In a brief video presentation posted online overnight, the Japanese gaming giant showed the Switch being used with a TV while plugged into a dock. When the player in the video wants to take the game outside, he simply lifts the tablet and takes it with him.

The modular console features a pair of swappable control segments called Joy-Cons, each with several buttons and a joystick, allowing for a range of ways to play. The trailer shows the Joy-Cons being switched between the console itself and a grip that transforms them into a regular gamepad. Each of the two segments can also be used wirelessly, one in each hand, or can function as two individual mini controllers for two-player games. The trailer also shows off a traditional, non-modular pad called the Switch Pro Controller.

The trailer is primarily devoted to showing the Switch being used in many different locations, including at home, in the park, at an airport gate, in an aeroplane, at a hotel, at a party and as part of an e-sports event. The consoles can apparently communicate wirelessly with each other, as players are shown taking part in four-player games using two Switch consoles.

Games seen in the trailer include updated versions of Nintendo favourites Splatoon and Mario Kart, as well as the upcoming Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and a brand new, as-yet-unannounced Super Mario title. Also seen in the footage are Nintendo's amiibo, toys-to-life figures that will presumably be compatible with Switch.

Non-Nintendo games can be seen in the reveal footage as well, notably a version of the 2011 hit Skyrim, and a basketball game that appears to be NBA 2K17. Nintendo showed off a long list of game companies committed to making experiences for the Switch, and graphics technology firm Nvidia has confirmed the machine is powered by a custom version of one of its Tegra processors.

Some non-Nintendo games have already been announced for the system, including new entries in the Sonic the Hedgehog, Dragon Quest and Dust Dance series. Shortly after the system's debut, the official Twitter account for Blizzard's popular mobile game Hearthstone posted a tease that may indicate it will also come to Nintendo's new machine.

Launching in March 2017, the machine was previously known only by the codename NX. It is the first home console from the company since the Wii U was launched in 2012. As rumours have long indicated, the Nintendo Switch appears to bridge the gap between the company's console and handheld gaming businesses, which could allow for pocket blockbusters like Pokemon to appear on the big screen and AAA home titles to be taken on the road.

More details are expected next week, when Nintendo holds its annual investor conference.