Speculation about the features and capabilities of the Nintendo Switch has run rampant ever since last week’s reveal trailer debuted. Nintendo has only offered a trickle of information since the reveal trailer. One of them concerns the function of the dock for the console. It’s that specific info that’s driving a ton of chatter.
Nintendo has already confirmed that the dock is not the main unit of the Switch. Rather, the dock seems to only serve to provide video output and charge the main handheld unit. Early rumors about the hybrid nature of Codename NX, the Switch’s old moniker, suggested the dock may offer some form of performance scaling. Though Nintendo has provided no information about that feature, it is not out of the realm of possibility.
Regardless, plenty of buzz has surrounded the possibility that Nintendo could offer a version of the Switch that does not include a dock. I thought about that possibility myself, and have to admit that it doesn’t sound too farfetched. A handheld-only Switch could be enticing for those that want the new console but want to save money.
Let’s Play Video Games has released a report discussing that very scenario. Their report douses water on the whole idea, and I have to agree with its logic after reading through it. Here’s the crux of the argument:
According to our source, Nintendo wants to launch the Switch with a clear focus on the hybrid nature of the device core to marketing. While a handheld-only package may come down the line, at launch all bundles of the system will include a dock as to not confuse branding around the name. Nintendo considered internally the idea of selling the handheld portion separately, but had concerns that consumers who purchased the handheld without the dock may still think they could connect it to the TV.
I can’t argue with that.
In addition to the possible confusion Nintendo would cause with a handheld-only Switch package, there still remains the possibility that the dock adds more to the Switch than just a video out and battery charger. If there are some added features included with the dock, Nintendo runs the risk of fracturing the user base.
Think back to E3 2013, when Microsoft announced the Xbox One. In that reveal, Microsoft insisted on bundling the Kinect with the console, something that infuriated many gamers. In truth, they were doing the same thing Nintendo has to do now: decide what experience you want to provide your consumers and sell them on it. If they sold a version of the Xbox One back then without the Kinect back then, they would have two sets of customers: those who have the Kinect, and those who didn’t. Microsoft wanted to push the “convenience” of the Kinect, so they felt inclined to anchor it to the console. Although the motives were based on logic, we all know how well that turned out.
Nintendo’s situation is different this go-round. The dock is an integral feature to the Switch’s operation and marketing. After all, with no dock, what is the console going to “switch” into? The dock is part of the upcoming console’s image, and removing it for some cost savings may do more damage than good.
Besides, who says the dock is that expensive? If it is nothing more than a stylized battery charger and video out, couldn’t you see the being relatively inexpensive? Couldn’t you see people buying docks for multiple TVs and using the same handheld for all of them?
That is the fun of speculating. You let your mind loose and see where it goes. Hopefully, Nintendo doesn’t wait as promised until next year before divulging a little more information.
