Nintendo will release a younger and cheaper sibling for the Switch this fall.
After a recent report speculated the release of two new versions of the Nintendo Switch before this year is done, Japanese publication Nikkei all but confirmed that the smaller and cheaper version of the two will be released some time this fall. A previous report from the same publication earlier this year stated that this brand-new Switch will carry less features than the original Nintendo Switch, but will feature more functionality in terms of portable play. This new Switch will still retain its ability to be connected to a TV.
The move likely stems from the success of Nintendo’s previous handheld generation, the 3DS and the 2DS, and how the company saw greater success by successfully appealing to both markets: the casual gamers, and the serious ones. Nintendo seeks to replicate this success by releasing two new Switch models before the year ends, if the reports from the Wall Street Journal are to be believed. The other model will reportedly be more powerful than the original and will gear more towards serious gamers. This model was also reported by Nikkei to be temporarily delayed, citing development challenges as reasons.
This report isn’t entirely speculation; Nintendo, along with other console manufacturers like Sony and Microsoft, are well-known for refreshing their console line-ups during their lifetimes. What is surprising is that this comes relatively early in the Nintendo Switch’s lifetime, as the console itself has just recently turned two years old. This is comparable to the refresh models of the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One, both of which saw three years of use before the release of the Xbox One S, Xbox One X, and the PlayStation 4 Pro.
The Nikkei report also mentioned the death of Nintendo’s ‘Quality of Life’ business, which seeked to expand the company’s entertainment business into new horizons. Its projects included a sleep-tracking project headed by the company’s former president Satoru Iwata, who passed away back in 2015. Nintendo soon halted its development after expressing doubt over its viability.
Nintendo is expected to formally reveal at least one of the new Switch models at this year’s E3, the biggest gaming trade show event in America.
