New Nintendo Switch model to launch next year, new report says

Nintendo will release a new model of Switch hardware early next year, according to a report citing manufacturing sources.

Taipei-based Economic Daily News said on Tuesday that the new Switch will go into production later this year, with a launch slated for the first quarter of 2021.

According to the publication, the new Switch model will offer improved “interactivity” and improved display quality.

The report cites various hardware manufacturers responsible for the Switch’s flash storage, Joy-Con controllers, and more.

Over the past year, several media reports have claimed that Nintendo has planned a third Switch model, in addition to the flagship console and Switch Lite.

Citing related supply chain sources, Taiwanese website DigiTimes reported in January that the new Switch hardware would go into mass production in the first quarter of this year and launch soon after.

The Wall Street Journal also claimed in 2019 that Nintendo was planning a more powerful hardware overhaul for the Nintendo Switch, with “enhanced features aimed at avid gamers.”

And in April, a Nintendo Switch firmware update reportedly referred to a new model of unannounced hardware.

According to an engineer, version Ver. Firmware 10.0.0 refers to a new hardware model “nx-abcd”. The software already references the code names for the Switch launch model, Switch Lite, and the 2019 update with improved battery life.

All existing hardware plans will likely have been significantly disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nintendo resumed shipping Switch consoles to Japan in April after a brief hiatus, following an increase in demand for hardware that continued throughout the summer.

In the three months ending June 30, Nintendo Switch hardware had 5.5 million units sold for the quarter, representing a year-over-year sales increase of over 160%.

Analysts have suggested that Nintendo Switch may have a longer-than-expected lifecycle in which it surpasses total Wii sales by 102.63 million units. Switch launched in March 2017 and has sold some 61 million units as of June 30, 2020.

Earlier this year, Japan-based Kantan Games analyst Dr Serkan Toto predicted in a GI.biz article that an improved “Switch Pro” would be released in the near future.

“There is absolutely no doubt in my mind,” he said, adding that he thought the console would cost around $ 399.

“Specifically, I’m predicting 4K support, larger cartridges, and of course ruggedized components,” he said.

In January, Nintendo claimed that it had no plans to launch a new Nintendo Switch model in 2020.