NEW A vastly improved search engine helps you find the latest on companies, business leaders, and news more easily.<doc-sep>The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Nintendo will be introducing a new version of its popular Switch console next year. Advertisement The report says that the move comes as Nintendo hopes to boost sales momentum of the Switch, which has dropped off since its meteoric launch. It’s claimed that this new model would “ likely share many features with the current version and be compatible with existing Switch game software.” It also says that Nintendo “is still debating what new hardware and software features to include in the upgrade”, with one option on the table being an upgraded screen, closer to those found in “more recent smartphone LCDs”, which would “make it brighter, thinner and more energy-efficient”. You can read the full report here (WSJ login required).<doc-sep>The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Nintendo will release a new version of the Nintendo Switch console in the second half of 2019, but there are few details about what might be improved outside of vague wording about an upgraded screen. But what would make the Switch better? The screen/power problem Nintendo Switch comes with a weird design issue where it has to work as a portable and as a console, and resolution shifts depending on where you’re playing and how much power the system is drawing. So you can say you want a larger screen, or a screen with a higher resolution, but doing so means you’ll need to increase the overall power of the system while also dealing with battery life when the console is in portable mode. And the screen’s resolution doesn’t really matter when you’re playing it attached to a television where it can draw wall current. I also doubt Nintendo is going to create a system that isn’t 100 percent backward compatible with the previous version of the Switch; we’re not going to see a system revamp that has games the older systems can’t play. So we’re not going to see a huge jump in any of these areas. A nice speed bump that would make it easier for developers to release games that don’t struggle with the framerate would of course be awesome, but I’m not holding my breath. Might we see a screen that’s brighter and clearer, that looks more like a modern smart phone screen? Absolutely. But a jump in resolution or size is less likely. So what’s left? My realistic wishlist for a new Switch includes a lot of small quality of life improvements. A slightly larger battery would be worth the weight, and Joy-Cons that are better suited for larger hands or longer sessions would be amazing. There are so many of us whose hands cramp when they play a demanding game in portable mode for more than a few minutes. More internal storage so the mini SD card doesn’t feel like such a mandatory immediate purchase with the system would also be great, and storage is cheap these games. The 32 GB that comes standard with Nintendo Switch now is just paltry when you look at the size of many games. One of Nintendo’s most valuable assets is the data it has collected about how people are playing their Switches, and that will likely lead to improvements in some of the most standard use cases. The kickstand, for instance, gets much more use than I would have expected and just isn’t up to the task. Making something a bit beefier that could support the Switch while it’s being played on the road seems like it would be a simple, but welcome, addition to the hardware. A boost to the system’s Wi-Fi range would also be a major improvement over the existing system. This is probably my own niche tastes coming through, but a built-in way to play the system in tate mode for vertically oriented games would be incredible. There are third-party add-ons that help with this issue, and games that support the feature, but so far there’s no easy way to get everything aligned so it’s easy to use. Imagine a kickstand that can hold the system in other landscape or portrait mode when you set it down. Check out the Flip Grip gallery below to see how Nintendo might tackle this issue. Grid View Fangamer Fangamer Fangamer Fangamer Fangamer Fangamer So is that all? Probably! Getting a hardware refresh two years after launch doesn’t seem that strange these days, but Nintendo won’t want to mess with a good thing and fragment the market. So expect a slightly better screen, maybe some more storage and a few other basic quality of life changes that will make the new Switch better, without making it feel like all-new hardware. But who knows? Nintendo never does the expected thing — it’s not like any of us saw Labo coming before it was announced — which means the reported new hardware might veer off into some new direction. But I bet Nintendo is going to play it safe and release a system that’s better than the original, but not radically so. Also, if they could make the Joy-Cons a little quieter when they rumble? That would be fine.<doc-sep>Japanese gaming giant Nintendo is planning to release a new version of its successful Nintendo Switch console next year, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. According to ‘suppliers and others with knowledge of the plan’, the updated model of the console, which can be connected to a TV or played on the go, is planned for the latter half of 2019 but could come as early as the summer. Nintendo is reportedly still discussing exactly what features and hardware updates will be included in any new model as it looks to improve on the Switch console while keeping costs down. A prime candidate for update is the console’s LCD screen. While it is unlikely Nintendo will follow Apple in including an OLED screen on the device due to the expense, an update to the screen using LCD technology used in more recent smartphones is cited as a possibility.<doc-sep>
The Nintendo Switch hasn’t even been out for two years, but it seems Nintendo is hard at work on new hardware. According to The Wall Street Journal, Nintendo will release a new Switch model in 2019. The report cited “suppliers and others with direct knowledge of the plan.” Though the report doesn’t offer many specifics about the hardware, it will “likely share many features with the current version and be compatible with existing Switch game software.” As far as enhancements go, Nintendo could be looking to upgrade the Switch’s screen. The Switch’s current display is “without some technologies that are standard in more recent smartphone LCDs,” the report stated. Nintendo is considering adding technology that “would make it brighter, thinner, and more energy-efficient.” It’s unclear exactly how “current” of technology Nintendo might use for an updated display, but it “isn’t expected to adopt the organic light-emitting diode or OLED panels used in Apple Inc.’s iPhone X series.” Battery life is probably the biggest downside of gaming on the go on Switch, so a more energy-efficient screen would be a welcome addition. As of now, the Switch currently holds a charge for about three hours when playing AAA games like Super Mario Odyssey. While it may sound surprising to some that Nintendo is already planning new Switch hardware, it actually falls in line with Nintendo’s typical handheld release schedule. Nintendo released the DS Lite in 2006, two years after the original model launched. Just a year after releasing the Nintendo 3DS, the manufacturer released the Nintendo 3DS XL. Nintendo constantly iterates on its handhelds (three Game Boy Advance models, four DS models, six 3DS models). Since the Switch also doubles as a handheld, we’d actually be surprised if this is the only hardware upgrade the system receives in its life cycle. The Switch started off on a tear, moving roughly 10 million units in its first nine months. In July, Nintendo announced it had sold nearly 20 million units. However, only about 1.9 million consoles were sold between April and June, less than Nintendo expected. While that’s no reason for alarm, it makes sense why Nintendo would want to reinvigorate interest in its console. Editors' Recommendations