News hardware More expensive than the console, this strange accessory enlarges the screen of your Nintendo Switch
Published on 03/08/2022 at 19:05
The Orion is an expensive accessory for the Nintendo Switch, and its proposal is, so to speak, lunar. It allows you to take advantage of an 11.6-inch screen to play games on the console, by embedding the latter in a compartment located at the back of the device. Plot ?
Do you find that the Nintendo Switch screen is too small to allow you to play on the move while enjoying optimal immersion? Obviously, you are not the only one to find thata 6.2-inch LCD panel is too limited : after all, most of the smartphones that come out in the market today boast a larger screen size.
An American company, called Up-Switch, decided to solve this problem by developing The Orion, an accessory specifically intended for the Nintendo Switch. The proposal is particularly original.
An 11.6-inch “armor” for the Nintendo Switch
The Orion comes in the form ofan 11.6-inch touchscreen, with supports that allow you to insert Joy-Con. All the subtlety of the device, so to speak, is at the back. In fact, there we find a hatch in which it is necessary to insert the Nintendo Switch itself.
Once the device is turned on, you can enjoy Switch content on the 11.6-inch screen, and use the usual Joy-Con to navigate menus and play games. In summary, the Orion acts as a dock and a displayto simulate the experience you might have when connecting the Nintendo Switch to a TV.
The Orion can also be used as a portable display for other purposes. It has an HDMI connector, which allows it to be connected to a laptop, a PS5 or an Xbox. It also features two stereo speakers.
A heavy accessory… and expensive
When we told you that the Orion proposal is lunar, the idea was not only to make a stellar pun. This accessory certainly allows you to benefit from a mobile experience on Switch with a screen of a more generous size, but the associated disadvantages are however significant.
First of all, the Orion weighs 680 grams, a weight that does not take into account that of the Nintendo Switch, which is 421 grams when accompanied by two Joy-con. So we end up with a 1.1 kg device to hold in your hands to play, which could very quickly become difficult to bear. And that is without counting the possible external battery that the manufacturer invites to use to extend the autonomy of this set.
Autonomy, by the way, can also be a problem very quickly, since the Orion screen uses the Switch battery to operate. The manufacturer mentions the possibility of connecting the accessory to a mains socket to power everything, but in this case, it is impossible to play on the move.
Finally, the other annoying point is none other than the price of this device: 299.99 dollars. At a time when we find the Nintendo Switch for less than 270 euros new, there is something to cringe about! Available for sale in the United States, this accessory probably won’t be crossing the Atlantic anytime soon. If you are interested, it’s on the Up-Switch site that it happens.
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