How could a new Nintendo switch be?
With the Nintendo switch hitting the two-year mark, it's safe to say that the hybrid portable / portable console has taken the world by storm. It is the fastest selling console in all of the US. UU., What makes Nintendo become a real money charge.
All that makes it not surprising that Nintendo is looking to extend the life of the Switch with a hardware upgrade in the future. , reportedly as early as 2019.
A report from the Wall Street Journal cited rumors about the launch of a new Nintendo Switch model in mid to late 2019, in order to maintain the sales impulse in the console tremendously successful in its third year of life.
- The new model of Nintendo Switch could be launched in 2019
It is expected that Nintendo Switch 2 will use the update to improve the LCD screen, and pack in a new processor for improved visualization quality or just more efficient use of the energy, the last of which would be enormously welcome if you consider the switch's current three-hour battery.
Hardware upgrades are nothing new for consoles, much less for Nintendo. The Japanese gaming giant has a fruitful record for the iteration of its portable consoles: there have been several models of the 3DS family available in different sizes, shapes and with different 3D capabilities, but all capable of reproducing the same gaming cartridges between yes. [19659002] Even Sony and Microsoft have come up with iterative releases, offering mid-cycle updates like Xbox One S, Xbox One X or PS4 Slim and Pro.
What will this sequel to the Nintendo Switch look like and what's new? ? however, we can not be sure of the features it offers. Even the name is not clear: Switch 2, Switch XL, Switch Mini? But while we wait for more answers, we review the probable (and unlikely) possibilities below …
New release date of Nintendo Switch
Since Nintendo has not officially confirmed that there is a Nintendo Switch 2 in the works, it is Hard to guess what kind of release date we are seeing. Leaving aside recent rumors, it is possible to propose launch windows based on plans that we already have in Nintendo.
We know that the company expects the switch to go beyond the standard life cycle of a console from five to six years, after Shigeru Miyamoto. He said so much to investors in a question and answer session. Prior to this, Nintendo consoles have generally exceeded five or six years before moving on to the next generation.
Clearly, Nintendo has something up its sleeve then, and we wonder if it will follow in the footsteps of Sony and Microsoft, which release hardware updates at strategic intervals to extend the current generation.
Based on these industry trends, it would make sense for Nintendo to release an improved version of the Switch hardware between two and three years in its lifetime, which would mean that we could see Nintendo Switch 2.0 in 2019. With an iterative approach that sees a power improvement and some design improvements, this could make the Switch line run easily in 2022.
New price of Nintendo Switch
Obviously, redesigns cost money and hardware redesigns improved they do it doubly. However, instead of increasing the price, we imagine that the new model will coincide with the current prices of £ 279 / $ 299, together with a fall in prices for what will then become the obsolete model.
Yes, however, the new Nintendo switch model is actually a premium or & apos; Pro & apos; version that is next to the standard console, or even to a cheaper handheld & apos; Switch Mini & apos; – Then we could see that figure jump considerably in any direction. (Given the naming conventions of the 3DS, we believe that New Nintendo DS & apos; is the most likely name.)
New news and leaks from Nintendo Switch
Now, despite the fact that Nintendo has not confirmed who is planning to launch a Nintendo Switch 2, there have been reports and leaks suggesting that plans are being made, at the very least.
Firmware version 5.0
Although the latest firmware update 5.0 from Nintendo Switch was not there Not much on the surface, hackers in Switchbrew searched the update and found evidence to suggest that a hardware update is being performed.
Switchbrew discovered references to a new T214 chip (which would be a small improvement on the current T210), as well as an updated printed circuit board and 8 GB of RAM instead of the current 4 GB.
While any kind of chip update might simply be Nintendo's response to some hardware security issues that arose with the current SoC, such as home hackers who started creating pirated Switch titles, the new PCB and the increase in RAM suggest something else. : a more powerful device.
This report is especially interesting when read along with a Wall Street Journal report (a different one) in March, which indicated that Nintendo had no plans to perform any hardware upgrades in 2018 and would, instead, focus on the peripherals, like Nintendo. Labo, to extend the life of the console.
Lab's cardboard accessories show Nintendo's intense focus on peripherals
. It's important to keep in mind that the files discovered by these Switchbrew members do not contain a time scale or a definite declaration of intent from Nintendo.
The switch is proof that the most advanced technology is not the only key to success in a broader sense, but it is important to remember that, with respect to handheld computers, the switch is at the forefront and Nintendo will have to keep it there. If these hardware update rumors happen to be true, Nintendo has a long time before it has to do some kind of update.
If you plan to see the switch through another generation of PlayStation and Xbox console, a hardware update like this might be necessary at some point.
AR and VR support is unlikely
If Nintendo releases a switch, we are inclined to say that it is unlikely to offer any kind of AR or VR technology support.
Despite the patents that suggest otherwise, Nintendo has repeatedly said that it is not interested in searching for virtual reality, and this was reiterated in January 2018 by the director general of Nintendo France, who cited the lack of A general attraction for technology.
Nintendo seems to be more interested in the peripherals that keep players on the ground in the real world. With its motion controllers, cardboard accessories Nintendo Labo and amiibo, Nintendo seems to be very aware of keeping players aware that they are physically playing a game.
It's a commitment to immersion and it's an approach that seems to be working. We have already seen Donkey Konga bongo drums patented and suggest that Nintendo has a lot to do before it goes down the virtual reality route with this console.
Do not wait to see this soon
Could you admit 4K?
While Sony and Microsoft are pushing the 4K market, there is really no important reason for Nintendo, the company that distinguishes itself from other hardware. Producers, to follow their example.
In the same interview in which he fired VR, the General Manager of Nintendo France, Philippe Lavoué, also reviewed 4K saying that the technology "has not been adopted by the majority" and that, therefore, it would be too early so that Nintendo launches.
Nintendo did not enter the HD console market until 2012, when it launched the Wii U. This happened approximately four years after Sony and Microsoft, and at the moment more than 75% of US homes. UU They really had HD screens in their home.
Miyamoto, however, said he wished Nintendo had made the leap to HD before this, and said that screen technology became popular about three years before Nintendo expected it. It is expected that by 2020, 50% of US households will UU It has adopted the 4K technology and it is possible that at this moment Nintendo decides to join the 4K fight, instead of waiting until the market saturation of 75% previous.
New Nintendo switch: what we want to see
More screen, less bezel
One way to iterate productively into the Nintendo switch would be to cut into its bezel quite considerable. An improved screen could cut through that dark space without interfering with the overall dimensions of the console, and could even pave the way for 1080p playback on the handheld, instead of its current 720p resolution.
What will probably prevent Nintendo from messing up its formula too much are the Joy-Contras. If the body of the console changes significantly, the millions of Joy-Contr that already exist on the market suddenly become obsolete for players who upgrade, perhaps good money for new peripherals, but something that would easily irritate their base of players. [19659045] Nintendo Switch NES retro controllers "src =" http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LU76ZwSvxq5NmV8NfNNTzc.jpg "align =" middle ">
[19659026] Load less for the necessary accessories or sell better packages
While in theory all you need to start the game your Nintendo Switch is in the box, there are some accessories that are sold separately they still feel very essential, but they are very expensive.
Things like Joy-Con compatible steering wheels are fun, absolutely unnecessary and also relatively inexpensive.On the other hand, Joy-Cons and cargo holds are surprisingly For Nintendo Switch 2, we would like to see things like the Joy-Con loading grips as standard or see a wider range of packages that include accessories like these at a more reasonable price.
At least with this console, the Charger was standard to different 3DS Small steps, we suppose.
- These are the best Nintendo Switch accessories you can get
Keep it iterative
The basic concept of Nintendo Switch is excellent as it is small hardware advances that we do not really want that Nintendo changes too much
What we definitely do not want is that the current library of Nintendo Switch is unusable. If Nintendo is going to launch a second-generation Switch console, we want it to adopt Microsoft's backwards compatibility approach with the games. The exchange games are not cheap and we want them to last as long as possible. Since Nintendo 3DS can play all the Nintendo DS games, we know that this is something that Nintendo is not against.
A smaller and portable spring
While we like the design of the Nintendo. At the moment, when it comes to the docking station of the console, we would like to see something smaller and more portable, something that third-party manufacturers are already delivering, even if Nintendo seems to have consoles that use them.
Third parties are launching more portable and smaller springs
More internal memory
We love the fact that the Nintendo Switch has expandable memory, but we would like to not have to depend on it so fast as we & # 39; If a Nintendo Switch 2 is in the works, we would like to have an option with more internal memory for those who rely heavily on a digital library. Since a large number of Switch games (particularly the independent titles) are only digital, this seems especially important.
Battery Life
We hope that Nintendo will use a hardware update as an opportunity to improve the battery life of the console, which is quite small, of three hours in the handheld computer.
Complaints about battery life have abated somewhat as players realized they did not need a battery as long-lasting as their long-lasting smartphones. There are also a lot of alternative solutions such as portable chargers and battery banks to solve this. However, extending the battery to a six-hour charge could be what consolidates the console as a truly practical handheld device.
- Wait for the next generation? Read what we want to see from Xbox Two and PS5