Nintendo Switch News, Features & Updates: Likely to Have Motion Controls; Console Expected To Be A ‘Game-Changer’

The upcoming Nintendo Switch is likely to have motion controls, a feature that allows players to control the system through body movements. This latest news was hinted by GameStop to its investors, although Nintendo has yet to make an official announcement.

Discussing the Nintendo Switch at a recent earnings call, GameStop CEO Paul Raines has been quoted as saying that kids would love a movement-related game. "You can really do a lot of interesting things with that in gameplay," Raines told the company's investors, according to IGN.

Raines added that he himself has played the Nintendo Switch and was impressed. He is confident the console will be a "game-changer" that can expand the market for gaming, GameSpot reports.

Raines also said members of GameStop's PowerUp Rewards system have expressed their interest in the Nintendo Switch and are planning to buy it, based on company metrics. He expects the numbers to increase when more of the Switch's specs are made public.

There has long been speculation that the Nintendo Switch would have motion controls, a feature that was included in the last two consoles that Nintendo released. But game reviewers expect that the new motion controllers are probably not the detachable Joy-Con pads that are part of previously released Nintendo consoles.

Nintendo, however, has so far declined to say anything more about the Switch, apart from releasing a trailer last October. The Nintendo Switch's features are expected to be revealed at a presentation on January 12, 2017.

The company has announced that journalists, analysts and business partners will be invited to the event, which will also be live streamed worldwide. The presentation will include the Nintendo Switch's specific launch date in March 2017, as well as pricing and line-up of games.

Although details are still scant - at least until January - there is already a lot of excitement and anticipation about the Nintendo Switch even before it hits the markets. For now, all we have is this preview.