Here's everything inside the Nintendo Switch box

Switch on

It's only a matter of weeks until you can get into your very own Nintendo Switch box but if you can't wait to see what's inside, we've cracked ours open and emptied out its guts. Ok, that sounded a lot more romantic in my head. Regardless, here's everything you get inside the Nintendo Switch box and some nice close up shots of the Joy-Cons, dock, and oh-so-shiny screen. Good luck with those fingerprints. 

Oh, and here's what doesn't come in the Nintendo Switch box and where you should get the extra bits at the best price. 

First look

Open up and you'll see the Joy-Cons wrapped up snug and the Switch console itself. Currently there's only two varieties of Joy-Con, grey and neon, but expect Nintendo to release new designs and pairs that'll be able to completely change the look of your Switch and let you play multiplayer without just having to use the Joy-Con halves. Oh, and if they release Pikachu yellow, I'm so in. 

Going in

One layer down and there's all kinds of mysterious wrapped items. It's all pretty simple though. Under the instructions, you've got two wires. One is the USB-C to adapter charging cable and the other is a traditional HDMI to HDMI for when you want to plug into your TV via the dock. All will be revealed about what the others are in the next slide. 

Unboxed

So here it is, everything in the Nintendo Switch box. That mysterious wrapped middle item from the last slide is the Joy-Con grip for sliding in both controllers to play in a more traditional style, while the Nintendo Switch dock was on the right hand side. 

There are also two wrist straps for the Joy-Cons for when things get a little too exciting during 1-2 Switch. You don't want a 2006-style Wiimote through the TV situation because you were milking too hard. The wrist straps themselves snap onto the Joy-Cons with a satisfying click and the two buttons on the outside mean you don't lose any functionality. 

Wireless wonder

And here it all is without any pesky cellophane. It's a nice simple set up so you won't be losing any parts. Chances are you'll spend most of your time with the Switch on the go, so you can just slot the Joy Cons onto the sides of the screen and not worry about piling masses of stuff into a carry case. 

It just clicks

It's exceptionally easy to slide each Joy-Con onto the screen and you'll know when it's right as there's a satisfying click. To release, there's a button on the back that you need to hold while you slide it off.  

Two ways to play

Here's the first controller set up you'll probably find yourself using. One Joy-Con on each side means you can just settle down with what finally feels like a good size of handheld console. If you get bored of that though, there's always an alternative. 

Grip up the rule book

The Joy-Con grip means you can play in a more traditional gaming position. They both slide onto the empty shell, again with a satisfying click as they bolt into place. And what happens when you pop them both in....?

D'awwwwwg

Yep, it looks like an adorable pooch. The plastic Nintendo good boy that comes in the box doesn't charge your Joy-Cons but does mean you can settle down to play in a comfortable position. 

Dock and load

Here's where you'll pop a game card into the Switch. It's on the top right of the main console and is nice and enclosed to make sure the card stays snug. It's also worth nothing that the 3.5mm headphone jack being up here next to the game card means your wire shouldn't get in the way when you're playing on the go as you can just dangle it down the back. It also means you can stand it up on the kickstand and not have to worry about your headphones. 

Ports in a storm

The ports are safely hidden away on the dock via a panel that flips down. Here you'll find the HDMI out for sending the signal to the TV, a USB port and the AC adapter port. The adapter port is a USB-C so you can use the power cable to charge both the Nintendo Switch itself and the dock, depending on how you want to play. It's worth noting that to charge the Joy-Cons you have to slot them onto the sides of the screen itself unless you buy the separate charging grip. 

Card games

The console doesn't come with any games but when you do inevitably invest in some physical media, here's what the cartridge looks like. It's a cute little offering and comes in a surprisingly large box that looks a bit like a Vita case. 

Some scale

And here's the card with the Switch itself. The size means you'll be able to fit stacks of them with you when you're travelling but all you probably care about is Breath of the Wild.... 

Louise Blain

Louise Blain is a journalist and broadcaster specialising in gaming, technology, and entertainment. She is the presenter of BBC Radio 3’s monthly Sound of Gaming show and has a weekly consumer tech slot on BBC Radio Scotland. She can also be found on BBC Radio 4, BBC Five Live, Netflix UK's YouTube Channel, and on The Evolution of Horror podcast. As well as her work on GamesRadar, Louise writes for NME, T3, and TechRadar. When she’s not working, you can probably find her watching horror movies or playing an Assassin’s Creed game and getting distracted by Photo Mode.