GeekDad's Nintendo Switch Unboxing

Though we’re still a week away from the official retail launch, the gaming gods (read: Nintendo of America) have seen fit to bestow upon me early access to the Nintendo Switch. While a full review of the console and its offerings will be available in March, I did make it a point to take copious pictures during the unboxing process. Feel free to enjoy and/or scrutinize them below.

Even though this isn’t my first time playing with Nintendo’s latest hardware–GeekMom Kelly and I got a chance at January’s NYC media preview event–the difference between experiencing the Switch on a crowded, noisy show floor as opposed to in the comfort of your own home is unsurprisingly noticeable. So, while we’ve already shared frantic FaceBook Live videos, quick product shots, and “hot takes” on our initial experiences, here is a collection of photos specifically taken to share my own unboxing and initial setup experience with the Nintendo Switch, with bonus appearances by the Switch Pro Controller, the Joy-Con Charging Grip, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild game cartridge. (You’ll have to wait a bit longer, I’m afraid, before I can talk about the game itself in any detail!)

switch box open — First up, the core components.

switch box layer 2 — And underneath? All the additional guts.

switch and joy cons — Freshly rescued from their cardboard dungeon.

switch joy con back — Here’s a rear view of the Joy-Cons.

The Joy-Cons and rail attachments have a nice minimalist design.

switch joy con rail — Left Joy-Con with the rail attachment in place.

switch other components — Here we have the system dock, the Joy-Con grip, and the connector cables.

switch directions — Setup instructions are included on the box itself.

switch dock — There’s not a lot to the dock itself, but its ports are clearly labeled.

The switch all together–not to be confused with Mitch Hedberg’s 2nd comedy album.

switch language — The obvious first step of system setup is to choose a language you can actually understand.

switch user — Setting up a user on the Switch is wonderfully easy.

switch sd card slot — The microSD card slot is cleverly concealed underneath the kickstand.

switch size comparison — The size of the Switch as compared to the New 3DS, New 3DS XL, and (a very filthy) Wii U GamePad.

switch cart 3ds cart microsd — Game cartridges are bigger than the microSD card but smaller than 3DS titles.

switch cart in — The cartridge slot is located on the top of the system.

switch grips — Can you tell the Charging Grip from the standard Grip?

switch charge grip port — The Charge Grip is the one with the micro USB port.

switch pro vs grips — Here are both Grips alongside the Switch Pro Controller.

switch in dock — My Switch is docked and ready for TV Mode.

Review materials provided by: Nintendo of America

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5 thoughts on “GeekDad’s Nintendo Switch Unboxing”

I really don’t get those controllers. They look too small and the sticks are in different places. It would be nice if the offered a SKU with one pro controller versus the Joy-Con.

Z says:

February 23, 2017 at 8:43 pm

I think the offset sticks are meant to hearken back to the GameCube controller. I came away from my initial Switch gameplay experience a big Pro controller guy myself, but after playing it at home this past week, I’m starting to like the Joy-Cons in the Charger Grip the best.
Jessica says:

February 5, 2018 at 12:49 pm

The individual Joycons definitely aren’t the most comfortable controllers ever, but they really aren’t meant to be “serious” controllers and are just meant to be used for a bit of gaming on the go with a friend. Using them together with a grip or attached to the system works perfectly fine though.