This Nintendo Switch redesign gives the epic console a major blast from the past. From the mind of Carota Design, the concept comes with a Game Boy vertical form factor, but still retains the essence of what gave the Nintendo Switch cult status – swappable Joy-Cons. The Nintendo ‘Switoo’, as Carota Design calls it, comes with two swappable controller modules (very similar to PhoneBloks or Google’s Project Ara) that can be replaced/interchanged, allowing you to build a control layout of your choice. The D-Pad and Action buttons can be ditched for a steering wheel and pedals while playing racing games, or create your own combination of control modules depending on the sort of interface you crave. The console itself comes with what I can only describe as a very contemporary tech device, with the use of slick machined metal parts along with a transparent housing on the back that hat-tips the current transparent design trend seen on a lot of popular tech devices.
Designer: Carota Design
The Switoo gets its name from an abstract visual representation of the two modular controls on the sides of the console. The logo also shows how the modules slide in and out, locking into place when you want to play a game, and docking out when you want to swap controls depending on the next game you’re looking to play. Aside from these interchangeable modules, the Switoo has two triggers on the back, accessible with your index fingers while gaming.
The Switoo features a fairly ergonomic design, thanks to the fact that it has a thicker base. The side profile shows a stepped design, resulting in a screen area that’s fairly slimmer than the overall device, giving you a perfect stepped ledge to place those two trigger buttons. The front features a pretty clean almost edge-to-edge square display (presumably touch-sensitive), under which lie the swappable control mods. A front-facing speaker at the bottom fires audio towards the user as they game, quite similar to the front-facing speaker grills on the original Switch.
The controllers are the highlight of the Switoo’s unique design. Available in a variety of styles, they slide right into the sides of the console, snapping in to connect, just like Joy-Cons. A yellow guide helps you make sure you’re sliding the controllers in the right way, and switches on the side help lock the controllers in place so they don’t fall out accidentally during a rather enthusiastic gaming session. It’s safe to speculate that these controllers work only by being plugged in, and not wirelessly, like the Joy-Cons. Since they’re this tiny (and are individual controls like the D-Pad being its own module, and the action buttons having their own separate module), one can assume there’s no wireless chip or even a battery inside the controllers. Instead, pogo-pins help connect the controllers to the main console.
The square screen, Game Boy-inspired format, and modern design make the Switoo a unique successor to the Switch. One wouldn’t really call it a Switch 2 or a 2nd-gen version of the Switch console, but it definitely feels like a nice spin-off, marrying existing classic design formats with the unique appeal of Nintendo’s Switch console. There’s an understated simplicity to the Switoo’s design that you immediately appreciate. The sleek metal body, USB-C charging, minimal detailing, and transparent caseback, all make the Switoo look pretty modern. The only problem is the fact that this is a fan-made concept and not something I can throw my money at!
