The Nintendo Switch[b] is the seventh major video game console developed by Nintendo. Known in development by its codename NX, it was unveiled in October 2016 and was released worldwide on March 3, 2017.[a] Nintendo considers the Switch a "hybrid" console: it is designed primarily as a home console, with the main unit inserted into a docking station to connect to a television. Alternatively, it can be removed from the dock and used similarly to a tablet computer through its LCD touchscreen, or placed in a standalone tabletop mode visible to several players.