How much internal storage does the original Switch have?

Only 25.9 GB is user-accessible; microSD cards expand it up to 2 TB.

What is the name of the Switch's operating system?

It is built on a microkernel architecture.

What was the US launch price of the Switch Lite?

Nintendo's goal was a sub-$200 unit aimed at casual gamers.

The handheld-only Switch Lite launched in September of which year?

It was promoted alongside the remake of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening.

Which colour was one of the three Switch Lite launch colours?

Yellow and grey were the others; coral and blue followed later.

The OLED model launched alongside which game in October 2021?

The OLED model has a 7-inch screen and 64 GB of storage.

What wired connection did the OLED model's dock add?

It replaced the USB 3.0 port hidden under the rear cover.

What was the retail price of the OLED model at launch?

The original model launched at $299.99.

Unlike previous Nintendo home consoles, the Switch has no what?

Players can use cartridges or downloads from anywhere, except Chinese content.

The Switch was the first major home system to use cartridges since which console?

Its game cards are smaller and thinner than 3DS cards.

Game cards are coated with what to discourage children from swallowing them?

The non-toxic coating is denatonium benzoate.

What nickname did media give to the higher prices of some games on the console?

As of 2018 Switch games cost about 10% more on average than other formats.

Which launch game was originally announced as a Wii U exclusive?

It sold 2.76 million copies in the console's first month, nearly one per console.

Which launch title showcased the controllers with face-to-face minigames?

Nintendo hoped it could make social gaming more acceptable in Western culture.

Which talk-show host played the new Zelda game live on TV in December 2016?

Miyamoto and Reggie Fils-Aimé presented the console on the show.

Nintendo's first-ever Super Bowl ad was set to a song by which band?

The song was 'Believer'; the ad aired during Super Bowl LI.

Which wrestler tried the console in Nintendo's 'Unexpected Places' campaign?

Nintendo set up living-room-style spaces in three US locations in February 2017.

What is Nintendo's line of do-it-yourself cardboard accessories for the Switch called?

It was announced in January 2018 and includes a VR kit.

Which 2019 exercise game ships with a Leg Strap and a flexible plastic hoop?

Squeezing the ring and running in place perform in-game actions.

Which NES game was hidden in the firmware as a tribute to Satoru Iwata?

Iwata programmed it; the Easter egg vanished with the 4.0 update.

The hidden tribute game only ran when the system clock was set to which date?

That is the day Iwata died in 2015; players also had to mimic his hand gestures.

Who was president of Nintendo of America when the Switch launched?

He called the console 'a home console you can take on the go'.

Who became Nintendo's president after Iwata's death in 2015?

Miyamoto was promoted to 'Creative Fellow' at the same time.

Which Nintendo president said in 2021 the Switch was 'in the middle of its life cycle'?

He became president in 2018.

Which Chinese company partnered with Nintendo to release the Switch in China?

The console officially launched there in December 2019.

Which Taiwan-based company manufactures most Switch units?

Japan-based Hosiden makes the rest.

A teardown firm estimated the original Switch cost how much to make?

Each Joy-Con was put at $45, against a $299 retail price.

Which was the first video streaming app released for the Switch in the United States?

It arrived in November 2017; YouTube followed a year later.

Which major streaming service has never launched on the Switch?

Talks were described as 'on-going' in 2018.

What is the premium tier of Nintendo Switch Online called?

It added Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis games in October 2021.

What name is given to the joystick defect at the centre of a 2019 class action?

Nintendo began offering free repairs days after the suit was filed.

Which company sued Nintendo claiming the Switch copied its Wikipad design?

The Patent Office later deemed its claims unpatentable.

Gary Bowser, sued by Nintendo, belonged to which hacking group?

The group sold modified chips that exploited the Tegra BootROM.

As of December 2025, which was the only console to have sold more units than the Switch?

The Switch passed 155 million units in 2025, second only to Sony's PlayStation 2.

Roughly how many Switch units had shipped worldwide by December 2025?

It is Nintendo's best-selling console.

In which year was the Nintendo Switch 2 released?

It launched on June 5 and is backward compatible with most Switch games.

How do the Switch 2's controllers attach to the console?

The original used a sliding rail with a locking mechanism.

In 2024 the Switch surpassed which console as Nintendo's longest-running without a replacement?

That console had gone seven years without a successor.

Hideo Kojima likened the Switch to which concept he had proposed in 2011?

The idea of moving a game from home platform to portable became the basis of Sony's cross-buy.

How was voice chat handled for Switch Online subscribers on the original Switch?

Unlike competitors, the original console itself did not support voice chat; a smartphone app carried it.

How many user profiles can a single Switch console hold?

Each can be tied to a Nintendo Account.

A quietly revised model with longer battery life uses which more efficient chip?

It stretched battery life to 4.5–9 hours depending on the game.