For many of us, the past year has been the definitive proof that sitting on a couch with a portable console in hand is a terrible way to stay in shape. But what if that console was a oversized version of the Nintendo Switch measuring six feet long and weighing 65 pounds? Just trying reach the buttons and holding it in your lap would be a better workout than a CrossFit class.
Michael Pick is the crazy scientist behind this creation, which was built from a combination of plywood used for the overall structure of the built-in console, large buttons produced on a 3D printer and a 4K screen in the middle. Measuring 70 inches in length, the Pick’s custom switch is about 650% larger than the original Nintendo switch, and is the closest anyone can get to a ‘professional’ version of the handheld console at the moment.
Hidden inside the left Joy-Con is a real switch using an HDMI cable to power the gameplay to the 4K screen, so there was the minimum hardware hack needed to make this beast. What is most surprising is not that the giant Joy-Cons works, but how Pick did it. Instead of functioning as wireless Bluetooth controllers, the buttons on the giant Joy-Cons actually trigger servos that physically press the buttons on the actual Joy-Cons. It seems a bit exaggerated, but the approach means that if and when the next generation version of the Switch arrives, it can be exchanged for this oversized shell with some modifications and updates.
Instead of taking the switch, Pick donated it to Saint Jude Children’s Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, where it can be enjoyed by those in need of an invigorating. But it is doubtful that children will have to climb the entire console to play, as it also works well with Bluetooth controllers that are much easier to handle.