【ebony】

We finally opened the box.

There's just over a week left until Nintendo launches its latest console,ebony the Switch, on March 3. We showed off the box on Monday -- look, Nintendo has weird rules, OK? -- but now we're able to actually open it up and show you what's inside.

What isinside?

You get the Switch console itself (which is actually the hardware's tablet form), the Switch dock that beams a video signal to your TV, a pair of Joy-Con controllers, a few Joy-Con accessories and all the requisite cables you need to get started.

Provided you have easy access to both a wall outlet and an HDMI port on your TV, total setup time -- from unboxing to powering on -- is roughly 5 minutes. The instructions printed right on the Switch box lay it out as a two-step process.

Easy stuff.

I've spent several days tooling around with the console and with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild-- the only game Nintendo's sent out so far. A lot of core features aren't up and running yet, including the eShop and the ability to link the hardware with your Nintendo Account.

Not to worry: all of that stuff will be up and running by launch (according to Nintendo), with the exception of Virtual Console.

Even in its most stripped down form, the Switch is a charming little machine. Its operating system is fast and responsive, with none of the clutter and multi-screen clunk that made browsing around such a chore on the Wii U.

The most immediately striking thing about the Switch tablet: it's smaller than you're probably expecting. The 7-inch screen puts it right between an iPhone 7 Plus and iPad Mini, but a wide bezel and inch-thick body give it a heftier, sturdier feel than either of the Apple products.

Its all-plastic exterior is comfortable to hold when a Joy-Con controller is slotted in on the left and right sides of the tablet. There's also a satisfying click every time you lock a controller in, letting you know it's seated properly. My biggest complaint about the tablet configuration is the glossy screen, which too easily picks up dirt and fingerprints.

The uncomplicated dock is largely just a seating slot for the tablet. There's an AC adapter port (it's USB-C), a rear-mounted USB port, an HDMI port and two side-mounted USB ports (presumably for multiple wired controllers).

The transition from tablet view to docked tablet TV view and back to tablet view as you remove and reinsert the console is nearly instantaneous. There's a second or two of lag when you switch from tablet to TV, but none at all when you yank the tablet out of the dock.

One issue that we've run into -- which may be specific to Zelda-- is an inconsistent frame rate. It's especially noticeable in the wider expanses of the game's open world (though not enough to wholly detract from the experience).

Notably, the frame rate issues disappear completely when you switch to tablet mode. Again, this may be a Zelda-specific issue. It's also something that could potentially be fixed in a patch.

My kneejerk "review" -- don't forget, it's been an incomplete experience so far -- is that Switch feels less like a hybrid console and more like a powerful handheld device that comes with a dock that lets you play on a TV.

Nintendo's sparse launch lineup is highlighted primarily by Zelda. Even with a small handful of other games in the mix, it's hard to shake the feeling that Switch will be best characterized in its early days as a "new Zeldagaming machine."

I'll have more to say about that game soon, but for now enjoy our close-up look at the Nintendo Switch box and its innards.