The Nintendo Switch is only the most successful gaming tablet around, so it makes sense that Laptop Mag wants to dive into every rumor and story that hints to the possibility of a new Nintendo Switch (Nintendo Switch 2 or Nintendo Switch Pro) launching in the near future.
Nintendo is bound to release a new console sooner or later, whether it be a generational jump from the Nintendo Switch or another iterative version of the current Nintendo Switch, similar to how the company developed the recent Nintendo Switch Lite.
We’re holding out hope that there’s going to be a Nintendo Switch Pro before a Nintendo Switch 2 ever comes into existence. Here’s everything we know about the new Nintendo Switch:
New Nintendo Switch release date
If a new Nintendo Switch (Nintendo Switch 2 or Nintendo Switch Pro) is coming, it’s not going to be anytime in 2020. In a financial note published in late January 2020, Nintendo wrote, “Please note that we have no plans to launch a new Nintendo Switch model during 2020.”
Given everything that’s currently happening in the world, that’s probably for the best. So, when can we expect a new Nintendo Switch? Well, the original Nintendo Switch launched in March 2017, and was followed up with the Nintendo Switch Lite in September 2019. If we follow that same timeline, it’s possible that we could see a new Nintendo Switch launch in March 2022.
However, considering the success of both the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite, we have a feeling that the new Nintendo Switch might launch a bit sooner than that, sometime in 2021 at the very latest.
According to Taiwanese website Economic Daily News, the new Nintendo Switch was set to enter production in Q4 2020, with a release date set for Q1 2021 (too late for that). The report cites sources at manufacturers responsible for some components in the original Nintendo Switch, such as the flash storage and the Joy-Con controllers.
In a tweet, Brazilian journalist PH Brazil stated that if Nintendo had a better system available, it wouldn’t have made the MH Rise bundle. He then states that we must wait and see what happens in the next fiscal year, calling the next-gen Switch console the “Super Switch.”
While there’s no official word on the console being named the “Super Switch,” this isn’t the first time it’s been labeled as such. Reporter Tyler McVicker, in October 2020, stated in a tweet that Breath of the Wild 2 would be a Super Switch launch title. The rumor mill keeps churning.
Nintendo put out a recent update to the Nintendo Switch that leads Switch dataminer @OutmealDome to believe that Nintendo is gearing up for 4K support for the next Nintendo Switch due to their findings.
A recent Bloomberg report details that Nintendo apparently plans on upgrading the Switch as soon as September.
New Nintendo Switch price
With the original Nintendo Switch starting at $299 and the Nintendo Switch Lite dropping to $199, we imagine that the Nintendo Switch Pro is likely to bump up to $399. Japan-based games consultant Serkan Toto seemed to predict that the Switch Pro would also be $399 in an interview with Gamesindustry.biz.
New Nintendo Switch specs
There are quite a few rumors floating around about the new Nintendo Switch’s specs, but before we dive into those, let’s talk about what the original Nintendo Switch is packing under the hood.
The current Nintendo Switch is outfitted with a custom Nvidia Tegra X1 processor, a 6.2-inch, 720p display and 32GB of storage. Of course, to make things more confusing, there are actually two Nintendo Switch consoles. In August 2019, the console had a slight refresh, which increased the battery life from 2.5 – 6.5 hours to 4.5 – 9 hours. (Our dear friends at Tom’s Guide, specifically my role model and father figure Michael Andronico, found that the refreshed Nintendo Switch lasted 4 hours and 50 minutes, beating the old Switch’s 2:45 on a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate test.)
With that in mind, the most recent and exciting speculation of the new Nintendo Switch comes straight from the company itself. There’s a reference to a new hardware model found in the April Nintendo Switch firmware update. In the update, a bit of code reveals that the Nintendo Switch could support a dual-screen device, which suggests that the new Nintendo Switch may have two displays, like the Nintendo 3DS.
Inverse discovered a sketchy 4chan post that surfaced back in October 2019 detailing some of the new Nintendo Switch’s specs. While it’s now deleted, the post suggested that the new Nintendo Switch would be outfitted with a custom Nvidia Tegra Xavier processor, a 64GB SSD, 4K video support and two USB-C ports. They also claimed that the Nintendo Switch pro would be a TV-only console, which is a little bizarre.
If we look at the forum post on Korean website Clien (via TechRadar), it indicates that the new Nintendo Switch isn’t a generational leap. The post claimed that Nintendo was working with Nvidia on a custom Tegra processor that is based on Nvidia’s Volta architecture. That goes against the theory that many had about the Tegra X1+ chip coming to the Switch Pro. If this is true, 4K support won’t be featured in the new Nintendo Switch.
The source from the aforementioned Economic Daily News report suggests that the new Nintendo Switch will have improved “interactivity” and as well as a better display. However, no specifics were given about what either those claims mean.
According to Taiwan’s Economic Daily News, the new Nintendo Switch might come with a Mini-LED panel from Taiwan’s Innolux Corporation. That’ll surely be a welcome surprise, but also an expensive one, considering that mini-LED displays can be as pricey as OLED ones.
What we want from the new Nintendo Switch
A Nintendo Switch 2 or Switch Pro is bound to launch at some point (I hope), but before that happens, we hope Nintendo carefully considers what kind of new features to add to the console. Here’s what we’d like to see in the new Nintendo Switch:
- Bigger screen, more resolution: Right now, the Nintendo Switch features a 6.2-inch, 720p display. What we want is a bigger screen at a crisp 1080p resolution. Nintendo wouldn’t have to increase the footprint of the Switch itself as long as the company cuts the bezels down to size. Just imagine playing games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild or Super Mario Odyssey at a full 1080p — it would be glorious.
- Stronger performance for better frames and graphics: Even with a bigger screen and better resolution, that won’t change games like Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, which launched on handheld mode for the Switch at 420p. Nintendo needs to beef up its system so that developers can port their games over without sacrificing resolution or major graphical textures.
- Ergonomic Joy-Cons (hold the Joy-Con drift, please): It’s sad that I even have to ask, but please Nintendo, can we get new Joy-Cons without Joy-Con drift? It’s not a big ask. What is a big ask is getting a pair of Joy-Cons that aren’t shaped like uncomfortable rectangles. If you forgo the ability to use each Joy-Con as a separate controller, you can make a much more ergonomic controller, similar to those on the Alienware UFO.
- Better Bluetooth support: If you’re playing Nintendo Switch on the go, nothing is more annoying than having to whip out wired headphones just to listen to your game. If Nintendo is going to sell consumers a more premium console, it needs to feature better Bluetooth support that can connect to Bluetooth headphones and gadgets.
