Nikkei Claims Smaller, More Affordable Nintendo Switch Is Coming

Megalith

Megalith

24-bit/48kHz
Staff member
Joined
Aug 20, 2006
Messages
13,003
Contrary to recent mumblings by Nintendo CEO Shuntaro Furukawa, Japanese publication Nikkei claims the Japanese gaming giant does have a new version of the Switch in the works. This edition, which is expected as early as this year, will be designed with portability in mind and come at a cheaper price due to reduced features. The report also suggests Nintendo is “readying some sort of new service for this year aimed at game enthusiasts.”

“They’re taking measures as for what is to come – one of those being a smaller version of the Switch. The company said that ‘couldn’t comment’ on their plans for the product, but has informed multiple suppliers and game development companies that they intend to release them as early as 2019. According to their affiliates, they are ‘miniaturizing the console with portability and playing outdoors in mind, as well as cutting features to reduce the price and expand the userbase.'”
 
Wait... Smaller?

I certainly wonder who thinks Small is better...

 
Last edited:
Sold our switch.. Doesn't need to be cheaper, needs to be more like the Previous generation that was much more interactive with the screen.
 
This finally sounds like a 3ds replacement. The switch portability is great around the house, but is isn't as great traveling on a train or on the plane like the 3ds.

The switch with a case fills half my backpack, while a 3ds doesn't even take up a quarter of the space.

I'll probably pick one up for the wife and for our trips when it comes out.
 
Or, they could just sell me a little NUC-type box with a pro-controller and ditch all the other fluff I'll never use. (portability, joy-cons etc etc)
 
Designing one system to do everything always results in a system that isn't best at anything.

They should have brought out 2 models of the switch that could play the same games.
A console version that just connects to the TV, and included the pro controller, and a 3DS style version for portable usage.
 
I'd assume a smaller version with no docking/tv capability. Less resolution, less processing power, less capability = cheaper.
 
I would rather have updated hardware without a screen and just be a normal console.
 
I bet it fixes the heating and piracy issues that the current Switch has to deal with.
 
Did nintendo ever fix the dock scratching up the screen? A couple of strips of adhesive velvet would have sorted that out.
 
Smells like bullshit. If switch sales were drooping, maybe ? It doesn't make any sense to cannablize your current product for something that "may" sell.
 
viscountalpha said:
Smells like bullshit. If switch sales were drooping, maybe ? It doesn't make any sense to cannablize your current product for something that "may" sell.
Click to expand...

I dunno, makes sense to me. At least more sense than creating an entirely new portable system to replace the 3DS.
 
viscountalpha said:
Smells like bullshit. If switch sales were drooping, maybe ? It doesn't make any sense to cannablize your current product for something that "may" sell.
Click to expand...

Historically Nintendo has always done the mid generation refresh of their mobile console, all the way back to the game boy era, the game boy color actually had slightly higher processing power than the regular gameboy besides the color screen, this is why it had a couple exclusive titles that couldn't be played on a regular gameboy.
The Nintendo ds had the dsi/lite, the 3ds had both the 2ds and 3ds xl, and I honestly do not remember the refresh of the gba, but this is standard operating procedure for them.
 
Revdarian said:
Historically Nintendo has always done the mid generation refresh of their mobile console, all the way back to the game boy era, the game boy color actually had slightly higher processing power than the regular gameboy besides the color screen, this is why it had a couple exclusive titles that couldn't be played on a regular gameboy.
The Nintendo ds had the dsi/lite, the 3ds had both the 2ds and 3ds xl, and I honestly do not remember the refresh of the gba, but this is standard operating procedure for them.
Click to expand...

The refresh for the GBA was the SP and then the Micro.
 
Revdarian said:
Historically Nintendo has always done the mid generation refresh of their mobile console, all the way back to the game boy era, the game boy color actually had slightly higher processing power than the regular gameboy besides the color screen, this is why it had a couple exclusive titles that couldn't be played on a regular gameboy.
The Nintendo ds had the dsi/lite, the 3ds had both the 2ds and 3ds xl, and I honestly do not remember the refresh of the gba, but this is standard operating procedure for them.
Click to expand...

Consoles are much slower then the handheld market. AFAIK, they usually wait for a slowing in sales before they redesign,or i should say deployment of a redesign.
 
Even a smaller screen could extend batter life over the current Switch, but could easily go further die shrink ect and I can understand why. I think they'd be looking and wanting to get it to a more ideal size and weight and the batter life and performance that comes alongside it.
 
I knew something was coming, but reduced features? It already cannot play the flagship release game at 1080p.
 
Just a smaller more portable version that plays the same games. End of story, move. on..
 
viscountalpha said:
Consoles are much slower then the handheld market. AFAIK, they usually wait for a slowing in sales before they redesign,or i should say deployment of a redesign.
Click to expand...

But the switch isn't a console, specially what they are proposing is to double down on the portability aspect since after all it's a simple Tegra x1 built on the ancient, by current standards, 20nm node.

A jump to TSMC's 12nm node would see amazing improvements in power efficiency for the soc itself, allowing them to run much cooler since according to them at the same speed it would consume 60% less power, and being almost 4yrs old (the node) it shouldn't break the bank.
 
Nukester said:
Sold our switch.. Doesn't need to be cheaper, needs to be more like the Previous generation that was much more interactive with the screen.
Click to expand...
More like the previous generation? You mean the WiiU that sold like garbage while the Switch is one of Nintendo's best selling systems to date?
 
Chris_B said:
Did nintendo ever fix the dock scratching up the screen? A couple of strips of adhesive velvet would have sorted that out.
Click to expand...
Was that ever true though?
I can't see how i would scratch mine I can say that much at least.
 
exlink said:
More like the previous generation? You mean the WiiU that sold like garbage while the Switch is one of Nintendo's best selling systems to date?
Click to expand...

We love the WiiU over the switch. The switch sold well because of the marketing... It never really delivered.
 
Nukester said:
We love the WiiU over the switch. The switch sold well because of the marketing... It never really delivered.
Click to expand...
I'll respectively disagree. I much prefer the portability of the Nintendo Switch over the 2nd screen functionality that felt more of a gimmick than anything else to me. But to each their own.
 
Zero credibility to this. You can't just "make it smaller." It's an nvidia SOC... an OOOOLD nvidia SOC.


You really think nvidia is going to redesign for a smaller fab, re-tape, refab, and then sell it for LESS MONEY? Article is complete bullshit.
 
What a waste. Screen is already so small it's hard to read anything.
They need a bigger one! (With better controllers.)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top