The Wall Street Journal is back to reporting Nintendo Switch rumors once more, following up on their October 2018 claim that Nintendo would be releasing a new hardware revision of the Switch in 2019. Originally, they stated that the Switch would focus on peripheral additions similar to Labo, rather than new hardware, before changing their initial stance to state that a "better" Switch revision was on the way, and would focus on upgraded hardware. This time around, their claim has a few more details--now mentioning two potential variations: a cheaper model which would replace the Nintendo 3DS as the budget option, and an enhanced model, which would be "targeted at avid video gamers".

This conflicts with previous recent statements from both the Nintendo JP president Shuntaro Furukawa and the soon to be former president of Nintendo of America, Reggie Fils-Aime, who separately debunked new hardware rumors by saying "[it] is not Nintendo's current focus".

Right now, as we go into our second holiday, my focus is making sure the current grey and neon Switch continue to have momentum in the market place. You saw systems, whether it’s our own or competitive home console systems, utilize that tactic a bit later in the life cycle. So right now, the current execution of Nintendo Switch with the Joy-Con and all of the capabilities, that’s our focus right now.

The Wall Street Journal further asserts that these two supposed hardware revisions would be "different from the original, and you would be surprised," with both versions launching as early as Summer 2019. According to the WSJ's insider sources, hardware prototypes have already been sent to software developers, who say that the "upgraded" Switch model won't be as strong as the Xbox One X or PlayStation 4 Pro.

Nintendo Co. plans to launch two new versions of its Switch gaming console as early as this summer, people familiar with the matter said, as the company seeks to sustain sales momentum for the product going into a crucial third year.

What are your thoughts? Do you find the Wall Street Journal to be reliable, or have other rumors of new Switch hardware got you convinced? Are you more skeptical, after already hearing the WSJ's initial story, or do you believe that there's no room for doubt after so many claims of a revised Switch model have been circulating across the internet? With sales of the Nintendo 3DS slowing down, and the company having just barely missed the mark on its 20 million sales fiscal year projection, a new "pro" and "budget" model could be just what they need to get more sales rolling.

Source

 

[kumikochan]

Well, that's the price of releasing a system with hardware that would be best be described as being a generation behind the current generation systems yet still capable of playing DOOM 4, Wolfenstein II (they couldn't port the first game as well?), Doom Eternal, and Mortal Kombat 11 because the games were built to be scalable to the Switch. That's one of the reasons the Switch still isn't replacing a PS4 in regards to a need for consoles (I would love for them to snatch up the Yakuza games as well, as that's one of the only games in addition to fighters that's keeping the PS4 in my entertainment center atm in the unlucky event my PC kicks the bucket again). I would hope that Nintendo, if they were to make a Switch 2 (because I can't see them getting anymore convenient and filling a hole in the market outside of MAYBE releasing a phone, because we need another competitor in that market, amirite?/s), would try to be competitive with a Ryzen 2 computationally and whatever graphics chip/solution they're using in the PS5 and the Xbox Two/Next/WindowsBox/Glorified Locked Down PC At This Point. 8-10 GB of RAM would also help in that department. If they could manage that, Nintendo could stand to reap benefits they haven't reaped for several console generations in terms of game selections, especially for remasters of games that'd be compatible (assuming that those are even a thing in the 9th generation of consoles if those PS5 rumors are anything to go off).

I would also like that but only as a new generation system. I wouldn't want to see them release that now but more in 3-4 years time as a newer generation. A more power efficient switch that scales a bit better while still having the option to run the games on the older hardware is something i want for this generation since that wouldn't split up the consumer base and kick a lot of people in the nuts. I do get that not everyone would feel scammed if they did that but a lot of them would do. In the end it's their own fault for being behind in graphical power. Graphics and such are important and that has been a thing Nintendo fans have been telling them since the Wii days and they fail to listen every single time. So if they do feel that they're behind well it's because they didn't listen to their fans to begin with

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Says the person who had already put me on the ignore list. There's no need for you to repeat yourself to everyone that has a different thought in their head that yourself. But but but... SEGA!!! But but but... 32X!!! I'm surprised you haven't added a "HILLARY!!!" or "OBAMA!!!" in there yet.

ignore

 

[the_randomizer]

I hope not, doesn't need any revisions at all. It's fine the way it is, only those who hate the Switch really want to see this happen.

 

[D34DL1N3R]

I hope not, doesn't need any revisions at all. It's fine the way it is, only those who hate the Switch really want to see this happen.

So a person who would buy a Switch revision hates the Switch? I'm not sure how that works.

 

[the_randomizer]

So a person who would buy a Switch revision hates the Switch? I'm not sure how that works.

No, but people who buy a revision are obviously dissatisfied with the current Switch, and clearly thinks that somehow a revision will make the experience magically more enjoyable.

 

[DeslotlCL]

Looks like someone wants to complain about minor details. I guess not everyone can afford a small device at a price cheaper than the competition. There's not too much room to complain if you have a good amount of money to throw at it.

There is no competition for the switch, there is no other portable like it, not even good gaming tablets that can play console level games. If you are talking about the sony and microsoft competetion, well, a ps4 or xbox are actually waaaaay cheaper than a switch, even their controllers are cheaper and are higher quality compared to those tiny joycons garbage.

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No, but people who buy a revision are obviously dissatisfied with the current Switch, and clearly thinks that somehow a revision will make the experience magically more enjoyable.

A switch with better perfomance would actually make the experience better. It is not always about the form factor, but the perfomance of the games it plays do affect the experience.

 

[pitterpatter]

A hardware revision from Nintendo? I’m calling bullcrap on this, there’s absolutely no precedent for this kind of thing from Nintendo whatsoever.

Well, unless you count the NES-101, SNS-101, Gameboy Pocket, Gameboy Light, Gameboy Colour, Gameboy Advance SP, Gameboy Micro, DS Lite, DSi, DSi XL, 3DS XL, 2DS, 2DS XL, New 3DS.....


But other than that, no precedent whatsoever, it’s totally not the kind of thing Nintendo is known for.

You forgot the "New" 3DS XL: ReCoded 358/2 Final Mix

 

[Stwert]

Says the person who had already put me on the ignore list. There's no need for you to repeat yourself to everyone that has a different thought in their head than yourself. But but but... SEGA!!! But but but... 32X!!! I'm surprised you haven't added a "HILLARY!!!" or "OBAMA!!!" in there yet.

I quite like my 32X....... for the handful of half decent games it’s got.

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No, but people who buy a revision are obviously dissatisfied with the current Switch, and clearly thinks that somehow a revision will make the experience magically more enjoyable.

They could easily release a more powerful Switch without really impacting the current model. Most games these days can/are designed to be scalable. So games will be released just as they always have, but a new more powerful piece of hardware could have higher resolution, better frame rates, higher quality textures and so on.

If you’re happy with the Switch as it is now, nothing would change for you. If you’d like a bit mor oomph, you get the higher specced system.

 

[DANTENDO]

I quite like my 32X....... for the handful of half decent games it’s got.

i do miss the name of consoles with the numbers at the end what happened to the 128 and 256 did buy the 32x as big golf fan and got my moneys worth of 180 quid spent on it as put in huge hours on tht fred couples golf game

 

[the_randomizer]

There is no competition for the switch, there is no other portable like it, not even good gaming tablets that can play console level games. If you are talking about the sony and microsoft competetion, well, a ps4 or xbox are actually waaaaay cheaper than a switch, even their controllers are cheaper and are higher quality compared to those tiny joycons garbage.

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A switch with better perfomance would actually make the experience better. It is not always about the form factor, but the perfomance of the games it plays do affect the experience.

And good luck finding a way to increase performance without increasing thermals and decreasing battery life.

 

[pedro702]

well they can just release a switch with cpu set at like 1.5 and gpu abit higher an a better battery and still use the same hardware and call it switch-I ir whatever and they wouldnt need to change anything due to switch being under-clocked becuase of battery life.

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No, but people who buy a revision are obviously dissatisfied with the current Switch, and clearly thinks that somehow a revision will make the experience magically more enjoyable.

n3dsx xl made gaming way more enjoyable for me, not for the enhanced games but bigger screen and battery life, heck a switch with unremovable joycons, a bigger battery life(5hour minimum imo) and such would be a great budget model like the 2ds all built for portable only mode, i would buy that tbh.

 

[Dr.Hacknik]

There is no competition for the switch, there is no other portable like it, not even good gaming tablets that can play console level games. If you are talking about the sony and microsoft competetion, well, a ps4 or xbox are actually waaaaay cheaper than a switch, even their controllers are cheaper and are higher quality compared to those tiny joycons garbage

I've personally had no issues with the joycons. Yes they're expensive, but it makes sense they're very compacted controllers. To be fair, the Xbox one and PS4 have been here for a long time. Of course their value is way cheaper. That's basic economics. Now you can go and dislike the Switch all you want, but you're starting to come off as the type of person to shit on a console for dumb reasons.

 

[D34DL1N3R]

No, but people who buy a revision are obviously dissatisfied with the current Switch, and clearly thinks that somehow a revision will make the experience magically more enjoyable.

I'm not dissatisfied because I don't own a Switch. But yes, an even mildly beefed up revision would in fact make the experience more enjoyable. I think the only people who would actually not like this are those that already own a Switch, not those that "hate" the Switch. If a person is already dissatisfied with or already hates the Switch, a revision would not make them buy one. I LIKE the Switch, hence why I've been waiting to see if there will in fact be a revision this year before I decide to buy one. Nothing to do with dissatisfaction with the current model. It's just being smart. Why buy the current when there might be a better model coming?

You forgot the "New" 3DS XL: ReCoded 358/2 Final Mix

Not only did they forget that, but also Sega's entire console lineup. Lmao.

I quite like my 32X....... for the handful of half decent games it’s got.

I never said anything negative about the 32X.

 

[Joe88]

Havnt they been saying this for a long time now? I guess they will be right at some point but until official announcements I just ignore them.

 

[D34DL1N3R]

Havnt they been saying this for a long time now? I guess they will be right at some point but until official announcements I just ignore them.

Pretty much this. I'm holding off to see if there's any announcement. If there's nothing official by November I'll just buy the current model. If a revision comes out later...oh well.

 

[the_randomizer]

I'd love to see them trying to beef up the processor while keeping temps down and battery life more than it is right now. Dollars to donuts it'll be a cold day in hell.

 

[pedro702]

I'd love to see them trying to beef up the processor while keeping temps down and battery life more than it is right now. Dollars to donuts it'll be a cold day in hell.

a 5 hour battery switch with higher clock speed would already be a pro model and all they need is to make the back abit bigger to put a bigger battery and lock the cpu a bit higher and cheap new model for them xl.

 

[the_randomizer]

a 5 hour battery switch with higher clock speed would already be a pro model and all they need is to make the back abit bigger to put a bigger battery and lock the cpu a bit higher and cheap new model for them xl.

And that would increase price too. People bitch enough as it is with the 300 dollar price tag.

 

[pedro702]

And that would increase price too. People bitch enough as it is with the 300 dollar price tag.

they could probably lower the switch base model to like 250 and make the "new2 one release at 300 imo.

 

[the_randomizer]

they could probably lower the switch base model to like 250 and make the "new2 one release at 300 imo.

IDK, I don't think it's worth doing, Switch is doing well as it is, I fail to see the necessity of a new model.

 

[AkikoKumagara]

Did they loose a shit ton of customers by having DSi or N3DS exclusives? Nope.

No, but they alienated people who supported their platforms before they were even dead.

I hope not, doesn't need any revisions at all. It's fine the way it is, only those who hate the Switch really want to see this happen.

I don't hate the Switch. I'd like a cheaper variant without the features I don't care as much about, though. You can't lump everyone into one group like that realistically. Similarly to how you're reacting to this, I thought the 2DS was silly at first, but it found its niche and turned out to be alright in the end.

 

[pedro702]

IDK, I don't think it's worth doing, Switch is doing well as it is, I fail to see the necessity of a new model.

revisions is when the console is selling well, not when its dropping so they can sell even more like n3dsxl,2ds,dsi and so on, but yeah i would get a more powerful switch or a budget model for portability only with fixed joycons and better battery imo, i only play switch in handheld mode so that would be ideal to me.