Nintendo to release two new Nintendo Switch models in 2019: report

Nintendo is planning to launch two new Switch models later this year, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. 

The first model will reportedly have “enhanced features targeted at avid video gamers,” although The Wall Street Journal noted that it will not be as powerful as Sony and Microsoft’s respective 4K-capable PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One X consoles.

Meanwhile, the second Switch iteration is described as a “cheaper option for casual gamers that Nintendo sees as a successor to its aging handheld 3DS device.” To make the system cheaper, Nintendo is said to be removing certain system features like vibration.

Both Switch models are expected to be unveiled at the Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles in June. The Wall Street Journal reports that both models may launch a few months later — right on time for the holiday season and the Switch releases of Pokémon Sword and Shield and the untitled Animal Crossing game.

It’s important to note that Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said earlier this year that the company is “not considering a [Switch] successor or a price cut at this time.”

Nonetheless, an updated Switch model has been rumoured for several months now, starting with a report from last October pointing to a new hardware release in the second half of 2019.

Further, Nintendo has a history of releasing iterations of its handheld gaming systems. The company’s first dual-screen handheld, the DS, was expanded upon in the years following its late 2004 release with a slimmer and lighter ‘DS Lite’ and improved DSi model.

Similarly, Nintendo has released several new models of the 3DS since the handheld’s early 2011 launch, including the less expensive, 3D-lacking 2DS model and beefier ‘new Nintendo 3DS’ family of devices.

Source: The Wall Street Journal Via: Kotaku