New Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Pro Switch, Mini Switch, or a couple of new Switch consoles - whatever the name of Nintendo's new handheld, there will soon be at least one other Switch model available on the market.
While the Nintendo Switch is approaching two years old, we can say that the handheld/handheld hybrid console has taken the world by storm. It is the best-selling console in the United States and makes Nintendo a guarantor of real money.
But hardware is aging fast, and Nintendo is considering a hardware upgrade to keep its console relevant and engaging for today's gamers. So how do you build a hit like the Switch?
Hardware upgrades aren't new to consoles, let alone Nintendo's. The Japanese gaming giant has managed to replicate its handheld consoles: Many models in the 3DS family are available in different sizes, shapes, and 3D capabilities, but they're all capable of playing the same game cartridges.
Even Sony and Microsoft have embraced iterative builds, offering mid-cycle upgrades like Xbox One S, Xbox One X, or PS4 Slim and PS4 Pro.
So when will we see a new Nintendo Switch and what new features will it offer? While we waited for more definitive answers, we looked at the likely (and unlikely) possibilities below...
(Update: A Sony official confirms the details of the PlayStation 5.)
New Nintendo Switch release date
While its average console life cycle hovers around five or six years, an announcement that it will be followed this summer by a winter release would see Nintendo tied to a mid-gen console refresh. It's not unusual for Nintendo: everything from the Gameboy to the Wii to the 3DS has been updated many times in its lifetime.
But since Nintendo hasn't officially confirmed the creation of a Nintendo Switch 2 (the latest rumors seem solid, but they're based on a Wall Street Journal report), it's hard to guess what kind of release date we're looking at. .
We know the company expects the change to go beyond the console's standard five-to-six-year life cycle after Shigeru Miyamoto chatted with investors during a Q&A session. answers. Previously, Nintendo consoles used to arrive five to six years before moving on to the next generation.
It's clear that Nintendo has something in reach for the Switch 2, and we wonder if this will follow in the footsteps of Sony and Microsoft, both of which are releasing hardware updates at strategic intervals to extend the current generation.
Based on these industry trends, it would make sense for Nintendo to release an updated version of the Switch's hardware two to three years after its release, which means we may see Nintendo Switch 2.0 in 2019 or 2020. Iterative than a power update and some design improvements, we can see the switch lineup running smoothly by 2022.
We expected Nintendo to release a new model before the Xbox Two or PS5 were on the shelf, probably in late 2019, with a report from the Wall Street Journal This predicts a new Nintendo Switch model in the middle of 2019. However, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa shut down these rumors, saying that there is no successor in the works.
But if the new Nintendo Switch ends up with a 2020 version, it will probably be in direct competition with the upcoming Xbox and PS5 versions, because Sony has already confirmed that we won't see the PS5 in 2019 and we haven't seen it reach the same level. We expect to see Xbox Scarlett by the end of the year, although we expect the next Xbox to be announced at E3 2019...
New Nintendo Switch price
Obviously, redevelopments cost money, and renovations with upgraded equipment double. Instead of increasing the price, we're expecting the new model to match the current £279/$299 price, as well as a drop in price for what will become the obsolete model.
However, if the new Nintendo Switch model is actually a premium or "Pro" version that matches the standard console, or even a cheaper "Mini Switch" for a handheld, then we might see this figure jump. dramatic from side to side. (Given the naming conventions of the 3DS, we think "New Nintendo Switch" is probably a nickname.)
News about Nintendo Switch and leaks.
Now, while Nintendo hasn't confirmed its intention to release a Nintendo Switch 2, reports and leaks suggest that plans are at least developing.
Two new Nintendo Switch devices
Rather than being a simple Nintendo Switch 2, a report from the Wall Street Journal suggests that Nintendo is working on two individual variants that, instead of making the current Nintendo Switch obsolete, would place it in the middle of an increasingly adapted range. . to all budgets.
According to the publication's sources, the first of these new devices will be aimed at low-budget gamers and will see the Switch presented in a more traditional format, the first on the handheld. It will replace the removable Joy-Cons with fixed ones and abandon its HD Rumble feature to cut costs, which will likely make it more difficult to play in tethered mode with a TV without purchasing a separate controller.
The second new version of the Nintendo Switch, it is rumored, is a bit more difficult to define, but it would be a premium version of the console with "improved features for video game enthusiasts." This is not to say that we would focus on 4K or HDR images, but rather on features and services designed to tackle the modern obsession with streaming on platforms like Twitch.
Firmware 5.0 dig
Although the Nintendo Switch 5.0 firmware update was not on the surface, hackers at Switchbrew got caught up in the update and found evidence suggesting a hardware update was in the works.
Switchbrew has discovered references to a new T214 chip (which would be a slight improvement over the current T210), as well as an updated PCB and 8GB of RAM instead of the current 4GB.
Although any kind of chip upgrade may just be Nintendo's answer to some hardware security issues that have come up with the current SoC, such as domestic hackers who started creating pirated Switch titles - the new PCB and the rise of RAM suggests something else: powerful device.
Labo's cardboard accessories reflect Nintendo's intense focus on peripherals.
It's important to note that the files discovered by these Switchbrew members do not contain a schedule or Nintendo's final statement of intent.
The Switch is proof that advanced technology isn't the only key to broad success, but it's important to remember that when it comes to handheld computers, the Switch is at the forefront of technology. Technology and that Nintendo will have to keep it there. If these hardware upgrade rumors turn out to be true, Nintendo will have plenty of time before going ahead with any kind of upgrade.
AR and virtual reality support is unlikely.
If Nintendo releases a Switch, we're inclined to say it's unlikely to offer AR or VR tech support.
Although the patents suggest otherwise, Nintendo has repeatedly stated that it is not interested in virtual reality, which had already been recalled in January 2018 by the general manager of Nintendo France, who had mentioned the lack of general attractiveness of the technology. .
Nintendo seems to be more interested in devices that allow gamers to stay rooted in the real world. With its motion controllers, Nintendo Labo cardboard accessories, and amiibo, Nintendo seems keenly aware of the need to keep gamers aware that they're physically playing the game.
Don't expect to see it so soon
What about 3D?
Another Nintendo patent surfaced in early 2019: this time, a set of 3D sensors placed on top of your TV made it possible to create a 3DS-like stereoscopic image, meaning you don't have to worry about it. You don't even need glasses.
3D visuals seemed to be a passing device, even with Nintendo handhelds, and the struggling Microsoft Kinect camera will keep you safe from unnecessary TV sticks. However, getting convincing 3D images on standard 2D televisions may be the solution to making 3D gaming a reality.
Could he support 4K?
While Sony and Microsoft are embarking on the 4K market, Nintendo isn't really a big reason, the company resolutely stands apart from other computer equipment producers, to do the same.
In the same interview in which he had fired VR, Nintendo France general manager Philippe Lavoué also fired 4K saying that the technology had "not been adopted by the majority" and that it would be too soon for Nintendo to intervene.
Nintendo only entered the HD console market in 2012, the year the Wii U launched. It was about four years after Sony and Microsoft, and more than 75% of US households had HD screens at home.
Miyamoto However, he said that he expected Nintendo to move to HD faster, stating that the display technology had become popular three years before Nintendo expected it. his It is expected that by 2020.50% of US households will have adopted 4K technology and it is perhaps at this point that Nintendo will decide to join the 4K fight, rather than wait for market saturation to reach 75%.
New Nintendo Switch: What we want to see.
More screen, less glasses.
One way to make a productive iteration on the Nintendo Switch would be to reduce its size. An improved screen could penetrate this dark space without altering the overall dimensions of the console and could even pave the way for 1080p playback on the terminal itself, instead of the current 720p resolution.
What will probably keep Nintendo from messing with its formula are the downsides. If the body of the console changes significantly, the millions of Joy-Cons already on the market will suddenly become obsolete for gamers to upgrade, a good source of money for new devices, but something that would be easily irritated. Your player base.
Charge less for necessary accessories or sell better packages
If, in theory, everything you need to start gaming on your Nintendo Switch is in the box, there are some separately sold accessories that still feel essential but are very expensive.
Joy-Con compatible rims are fun, absolutely useless, and relatively cheap. Also, the Joy-Con controllers and additional charging charges are surprisingly expensive. For Nintendo Switch 2, we'd like to see items like Joy-Con charging handles available as standard, or a wider range of bundles that include accessories like these at a more reasonable price.
At least with this console, the charger came standard unlike the 3DS. Baby steps, we guess.
keep it iterative
The basic concept of the Nintendo Switch is great, and other than a few minor hardware advances, we don't want Nintendo to change too much.
What we don't want is for the current Nintendo Switch library to be unusable. If Nintendo is going to release a second-gen Switch console, we want it to take Microsoft's backwards compatibility approach to gaming. Switch sets don't come cheap and we want them to last as long as possible. Since the Nintendo 3DS can play all Nintendo DS games, we know that Nintendo is not against it.
A smaller, more portable dock.
While we love the design of the Nintendo Switch at the moment, we'd like to see something smaller and more portable, which third-party manufacturers are already offering, though Nintendo seems to want to go to great lengths. Consoles that use them.
Third parties release more portable and smaller platforms.
more internal memory
We like the fact that the Nintendo Switch has expandable memory, with some great Nintendo Switch SD cards, but we wish we didn't have to recover as quickly as we needed to. If a Nintendo Switch 2 is in use, we'd like to have an option with more internal memory for those who rely heavily on a digital library. Given that a large number of Switch games (especially indie titles) are digital, this seems particularly important.
Battery life that lives.
We're hoping Nintendo will use a hardware upgrade to improve the console's relatively short life of three hours into a handheld.
Complaints about battery life have subsided somewhat as gamers realized they didn't need a battery life while their smartphones. There are also many solutions, such as portable chargers and battery banks. However, extending the battery to six hours of charging may be what turns the console into a true handheld device.
(Image credits: Nintendo)
- Waiting for the next generation of games? Learn more about what we want to see on Xbox Two and PS5