Best Tech of 2017 So Far

When Nintendo gets it right, its gets it really right. That’s the emerging consensus of the Mario- and Zelda-maker’s $299 TV-or-handheld gaming device. The Switch has become so red-hot Nintendo has resorted to schlepping systems to stores by air, a very pricey move. The console’s masterstroke is the way anyone can grok why it exists at a glance: Drop the Switch in its cradle and its games display on your TV. Pluck it out and they’re in your hands on the go. Snap the motion controllers off its sides, pop its kickstand and it’s on a table. The Switch is both mobile and mighty, versatile and idiosyncratic. If the company can provide a steady stream of games over the next year, the Switch may be an exemplar of things to come in gaming.