The Nintendo Switch Lite has just become the latest addition to the Nintendo hardware lineup, offering the ability to play Switch games, but in a smaller form-factor, and for a little less cost. Though we likely won't be seeing a "Switch Pro" any time soon, it appears that Nintendo is looking into making a few tweaks to the existing, original Switch model. Curiously, Nintendo has filed a Class II Permission Change with the United State's FCC, and according to those documents, it appears that the Big N wants to revamp the original Switch, with a slight change to its system-on-chip (SoC) and NAND (flash storage). Filing this claim with the FCC would allow for Nintendo to sell these refreshed consoles, while avoiding the process of re-certification, and being able to keep the hardware refresh under wraps.

As to what this means for the end-user, it might not mean much of anything. On the other hand, some newer components could give a very slight boost to performance, possibly resulting in a system that doesn't run as hot, has faster load times, or maybe has a mild increase in battery life. We won't know anything official until Nintendo confirms it, or someone spots one of these upgraded models out in the wild. It wouldn't be the powerhouse people were hoping for in the rumored Switch Pro model, but with Doug Bowser confirming that the Switch Lite is the only new hardware we'll be seeing from Nintendo this year, it might be the best we can get.

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[Silent_Gunner]

Long story short, don't get your hopes up for the Switch to go up against the GPD WIN Max anytime soon!

 

[SANIC]

It's probably gonna try to patch out bugs. Did we ever find out was Mariko was?

 

[Bladexdsl]

so instead of switch pro like everyone wants we get...the switch 2.0

 

[YOUCANTSTOPME]

So a slight internal hardware revision? Nothing wrong with that.

 

[Rahkeesh]

Chances are they are going to sneak the same 16 nm CPU the Lite has into standard Switch models, out of sheer necessity of not being able to get the 20 nm ones anymore. There's no way they will allow higher clocks on a quiet refresh, but you could well see battery life extend noticably and the system feeling cooler due to the efficiency gains. If the system ever got hacked you could probably push overclocking further with it. This sounds almost as annoying as the IPS N3DS situation, where there are superior and inferior versions being sold in the same boxes.

If this is the case then I fear that is it for the rumored switch "pro." A genuine upgrade can still happen down the road, but this silent refresh would be the "product" the credible business sources were talking about, since it is coming this year.

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

How bout increase battery life?

 

[KingVamp]

Well, I think an actually Pro is still coming.

Anyway, I can see them ,at the very least, doing faster loading times.

 

[Deleted User]

That sounds almost as annoying as the IPS N3DS situation, where there are superior and inferior versions being sold in the same boxes.

That's unbelievable ! Lootboxes...The console !

Reminds me of the junky JXD consoles, with the total absence of quality control and tremendous amount of defects. Mine died by staying a few months in a drawer...triggers broke by themselves . Ha, China.

 

[NoNAND]

Having an upgraded CPU is nice but why aren't they making a pro model.
this would confuse people especially those who are trying to get their hands on the model with the upgraded CPU.
Hopefully they'll release a pro iteration soon.

 

[Jiehfeng]

Having an upgraded CPU is nice but why aren't they making a pro model.
this would confuse people especially those who are trying to get their hands on the model with the upgraded CPU.
Hopefully they'll release a pro iteration soon.

The didn't say they aren't making a pro model. They said they aren't making one this year.

 

[NoNAND]

The didn't say they aren't making a pro model. They said they aren't making one this year.

We'll just have to wait then.

 

[fvig2001]

Long story short, don't get your hopes up for the Switch to go up against the GPD WIN Max anytime soon!

The GPD Win Max looks like a step backward. It's awkwardly big, the right buttons are weirdly placed and the keyboard seems to be meant to be used on a table.

 

[lordelan]

Long story short, don't get your hopes up for the Switch to go up against the GPD WIN Max anytime soon!

I see why people like those GPD devices. I watched many YouTube reviews about them and if there wasn't something like the Switch maybe I would have been interested in getting one.
However there is a Switch and although it cannot run computer games (apart from ARM compiled games in L4T Ubuntu or DosBox/C64/Atari stuff in RetroArch/Lakka) I think it's definitely the better gaming device:

1. More people own one which leads to a higher chance to enjoy local multiplayer with someone somewhere
2. The buttons to actually play games are arranged in a more comfortable way
3. Using it on a TV is easier and faster
4. Nice exclusives
5. Joy-Cons can be plugged off and quickly shared among ppl to enjoy a multiplayer game on one device
6. One of the coolest things that GPD devices are used for is present on the Switch as well in a really good state now:
   Emulation!
   Although GPD devices might perform better and support more cores.

That's why I consider a Switch + computer/notebook the best combo.

 

[Silent_Gunner]

I see why people like those GPD devices. I watched many YouTube reviews about them and if there wasn't something like the Switch maybe I would have been interested in getting one.
However there is a Switch and although it cannot run computer games (apart from ARM compiled games in L4T Ubuntu or DosBox/C64/Atari stuff in RetroArch/Lakka) I think it's definitely the better gaming device:

1. More people own one which leads to a higher chance to enjoy local multiplayer with someone somewhere
2. The buttons to actually play games are arranged in a more comfortable way
3. Using it on a TV is easier and faster
4. Nice exclusives
5. Joy-Cons can be plugged off and quickly shared among ppl to enjoy a multiplayer game on one device
6. One of the coolest things that GPD devices are used for is present on the Switch as well in a really good state now:
   Emulation!
   Although GPD devices might perform better and support more cores.

That's why I consider a Switch + computer/notebook the best combo.

On all of this I agree. The problem is that damn ARM chip as opposed to an x86. If this thing was x86, the possibilities for homebrew would skyrocket!

The only thing I'm honestly waiting on for the Switch is more stable DC emulation. In my experience, it's almost at the level of an ODroid XU4 for me (IDK really care about Atomiswave/NAOMI outside of playing some later era SNK games and Melty Blood, as the latest version of Guilty Gear X2 is already on Switch, and apparently the next version of UNIB (how many fucking versions of this game exist? Will it ever get a full-on sequel?) is coming to the Switch some time this year) right now, but it just needs a little bit of a push from davidgf and/or a boost in performance on Ubuntu or for Lakka to become more TV-friendly before I can consider it an outright replacement, 6-button controller compatibility (use the DS4 version of the Fighting Commander Pro, it's the most compatible in my experience) on the ODroid XU4 aside.

 

[shaunj66]

Every time I consider buying a piece of hardware there's always that tease of a better version just around the corner.

 

[ganons]

I'm calling it now: Switch Pro will release with BOTW 2

 

[71r3n]

Inb4 no one wants to trade this for my hackable one...

 

[Essasetic]

It's probably just going to be a storage upgrade to 64GB and it'll only fully patch out the RCM exploit.

 

[71r3n]

Long story short, don't get your hopes up for the Switch to go up against the GPD WIN Max anytime soon!

Plz slap me with facts, but GPD cant be compared to switch.
1. No native support.
2. Just check the skyrim videos and check the comments. Ppl play it with moddet textures, so they get playable framerates. (EDIT: Wasnt on the MAX, but the MAX isnt out jet, so...)
3. It needs way to much resources for the OS.

Dont get me wrong, i realy like the idea of a GPD and if i had the extra cash, i already would own one. Only its formfactor is a bit comparable.
But give a normal console player a GPD win, and hes propably gets frustrated within the first month. We here on gbatemp are the nerds, the geeks, the neets and so on, we know our electric shit.

Last Edit: Holy shit, screw GPD. Getting myself a switch lite, a second switch 1, and a futore pro switch for that price thou....
https://www.amazon.de/GamePad-Digital-GPD-Win-128/dp/B07DSBGYK9

It got 899$ problems.... but the bitch aint one....