Branded “Switch”, the console has the appearance of a tablet device and has controllers attached to either side, combining a handheld system and a console for the first time, and allowing gamers to play at home or on the move.

In a press release, the Japanese gaming giant said the Switch console would allow users to play “the same title wherever, whenever and with whomever they choose”.

Nintendo has confirmed that leading games studios and publishers such as Activision, Bethesda, EA Games, Sega and Ubisoft have signed up to produce software. The console is slated for a March 2017 release.