The Switch has been a portable console hit, selling tens of millions of consoles worldwide. The thing to remember with it is this, though Nintendo has released many consoles prior to the Switch, this is a first-generation product. Reports started swirling around October of last year that a new Switch would be in development, and we now have a new report about a smaller, more portable Nintendo Switch that could be coming as soon as this fall.
Why it’s time for a new Nintendo Switch
We got our first look at the Nintendo Switch back in October of 2016, with the console launching shortly thereafter. It went on to become one of the fastest-selling consoles in the United States and is one of Nintendo’s most successful products in years. Nintendo’s newest gaming platform not only was a best-seller in 2018, topping out PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, but it was the fastest-selling in all of U.S. history. Needless to say, Nintendo owns several records with its latest and greatest. Since then, sales have started to dwindle.
Nintendo’s latest Switch hardware is supposed to be smaller & more portable
Because of this, it’s time for Nintendo to come out with something new and exciting, but still just as well-known as its beloved console. Back in October of last year, there was a rumor floating around about new Switch hardware, but the details were few and far between. Now, we have new reports that say Nintendo is working on a smaller, more portable version of its best-selling Switch console. Japan’s Nikkei newspaper reported that this new console is set to be released this fall. Though it’s going to be smaller in stature, it’s still retaining the ability to be hooked up to a TV.
Gizmodo spotted a potential image of this new smaller Switch on forum Neogaf, and though it looks less portable, it could be a great update for those who don’t want to keep up with Joy-Cons. With the new design, it looks like the Joy-Cons could be incorporated within a unibody, which is a blessing and a curse. Though we don’t know exactly if this is a real-life unit, it could easily be our first look at Nintendo’s latest hardware.
The other upgrade that we could hope to see with Nintendo’s latest Switch hardware would be a new display. The current Switch screen is lower-quality than many would like, and if Nintendo is making a smaller screen, now’s their chance to bump up the resolution to something more in line with other portable electronic devices.
Portability over power…for now
Though the new Switch isn’t rumored to be more powerful, that’s supposedly on the horizon. There are other rumors floating around that a higher-end Switch console is coming after this more budget-friendly model, and that’s the one that I’m really excited to see. There’s very little information out there about this new, higher-powered console, but we’ll be sure to bring you more news as it comes in.
9to5Toys’ take
These are all rumors, floating around in the ever-changing rumor mill. Though we’d love to believe it all, it’s just not all 100% confirmed as of yet. We’re assuming that we’ll get more information come E3 2019, but that’s still a few months away. Until then, this is the most concrete leak we’ve seen about Nintendo’s upcoming console, and we can’t wait to learn more about it.
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