There could be two new Nintendo Switch consoles on the way
There are two new Nintendo Switch consoles rumoured to be in the pipeline: a budget machine and a powerful one
A report from the Wall Street Journal has revealed that two new Nintendo Switch consoles could be in the works. The report describes the consoles as both an upgrade and a downgrade from the current Switch; one console will improve upon the current device, while the other will lack certain features.
It’s not currently clear how the upgraded Switch console will differ from its predecessor – the WSJ report gives little away – but it’s obviously pretty likely that the console will feature improved specifications. Reportedly, this console will be aimed at “avid video gamers”.
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Fortunately, we know a little more about the so-called “Switch lite”. According to the Wall Street Journal, the downgraded console may well lack the detachable Joy-Cons of the original machine, which immediately puts the new Switch in a distinctly handheld category alongside some of Nintendo’s older portable consoles.
In addition, the report reveals that the new console will lack a vibration function, moving it further still from the current Switch.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard this information. In October last year, the Wall Street Journal published an article suggesting that Nintendo was eyeing up a 2019 release date for a new Switch console.
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The contents of this report were supported by Dr Serkan Toto, an industry analyst who spoke at length about the prospect of a “Switch Pro” and “Switch Lite” in an interview with Game Industry a few months ago. At the time, both parties agreed that Nintendo was still debating what kinds of changes it would make to its best-selling console.
It’s highly likely that the more powerful of the two new consoles will feature upgraded internal hardware, and we’d hope to see improvements made to the Switch’s handheld display, which currently outputs at only 720p.
The less powerful console will presumably also be cheaper, and will almost certainly act as a successor to the New 3DS/3DS XL portable consoles that were released a few years ago.
The WSJ reports that Nintendo could be set to launch these new consoles as early as this summer: we might well expect to see them make an appearance at this year’s E3 on 11 June.