You Can't Play This Nintendo Switch Game On A TV

Nintendo's marketing around the Switch has largely focused on the fact that games can be played while the system is connected to a TV or in handheld mode. But this isn't necessarily true of every game, we've now learned.

As seen in the photo below, the Switch's touchscreen becomes inaccessible when it's placed into the dock that connects the system to an external display. A Switch version of mobile rhythm game Voez is only playable with the touchscreen--and, as such, it can't be played on your TV.

This is revealed on the game's official website (as discovered by NeoGAF user LordKano). In an FAQ about Voez, publisher Fly High Works explains that "[b]utton operation is not available" and "[t]his software can not play in TV mode."

When the Switch was first revealed last year, Nintendo didn't confirm whether or not it was equipped with a touchscreen. After we learned that it does have one, it never addressed the possibility of games that require it--and, thus, handheld mode. It's still unclear if developers will also be permitted to create games that are only playable in TV mode.

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For the time being, there may not be any handheld-only Switch games outside of Japan. Voez is scheduled for launch there on the same day as the system, but there's no word about an international release for it.