Nintendo Switch Could Be Getting a New Model In 2019

The Nintendo Switch has only been out for a year and a half, selling nearly 20 million units and pretty much taking the gaming world by storm. Still, it sounds like the publisher may be working to improve upon its model.

A report from Wall Street Journal Japan’s Twitter page indicates that Nintendo is hard at work on a new model of the Switch, set for release during the second half of 2019. The translation’s a bit on the loose side, but here’s what we know…

The system will “likely share many features with the current version and be compatible with existing Switch game software,” meaning that the company isn’t considering any functionality changes. However, that could change.

It was also suggested that the publisher “is still debating what new hardware and software features to include in the upgrade,” but it wants to follow the model of “more recent smartphone LCDs” and “make it brighter, thinner and more energy-efficient”.

Dr. Serkan Toto, who consistently reports on breaking news from Japan, translated the tweet below, which doesn’t have any further details, but does break things down in English.

That’s about all we know at this point as, again, no new information has become available. But Nintendo could have an announcement soon to clarify what’s happening.

Now the real question is what improvements could be made. Obviously, Nintendo wants to keep its “play on TV or on the go” formula intact, but it could be adding something to make it better. For instance, a higher-up memory card for more room for games, or possible support for external storage, which the currently system doesn’t have.

For that matter, we could be looking at a model with a bigger portable screen (and a brighter one, as suggested above), or some other possible hardware upgrade, like maybe a D-Pad that’s installed in the JoyCon.

The publisher hasn’t said anything else just yet, but it’s not uncommon for publishers to introduce revisions of their gaming hardware. It might be rebuilt for practicality and a possible lower price. That’s how it initially worked with the NES system that came out following the release of the original, as well as the SNES redesign. (By the way, both of those systems are the preferred models now.)

Some have suggested that there may also be a smaller Switch, one that works on the level of the 3DS, possibly as a replacement. Again, not confirmed, and the 3DS does have new games coming next year, so nothing is final just yet.

We’ll let you know what further details come down the pike. But if you want a Switch for the holiday season, it’s still well worth picking up — especially if you want Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

The Nintendo Switch (original model) is available now.