Some of the new Nintendo Switch Starlight Gaming Stations are already being shipped to locations in healthcare facilities and hospitals across the United States. These portable gaming stations are the result of a collaboration between the Starlight organization and Nintendo of America. Starlight is a children’s charity. Its mission is to deliver “happiness to seriously ill children”. [Thanks, Go Nintendo!]
Starlight Gaming Stations are designed according to infection safety protocols, and the latest Starlight Nintendo Switch series contains more than 25 preloaded games from different genres. According to their website, Starlight will also ‘explore options to hold handheld’.
Starlight’s Gaming Stations are generally nothing new and have been produced in collaboration with Nintendo of America for over twenty-eight years. To date, Starlight and Nintendo have distributed a total of 7,200 game stations in 800 locations.
Donations to Starlight facilitate playtime for sick children, but can also provide patience with ‘comfortable and colorful’ hospital wear. Another charity, called Extra Life, has a similar purpose to Starlight and also distributes games to children’s hospitals. People who want to make a donation can do so in different ways through Extra Life. For example, they can sign up to raise money by streaming games. They can also participate by watching streams, promoting other streams, raising awareness or through direct donations.