The Wall Street Journal is claiming that Nintendo is planning on developing a new hardware revision of the Nintendo Switch. Thanks to the highly successful sales of the console, Nintendo is potentially in talks to create a newer, better version of their hybrid system. These upgrades are still being considered internally, but the Wall Street Journal reports that there's a chance of this revision having a better display, one that's higher quality than the current LCD the Switch uses, but not one as sophisticated as an OLED screen. Earlier this year, WSJ believed that Nintendo would not be planning on hardware revisions, but instead would focus on peripherals, which only held true in regards to Nintendo Labo.

The source of this information comes from insider knowledge at the Wall Street Journal, along with suppliers and manufacturers that work with Nintendo. WSJ Japan's article claims that shareholders in the company confirmed this information, too. If they're correct, then the new Switch model would likely hit the market sometime in Summer 2019.

TOKYO— Nintendo Co. NTDOY -1.78% plans to release a new version of its Switch videogame console next year to maintain the sales momentum of the device, according to suppliers and others with direct knowledge of the plan.

Sales of the Switch, introduced in March 2017, are still solid but are no longer delivering the favorable surprises that marked the machine’s first year on the market. Nintendo shares, which rose sharply last year, have trailed the broader stock market this year. The move to update the Switch suggests the Kyoto, Japan, company is moving quickly to ensure its flagship product doesn’t lose competitiveness.

Nintendo is still debating what new hardware and software features to include in the upgrade and weighing the cost of the features, people with knowledge of the discussions said.

One option is improving the display, they said. The current Switch uses a lower-end liquid-crystal display without some technologies that are standard in more recent smartphone LCDs.

Updating the display with these technologies would make it brighter, thinner and more energy-efficient. The updated Switch isn’t expected to adopt the organic light-emitting diode or OLED panels used in Apple Inc.’s AAPL 1.22%iPhone X series.

Nintendo is looking to release the new Switch in the latter half of 2019, perhaps as soon as summer, the people said.

A Nintendo spokesman declined to comment.

Between its introduction last year and June 30 of this year, Nintendo sold 19.7 million units of the Switch, a pace that compares favorably with Sony Corp.’s PlayStation 4, the most popular console among the current generation of videogame players. The Switch can be used both as a living-room console and as a portable game machine.

Nintendo has said it wants to sell 20 million units in the year through March 2019, and analysts say they expect sales roughly to match that goal assuming some popular software titles planned for late this year arrive on schedule. Nintendo has said it plans to introduce “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” on Dec. 7.

Videogame makers generally come out with new consoles every five to six years, and it is common for them to update the devices in the middle of their life cycles to keep the momentum going. Sony introduced the PlayStation 4 in November 2013 and updated it with a less-expensive version in September 2016 and a high-end model two months later.

A new Switch would follow that pattern. Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto, who created many of its top games and now holds the title of creative fellow, said in February he wanted the Switch’s life cycle to be longer than usual, suggesting next year’s update of the hardware may not be the last.

The upgraded Switch would likely share many features with the current version and be compatible with existing Switch game software.

Software makers and others in the industry are watching whether Nintendo will clarify the future of its hand-held 3DS videogame device when it decides on the next Switch.

Nintendo has said it would keep selling 3DS machines because they are a safe and affordable option for children. But new game releases for the platform have been declining and some popular franchises, including Nintendo’s own “Pokémon,” moved to the Switch this year.

An executive at one software maker said the 3DS was increasingly overshadowed by smartphones that are well-suited to portable games. He said he was waiting for a “clear message” from Nintendo about what it would do with the 3DS series when it puts out a new Switch.

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[Closet Nerd]

This new hardware revision should really help out framerates for NES Open Tournament Golf.

 

[FAST6191]

So people who like Switch should be able to like Switch without people going all tits up over the hardware not being up to their ridiculous standards. Is that so much to ask?

Like what you like, however if you are going to try to sell me on a games playing device I expect something worthwhile and will compare it to the competition.

I should have also noted above that while allowing me to play a snapshot of gaming at that point in time is a great way to play then if they can somehow make something which does something interesting that others don't do then that can also play. However it seems most, including Nintendo themselves, have given up on that or started to falsely assume "novelty" and "innovation" are that.

 

[XDel]

I wonder if they will remove the right analog and replace it with a nub?!?

 

[huma_dawii]

Maybe this Switch revision will have that Wireless dongle for HDMI based on Wii U Gamepad technology I would love to have dual screen again with the Switch.... imagine exclusive title ZombiU 2

 

[SonicMC]

Aye, but those were 3rd revisions. The second revision usually adds something (minus wii and GameCube). Personally i'm hoping more of the Ds to ds-lite, gba to gbasp, 3ds to 3dsxl style updates.

Notwithstanding when they add something good;
DS to ds-lite: better screens but junk hinge/case breakage.
gba to gbasp: backlit/frontlit screen but squishy form factor
Gb to Gb pocket to Gb light: difference in screen/screen front light only
NES to to NES top loader: lose standard AV connectors? but better cart detection
SNES to smaller SNES: smaller? removal of eject button?
how awesome is the new 3ds vs regular 3ds... homebrew aside... 20 extra games new 3ds games? and 30 somthing snes.... Oh and better 3d due to the camera (even though nintendo decided to stop adding 3d to a bunch of games)

2nd revision, 3rd revision, 4th revision. doesn't much matter as most revisions that added something also removed something. I am not saying that I didn't like what they added or that it wasn't worth the trade-off. I very much liked the frontlit/backlit screen of the gbasp; especially riding home from places in the evening. way better than plug ext light solutions; but still squishy on the hands.

 

[Dan-the-Rebirth]

If it's a switch xl good if it's a new switch + then f*ck you bigN.

Bno enhanced version of a Nintendo handheld in recent years was worth the buy for me. Never where there realy exclusive games. Heck even my ps4 pro wasn't really worth the money

 

[Eddypikachu]

Why? Switch is a handheld that connects to the TV so it's logical that Nintendo will release upgrades - just like every handheld they've released so far.

Doesn't costs as little as a their handhelds though.

 

[Foxi4]

So people who like Switch should be able to like Switch without people going all tits up over the hardware not being up to their ridiculous standards. Is that so much to ask?

You can like something and see problems with it. I love my PS4, but the way the motherboard was organised was ridiculous up to the Slim rev.1, and in many ways it's still silly. Just looking at an original PS4 mobo gives me an aneurysm.

 

[MikaDubbz]

I never said there wont be a bigger upgrade. I just said that this is probably not it, since its way too early

I agree, I think we'll see the "New" upgrade that you're alluding to later in the Switch's life. What I'm saying is I think this will be a cosmetic upgrade akin to the 3DS XL (you know, better batter, bigger screen, better screen type) which is right in line with around when the original 3DS XL launched compared to the original 3DS (in fact a little bit later in the Switch's life actually), but as you said, nothing that actually improves performance of the system itself.

 

[Vieela]

I really hope this isn't something with new hardware. To be fairly honest, all Nintendo "New" or even the "I" versions of the 3DS and DS have been almost useless. Barely any games use the new hardware, and there's barely any exclusives for these systems, which would actually make someone buy an upgraded system. It just has been pretty much useless, with some exceptions. Hope this is either Mariko (which isn't good too, but less worse than just another upgrade Nintendo will forget) or an actual improvement with a better screen, better controllers, better battery.

 

[the_randomizer]

You can like something and see problems with it. I love my PS4, but the way the motherboard was organised was ridiculous up to the Slim rev.1, and in many ways it's still silly. Just looking at an original PS4 mobo gives me an aneurysm.

it pisses me off when people piss on Switch for not being to their standards, etc. If they don't like it, get a PS4 for crying out loud; they need to get over it.

 

[Foxi4]

it pisses me off when people piss on Switch for not being to their standards, etc. If they don't like it, get a PS4 for crying out loud; they need to get over it.

I maintain that the Switch is below par in terms of spec only because it negatively impacts customers - there's only so much third-party support you can get when your machine is underperforming compared to the competition. Unfortunately for Nintendo it sort of has to in order to function as a hybrid, so it's really the best handheld that it could be that also has a TV Out. It's really the only way to look at it right now, Tegra just can't compete with a full-blown APU - it's mobile hardware. They *could* go the APU way next generation if they wanted to, but that leads to trade-offs in thickness and overall portability, those chips have twice the TDP on average.

 

[the_randomizer]

I maintain that the Switch is below par in terms of spec only because it negatively impacts customers - there's only so much third-party support you can get when your machine is underperforming compared to the competition. Unfortunately for Nintendo it sort of has to in order to function as a hybrid, so it's really the best handheld that it could be that also has a TV Out. It's really the only way to look at it right now, Tegra just can't compete with a full-blown APU - it's mobile hardware. They *could* go the APU way next generation if they wanted to, but that leads to trade-offs in thickness and overall portability, those chips have twice the TDP on average.

What do people expect, PS4-like power in an ARM processor? Not gonna happen. People who like the PS4 should like the PS4, people who like the Switch should like the Switch, if people choose to play one over the other, who are people to piss over it?

 

[Foxi4]

What do people expect, PS4-like power in an ARM processor? Not gonna happen. People who like the PS4 should like the PS4, people who like the Switch should like the Switch, if people choose to play one over the other, who are people to piss over it?

The point is that, ideally, a customer should be able to pick a platform of choice based on its inherent strong points (Nintendo with portability, Xbox One with multimedia and multitasking, PS4 with VR and so on and so forth) with the expectation that whatever hardware choice they make they will have access to the same broad universe of games. Right now you kind of have to own a PC, PS4 or Xbox One to play all the big titles whereas the Switch is a supplemental console for just exclusives, which is not a place I want Nintendo to be in. Ideally I would like the big three to be on an even field in terms of hardware so that the best implementation wins, I want Nintendo to get a grip because I want them to do well. Sometimes harsh criticism comes from a good place, you have to keep that in mind before you judge "the haters". Over the years I've learned that more often than not, the haters are the ones you should listen to the most - haters are potential new customers, supporters are already your customers, you have them in your basket from the get-go. Never pander to a base, always push the envelope.

 

[aykay55]

The point is that, ideally, a customer should be able to pick a platform of choice based on its inherent strong points (Nintendo with portability, Xbox One with multimedia and multitasking, PS4 with VR and so on and so forth) with the expectation that whatever hardware choice they make they will have access to the same broad universe of games. Right now you kind of have to own a PC, PS4 or Xbox One to play all the big titles whereas the Switch is a supplemental console for just exclusives, which is not a place I want Nintendo to be in. Ideally I would like the big three to be on an even field in terms of hardware so that the best implementation wins, I want Nintendo to get a grip because I want them to do well. Sometimes harsh criticism comes from a good place, you have to keep that in mind before you judge "the haters". Over the years I've learned that more often than not, the haters are the ones you should listen to the most - haters are potential new customers, supporters are already your customers, you have them in your basket from the get-go. Never pander to a base, always push the envelope.

Umm, no, haters just want to complain and fight due to some sort of bias they have against that thing.

 

[the_randomizer]

The point is that, ideally, a customer should be able to pick a platform of choice based on its inherent strong points (Nintendo with portability, Xbox One with multimedia and multitasking, PS4 with VR and so on and so forth) with the expectation that whatever hardware choice they make they will have access to the same broad universe of games. Right now you kind of have to own a PC, PS4 or Xbox One to play all the big titles whereas the Switch is a supplemental console for just exclusives, which is not a place I want Nintendo to be in. Ideally I would like the big three to be on an even field in terms of hardware so that the best implementation wins, I want Nintendo to get a grip because I want them to do well. Sometimes harsh criticism comes from a good place, you have to keep that in mind before you judge "the haters". Over the years I've learned that more often than not, the haters are the ones you should listen to the most - haters are potential new customers, supporters are already your customers, you have them in your basket from the get-go. Never pander to a base, always push the envelope.

Hmm, not the ones I've seen on IGN, they're just spreading toxicity simply because it's a Nintendo platform. They're just whiny little bitches about it.

 

[guily6669]

PSVR is already bottom-of-the-barrel cheapest way to play VR games as it is, mobile VR is mostly just a gimmick. I don't think it makes any sense to introduce VR to a system that doesn't have at least +/-2GFLOPS under the hood, otherwise you're dooming yourself to PS2-level graphics. And I know, "graphics don't matter", but they do in this case - the bare minimum for playable (not comfortable) VR is 720p x 2 at around 60FPS and the X2 just won't push it.

Actually mobile VR is sometimes better than most VR headsets... If you have a Samsung S8 or above 4 example with quad HD resolution and one of the nicest OLED displays and a good VR headset for it, a lot of ppl even prefer it to HTC and other expensive still crap VR headsets for PC and those phones also have a lot of processing power so you can go up on the quality when you connect them to the PC via USB...

Even on my old Xperia Z2 and its 1080P screen I used a app which I can't remember and using PC and max quality it looked FAR, FAR better than PSVR, just a crap on the blacks as mine is a LCD and not OLED, but my phone sadly couldnt handle max quality, it lags like hell, but if you have something like a S8 or S9 or whatever I bet they have plenty of power to run at max settings at high FPS and I bet the S9 specially would even be able to melt your eyes as I see ppl saying it can display peaks above 1000 nits on HDR, I can't even imagine having all that light in a VR headset since my older TV had like 400 or a bit above and the HDR was already too much for my eyes at night lol

What do people expect, PS4-like power in an ARM processor? Not gonna happen. People who like the PS4 should like the PS4, people who like the Switch should like the Switch, if people choose to play one over the other, who are people to piss over it?

Well the new upcoming Tegra probably can beat the normal PS4, no idea...

In theory it has about a Xbox One performance, but since its Nvidia and latest Volta cores, and judging from what I always see on PC Nvidia always win AMD with way less theoretical performance, so I wouldn't be suprised if the Nvidia tegra 1.3 Tflop could beat normal PS4's ~1.8Tflop in real gaming performance... It also has 8 custom ARM CPU cores, but no idea about its performance.

Anyway definitely at least most games from Xone and PS4 could probably be ported and run good on that upcoming Tegra, but then again if it was used on a portable console it would most likely also have a big downclock and end up being low performance again .

I just wished to have a portable device like Switch and at around 300eur max that we could play all actual good known games on the portable (no matter how much optimisation and downgraded the game had to be), sadly I don't see much interest in the Switch and everything only coming for Xone\PS4\PC god damn it.

I don't even think anything like Wolfenstein II masterpiece will be coming for Switch any time soon, but I hope I'm wrong.

 

[FAST6191]

What do people expect, PS4-like power in an ARM processor? Not gonna happen. People who like the PS4 should like the PS4, people who like the Switch should like the Switch, if people choose to play one over the other, who are people to piss over it?

Foxi4 already said much of what I would have but I will spin it another way.

I agree PS4 power in my hand is not going to happen with modern tech at consumer prices, maybe in 10 years. However I look at things like Skyrim and Doom, both late stage PS360 era titles and not really any different in scope to current efforts. I don't necessarily need COD, Battlefield or Halo (and wow with quality of recent entries has that list done something like show my age) but one of them or something equivalently relevant or potent would be nice, repeat for all the other staples of gaming in the world at large. It is comparatively recently they have dropped off here as well -- NES, SNES, GBA and DS all represent that, even the N64 and GC, as much as I like to laugh at them, did not do the worst here (I played various need for speeds, Tony Hawk 4 and James Bond Nightfire on my gamecube). Wii, Wii U, 3ds and increasingly the Switch doing anything but. Most of the PS4 grunt goes on fancy graphics effects -- world size, AI, controls and more should all be readily achievable on the Switch, and graphics only need to manage 720p.

Alternatively if Nintendo does want to shake things up, shine through excellence or otherwise do something like that then go for it. I have however been waiting decades in some cases since they last did that and such a trick would be awfully hard to sustain.

 

[Pluupy]

You linked to a hodge podge of 3rd party ports, indie tripe and mobile shovelware, not to mention a sizeable amount are either unreleased, TBA, or region specific.

So right off the bat, NO, there are not "1,199 games available on Switch".

When I say nintendo needs to revise it's software, I'm talking 1st party IP's.

But you already knew that,

What is wrong with unreleased, TBA, and region specific? They exist and will exist. The fuck is your problem?

Your post is effectively "hurr durr 1st party nintendo games don't exist right at this very moment and never will because time is unmoving in my brain".

 

[Deleted User]

how about revising your servers and not your console.