It looks like Nintendo won’t be left out in terms of new consoles after all.
While the next-gen Xbox is all but announced for this year’s E3, and with Sony’s plans to possibly roll out their PS5 next year, it seemed that Nintendo was alone without a new console. That is, until some sources from The Wall Street Journal dropped that the Nintendo Switch 2 consoles are closer than we think.
The report stated that the Switch 2 will have two models, with one being targeted at avid gamers, which we will now dub the ‘Switch Pro’. A second cheaper one is aimed at casual gamers, which we will dub the ‘Switch Lite’.
The split reportedly comes from the success of Nintendo’s previous handhelds, the 3DS and the 2DS, and it seeks to replicate that success by introducing choices to Nintendo’s core fans. The ‘Switch Pro’ will reportedly be more powerful than the current Nintendo Switch, although don’t get your hopes up that high, as the report also stated that “it won't be as powerful as Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 4 Pro or Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox One X.” The ‘Switch Lite’, however, is much more interesting, as it will reportedly be a sturdier system with the more advanced features being cut in order to save costs. What remains to be seen is what kind of power it will have; will it match the original Switch in terms of performance? Or will it be lower? This kind of divide just might cause Nintendo a bit more trouble, especially in terms of what consumers will end up getting.
Ultimately, the goal is to offer the more serious players the hardware upgrade they so sorely need, while giving both the 3DS and 2DS users a chance to finally jump onto the newer platform. The Switch is currently in a slump in terms of sales, and this would be a chance to revitalize the brand and platform, in addition to adding more games to their ever-evolving catalog. We can only hope that these brand new consoles will be worth picking up, especially for those new to the Nintendo platform.
