 What if we just like scrap this video altogether and just like record a bunch of these clicking sounds. This is like really really satisfying. Watch this. Did you hear that? No? Okay. Alright fine. Let's do this. For the last week, I've been playing the new Legend of Zelda game pretty much nonstop. It's an expansive and ambitious game, one that would probably sit on a couch for hours and hours at a time to play. But I haven't been playing on the couch, because while the new Nintendo Switch is pretty interesting as a home console, it's also capable of taking that exact same experience on the go. For over a decade now, Nintendo's been making these kind of weird, non-traditional gaming consoles. In the case of the Wii, the company found massive success. Did it follow up the Wii U? Not so much. The new Nintendo Switch actually feels like a mashup of both of those consoles. It's a tablet, like the Wii U, although way more portable, and also has two Wii remotes, ostensibly improved versions that Nintendo's calling the Joy-Con, that attach to each side. Now the biggest selling point for the Switch at launch is without question the Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild. And I can't stress this enough, there's something very satisfying about playing a full Zelda experience anywhere I want. This is me killing garblins while moving to our next film location. And again. And again. Now I'm killing garblins at a laundromat. And yep, this is me killing garblins on a surprisingly rain-free day just outside the ferry building. The tablet itself is slightly heavier than a Nintendo 3DS or PlayStation Vita, but with a 6.2 inch 720p display, it's also easier to hold at a more comfortable distance. I found myself slouching less, for example. It's also large enough that if I want I can pop out the kickstand and play leaning back. So let's talk about the Joy-Cons. Combined, they've gone a console-style button layout, complete with two joysticks and over a dozen buttons, including a dedicated capture button for taking screenshots. There's a bundled grip peripheral that you can slide the Joy-Cons into, and it does make it feel a little bit sturdier. But honestly, you can play without that. Much like the Wii remotes before them, the Joy-Cons can be held either vertically, like a wand, or horizontally, like a little Super Nintendo gamepad. And it's through these that you really see weird Nintendo come out. The launch title 1-2 Switch is full of mini-games where you do things like eat sandwiches, literally with your mouth, or milk a cow. Do I really need to give an example? Those are literally things that happen, and I cannot get weirder than that. But today isn't about shared social experiences. Today is all about Zelda, and being able to play and explore its crazy open world environment wherever and whenever I want. At least for about 2-3 hours, which is the battery life I've consistently been getting. So while it is a portable machine, you'll really only be playing it in small bursts. It does have a standard USB-C plug for charging, though to be honest at this point, we have yet to find a battery pack that will charge it faster than it actually drains. So I've spent a few hours getting some fresh air and shooting this video, and now it's time to return back to my TV, lean back on the couch, and continue the game where I left off. The Nvidia dock serves to both charge the console and output a video signal over HDMI. It's a bit bulkier than it feels like it needs to be, and I have to believe Nintendo is going to make a more pared down version in the future. But I will say that it's impressive how smooth it is when docking the tablet. But the dock is really just a place for the Switch to go charge, while the tablet handles all the processing. The Nvidia Tegra chip is nowhere near as powerful as what the Xbox One or PlayStation 4 offer, but to be fair, the Switch isn't trying to compete in graphical prowess. And as far as online goes, that's still a pretty big mystery. With just days to go before launch, we know next to nothing about how the Switch will handle downloading games or playing online with friends. But all platforms evolve, and with the Switch, you're not only buying hardware, you're making a bet on the software. Nintendo has taken some very weird creative risks here with their hardware, and they largely pay off. The Switch is the best way to play one of the best Zelda games ever. But the big question is what comes after that, and when. The Switch has all the potential to be a hit. Nintendo just has to support it. Will we get a free portrait?