Despite its relatively small catalogue of triple-A titles, the Nintendo Switch continues to fly off shelves at an extraordinary rate.
So it should come as no surprise that, according to the Wall Street Journal, Nintendo is already working on two new versions of its best-selling console.
The ground-breaking Switch, released in March 2017, constituted a big gamble for a company still reeling from the Wii U’s failure. Vital lessons were learnt, and Nintendo won’t be resting on its laurels any time soon.
The WSJ’s report isn’t packed with details, but it suggests that we’ll be receiving an upgraded and downgraded version of the console.
One console will reportedly lose its vibration feature, as well as the option to detach Joy-Con controllers. Nintendo has provided stripped-back budget options before, most recently in the form of the 2DS. It’s not known whether the console will still be playable on TVs.
The advanced model will reportedly boast “enhanced features targeted at avid video gamers”. What does that actually mean? It’ll be faster for one, with upgraded specs. Elsewhere, the three-hour battery life is in dire need of a significant increase, and 4K users will hope that Nintendo has designs on high-def TV.
Any hope, however, that Nintendo will push forward with augmented and/or virtual reality tech is probably misplaced. According to Tech Radar, the MD of Nintendo France stated in January 2018 that there was a lack of mainstream interest in the forms, and it’s unlikely that the Japanese gaming giant has changed its mind.
But how about 3D? A patent emerged earlier this year detailing plans for a sensor that perches above your television and utilises the same stereoscopic imaging technology as the 3DS. It’s just a patent at this stage, but the move would further set the Switch apart from its rivals.
So what else do we want to see from the higher-end model? Besides ironing out some well-publicised design flaws (trapped joy-con controllers etc), we’d like to see an increased screen size, perhaps in the form of an smartphone-esque all-glass design. The current lack of Bluetooth connectivity is also a big design flaw in an age where many have had to convert to wireless earphones (and would a Nintendo 64 virtual console back catalogue be too much to ask for?)
We'll have to wait and see. Nintendo is expected to reveal the new Switch models around the E3 expo in June.
