Nintendo is working on two new versions of the Switch that could be released as soon as this summer, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. One of the models is said to be a cheaper variant, while the other device reportedly has “enhanced features targeted at avid video gamers.”
The Wall Street Journal is reporting says the cheaper model will omit the vibration feature, suggesting that it won’t have detachable Joy-Con controllers at all; it’s said to be seen as a successor to the 3DS. Nikkei reported earlier this year that Nintendo was planning to release a smaller Switch with a focus on portability.
E3 in June is a likely opportunity to announce the models, with one source telling the Journal they could be “possibly released a few months later.” With Sony bowing out of the show this year, and Microsoft widely expected to begin unveiling its next-gen strategy including xCloud it will be an opportune time to focus on what’s next for Switch.
While it’s unclear what kind of “enhanced features” the higher-end model will contain, the Journal reports that Nintendo will cut features from the current Switch model to create the new, cheaper option. “The company judged the new Switch models won’t need the vibration feature because there wouldn’t be many games released using the full benefit of it,” one source told the Journal.
The report doesn’t have any firm details on the higher-end model, but one source implied there was more to the revision than a simple performance boost. Even so, there’s clear room for improvement in that regard; the Switch uses Nvidia’s four-year-old Tegra X1 processor, and if Nvidia were to get back into mobile chip development for Nintendo it could make major gains in power and efficiency.
