Nintendo Switch: can the new console succeed where Wii U failed?

Nintendo's new hardware is attempting to reinvent gaming - again. But can the company's focus on portability help it connect with a new generation of gamers?

Nintendo's next console looks like it may just be the Nintendo console we've all been waiting for - at least since the Wii U was consigned to being the dustiest thing on our shelves. Eccentric, interesting, boasting widespread industry support and with a focus on portability that plays to Nintendo's considerable strengths (Game Boy, DS, 3DS ...), the Switch is the veteran company's attempt to reinvent gaming. Again.

Some of the biggest reveals from the Nintendo Direct broadcast included: the re-introduction of cartridge games, similar to those used in the 3DS; the fact that Bethesda's Skyrim remaster will be coming to the system, which is huge; and the removable side controls that can be slotted into a larger controller or used on their own as tiny little handheld gadgets that look like they may well cramp up podgier fingers in a few short minutes. They're called Joy-Cons, a controversial naming decision which reminds some of the old Namco Jogcon pads and others of a euphemism for injuring yourself during sex.