Pleasant Valley students are getting caught up in the latest video game trend that has swept the nation: the Nintendo Switch. The Nintendo Switch has become the fastest selling console in Nintendo’s history and shows no signs of slowing down. 

This console has completely hit the U.S by storm. It was designed as an improvement to the Wii U, a gaming console that did not have the sales that the Nintendo company was hoping for. Codenamed project NX, the Nintendo switch was revealed to the public in October 2016 and later released on March 3, 2017. By December of 2017 the Switch had sold 10 million units, causing Nintendo to raise their fiscal year projection from selling 10 million units to 14 million units by March 31, 2018.

What is it about the switch that has made it competitive with other popular devices such as the Xbox One by Microsoft, or the PS4 by Sony? The answer has to do with the functions that the switch possesses. It is a portable console meaning that players can either play the game at home attached to the flat screen television, or it can can as a handheld gaming device. This portability is what has attracted so many consumers including many Pleasant Valley students. As Daniel Romans, a senior and gaming enthusiast quotes, “The switch is awesome. You can play it as a console or play games on the go like Skyrim and Dark Souls.”

Another major benefit of the Switch is the ability to play with multiple friends. Each console comes with two remotes allowing two players to play on the same screen at once. However, if multiple people with different consoles own the same game – such as the ever popular Mario Kart – it allows groups of friends to all play the same game. Racing tournaments have grown in popularity, allowing students to display their gaming prowess and compete with their friends.

To maintain their momentum, Nintendo plans to release more games such as Donkey Kong, Jungle Freeze, Dark Souls, Remastered and Mario Tennis Aces. It is no wonder that a console that provides such an array of popular games with the ability to play on the go with friends has become so popular within the student population.