{"id":11518,"date":"2022-08-03T14:54:02","date_gmt":"2022-08-03T14:54:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/2022\/08\/03\/the-orion-looks-like-if-kirby-swallowed-your-switch\/"},"modified":"2022-08-03T14:54:03","modified_gmt":"2022-08-03T14:54:03","slug":"the-orion-looks-like-if-kirby-swallowed-your-switch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/2022\/08\/03\/the-orion-looks-like-if-kirby-swallowed-your-switch\/","title":{"rendered":"The Orion looks like if Kirby swallowed your Switch"},"content":{"rendered":"

Source: https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2022\/8\/2\/23289313\/up-switch-orion-nintendo-switch-11-6-inch-screen-big<\/a>
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One of my biggest complaints about using a Nintendo Switch in handheld mode is that its screen is just too small. And unlike previous Nintendo handhelds like the Game Boy<\/a> and Game Boy Advance<\/a>, the straight-up book light and magnifying glass window combo hasn\u2019t really caught on for the Switch.<\/p>\n

If you asked me how interested I\u2019d be, then, in a Switch that had a massive 11.6-inch display, I\u2019d count the days down until I could own what sounds like a glorious thing. (Not quite what I had in mind for a Switch Pro, but I guess Nintendo knows best.) Well, that future is here \u2014 and it has apparently been here for longer than I realized. A company called Up-Switch makes the Orion<\/a>, a glorified Switch dock-meets-screen that can be sandwiched between two Joy-Con controllers.<\/p>\n

This $299.99 accessory is like if Kirby inhaled your Switch<\/a>, and the byproduct delivered a bigger screen. The Orion\u2019s back pops open, revealing a slot that opens to fit the console, connecting via the Switch\u2019s USB-C port. It has a kickstand on its rear, along with built-in speakers. The Orion has an HDMI port, which Up-Switch says can be used for other gaming consoles or streaming devices.<\/p>\n

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<\/p>\n\"Up-Switch<\/p>\n

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The Orion requires a Switch to become a bigger Switch.<\/em><\/figcaption>Up-Switch<\/cite><\/p>\n

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I would have given this gadget some credit for letting you slap the Joy-Con controllers on the side, but it includes removable controller grips, which seem all but necessary to make it comfortable to hold up the Orion\u2019s full 1.5-pound weight. Note, however, that weight doesn\u2019t include the Switch\u2019s 10.5 ounces, nor does it include the weight of the portable power bank that you\u2019ll need to have strapped to its back if you want to go mobile with this somewhat freakish setup. You can <\/em>ditch the power bank and plug in with the USB-C power adapter that Nintendo includes with every Switch, but it defeats the purpose of using the Switch in handheld mode if you\u2019re no longer mobile. <\/p>\n

The Orion made the rounds with a few media outlets in late 2021 when it launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo. I particularly enjoyed Nintendo Life<\/em>\u2019s extensive coverage<\/a> of it, including the video review<\/a>, which pulls no punches in exposing some flaws you\u2019d otherwise only know by trying it out yourself \u2014 like that the Orion\u2019s display is 768p resolution and that it pales in comparison to the Switch OLED and <\/em>the original Switch\u2019s display. Also, puzzlingly, its dual speakers are located on the back of the Orion, aimed away at the person who\u2019s holding it.<\/p>\n

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