NeoGAF user Dystify posted some leaked developer documents for the Nintendo Switch that give us a lot of details we previously weren't aware of. These documents are used to help developers build their game around the Nintendo Switch's hardware and it gives them an idea of how the system itself works.
Some of the information given might not be totally accurate as things change throughout development, but gives you a general idea of what to expect.
You can find a small rundown of all the unknown features courtesy of Dystify below:
- When in handheld mode, the Switch will have an unlock screen like a smartphone to prevent accidental waking.
- The Switch features a Quick Menu. Press and hold the HOME Button for at least one second to display the Quick Settings screen on top of all other screens, including the HOME Menu and any applications. Unlike the 3DS, the active software will not be suspended when this menu is invoked
- The Switch's keyboard will feature predictive text such as those on iOS and Android
- System Settings will allow the user to edit the following settings:
- Flight Mode Toggle
- Enable/Disable Bluetooth
- Manage Wi-fi
- Manage NFC
- Manage screen brightness
- Screen lock
- User Settings
- Create/Edit Mii
- Theme management
- Controller management
- System Update
- Miis will have more options for hair, eyebrows, eyes, facial hair, glasses, mouths, and skin.
- Miis will not store the creator's name, their favorites, and their birthday anymore. Anyone can edit Mii characters
- Developers can create and sell Season Passes for their games (NOTE: Nintendo just confirmed a season pass for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild)
- This document confirms an X1 like SoC using Maxwell on the final retail version
- There are NO plans to provide an Internet Browser at this stage but developers are able to access a web applet to display specific websites within their game/app
- A maximum of 8 users can be registered on a system
- Friend requests and game invites CAN be sent from the console.
- "Friend Presence is a feature that uses the Internet to convey information in real time about the online status of friends and the applications they are playing. Among possibilities, we see this being used in the application to check whether friends are in the joinable state, and to use the Friend List system feature screen to show what applications friends are playing."
- A Nintendo Account can be linked to multiple Switches BUT save data is not automatically synchronised
- There are TWO dev kit devices: SDEV and EDEV
- SDEV – Has built-in ports; no built-in battery
- EDEV – Resembles the retail product exactly but is black color
- Game cards come in 1 GB, 2 GB, 4 GB, 8 GB, 16 GB, or 32 GB variations.
Nintendo Switch's specs have also been leaked which you can view below.
Nintendo Switch releases on March 3rd, 2017.