New Nintendo Switch with Better Screen Coming in 2019 (Report)

News
By Michael Andronico
published

The Nintendo Switch isn't even two years old yet, but it could be getting a major revision soon. According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Nintendo may launch a beefed-up version of its wildly popular hybrid console as soon as 2019.

Citing "suppliers and others with direct knowledge of the plan," the report claims that Nintendo is looking to refresh the Switch's hardware so that it stays competitive with other consoles. The Wall Street Journal's sources say that Nintendo may specifically be looking to improve the Switch's 6.2-inch, 720p LCD screen in order to make it "brighter, thinner and more energy efficient." This could mean a slimmer Nintendo Switch, or at least one that's more vibrant.

The report didn't mention any other specifics when it comes to possible hardware upgrades. The Nvidia Tegra-powered Switch is considerably less powerful than the PS4 and Xbox One, both of which sport custom AMD Jaguar processors, and lacks bells and whistles like VR support and 4K gaming. While the Switch sells itself on versatility over raw power, Nintendo could be looking to get just a bit closer to its rivals in terms of performance.

Mid-cycle console refreshes are nothing new, both for Nintendo and its competitors. The company has launched multiple revisions of its still-popular Nintendo 3DS handheld including 2015's New Nintendo 3DS and 2017's New Nintendo 2DS XL, both of which sport improved internals over the launch model. Sony and Microsoft released slimmed-down versions of the PS4 and Xbox One in 2016, and both offer a beefed up 4K option in the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X, respectively.

Still, a hardware revision for a home Nintendo console would be a big move for the Big N, especially since the Switch is such a dead-simple device that only comes in one configuration. While the company has a slew of limited-edition Switch bundles launching this holiday for games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu!, we'll likely have to wait until next year to see if it will fully revamp its flagship system.

This story was originally published on Tom's Guide.

Michael Andronico
Michael Andronico
Mike Andronico is the managing editor at Tom's Guide. When he's not managing the site's day-to-day news coverage, best picks pages, and covering the latest gaming trends, you can usually catch him playing Street Fighter, devouring Twitch streams and trying to convince people that Hawkeye is the best Avenger.
9 Comments Comment from the forums
  • bugnguts
    How I would love it if Nintendo chose to upgrade hardware say from the 20nm Tegra X1 based on Maxwell to a 12nm FinFet Xavier based Volta. More efficient architecture on a more efficient node. Nintendo could produce a 1080p switch with a longer battery life. Yes I like that a lot.
    Reply
  • gggplaya
    They need to enable the bluetooth for headphones and possibly mic.
    Reply
  • valeman2012
    21374497 said:
    How I would love it if Nintendo chose to upgrade hardware say from the 20nm Tegra X1 based on Maxwell to a 12nm FinFet Xavier based Volta. More efficient architecture on a more efficient node. Nintendo could produce a 1080p switch with a longer battery life. Yes I like that a lot.
    They not going use new tech, they always use cheap alternatives like using old hardware.



    Reply
  • Giroro
    Sometimes new tech IS the cheap alternative, when the old parts are no longer being manufactured in large volumes. That is why Nintendo usually has so many minor revisions.
    plus, I can't imagine TSMC wants to keep their 20nm fab open for very much longer when they could be upgrading it to a more in-demand process.
    Reply
  • valeman2012
    21375647 said:
    Sometimes new tech IS the cheap alternative, when the old parts are no longer being manufactured in large volumes. That is why Nintendo usually has so many minor revisions.
    plus, I can't imagine TSMC wants to keep their 20nm fab open for very much longer when they could be upgrading it to a more in-demand process.

    As a result, doing cheap cost cutting way resulted in easily broken products.
    Reply
  • bit_user
    21374497 said:
    How I would love it if Nintendo chose to upgrade hardware say from the 20nm Tegra X1 based on Maxwell to a 12nm FinFet Xavier based Volta.
    Definitely not. Xavier is not made as a normal Tegra SoC. It's big, but most of that compute is for AI. So, it will be a big, expensive chip that's not much faster for things like gaming.

    The highest off-the-shelf part they would use is the TX2, which is still a decent upgrade. Of course, it's not impossible that Nintendo got Nvidia to make a custom SoC, like what AMD has been doing for the bigger consoles.
    Reply
  • l.r.gardner
    Why would you talk about Nintendo Switch on Tomshardware. PC MASTER RACE. I would NEVER buy a switch. Geeze
    Reply
  • bit_user
    21380657 said:
    Why would you talk about Nintendo Switch on Tomshardware. PC MASTER RACE. I would NEVER buy a switch. Geeze
    Eh, it's nothing new. The site has covered big console news stories for at least the past 5 years.

    I don't see what's the big deal. It's just the occasional story - not crowding out anything. Even for PC loyalists, it could be interesting to keep tabs on the "competition" offered by other devices.
    Reply
  • cryoburner
    21375653 said:
    As a result, doing cheap cost cutting way resulted in easily broken products.
    Are you referring to Nintendo? Their hardware failure rates have traditionally been a lot lower than the other console manufacturers, so I would hardly say that their products are "easily broken".
    Reply