Nintendo Switch has a 6.2" 720p multi-touch screen
What the trailer didn't tell you.
It's been a week since NX became Nintendo Switch and we finally learned all about Nintendo's next home console - except, actually we didn't learn all there is to it.
Last week's slick trailer gave a solid overview of Switch's core mechanics, but Eurogamer has learned about other features which were not shown or talked about.
A number of sources, including those who informed me of the Switch's design and detachable controllers back in July, have all confirmed other capabilities which Nintendo is currently keeping quiet.
Let's start with the Nintendo Switch's screen. It is 6.2" in size, 720p and - for the first time in any Nintendo device - boasts a capacitive multi-touch screen.
(Both 3DS and Wii U featured resistive touchscreens, reliant on pressure and less precise. They were also single-touch only.)
As is standard for capacitive devices such as most modern smartphones, Switch's screen is a 10-point multitouch display, meaning multi-finger gestures are supported.
Why not mention the touchscreen in the trailer, or show users playing with it? Perhaps Nintendo did not want to confuse its messaging of Switch being able to play standard home console games on the go.
Switch does not carry the DS or Wii U branding, for example, and both of those were defined - for better and worse - by their tablet-esque stylus controls. Demonstrating touchscreen on Switch now might suggest a continuation of both those brands rather than a brand new device.
The Switch trailer also focuses on a number of control methods already - playing using the JoyCon controllers with the main unit docked, then play with each JoyCon attached to the Switch itself on the go, then various multiplayer options.
Explaining how the touchscreen will work - and how it is an optional feature - is perhaps another level of complexity than is needed in a three-minute ad, which already has a lot of information to convey.
So, how will the touchscreen work when the Switch is docked? While connected to your TV the Switch itself is out of reach - you play either with both JoyCon controllers attached to the system's grip or with a Pro Controller. The Switch's touchscreen is almost entirely obscured within the console's dock.
The answer may lie hidden in the right-hand JoyCon, which houses a short-range IR sensor in its base. This could be used to point at the TV to replicate basic touchscreen functionality, picked up by a corresponding IR sensor in the docked Switch.
Nintendo declined to comment when contacted about this article, although last week said it had "nothing to announce" on the possibility of a touchscreen.
A Nintendo Switch media briefing will be held on 13th January where more system features will likely be announced, as well as its exact release date and software launch line-up.