Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Nintendo Plans New Version of Switch Next Year (wsj.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the new-and-improved dept.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Nintendo is planning to release a new version of its Switch gaming console next year (Warning: source may be paywalled; alternative source) "to maintain the sales momentum of the device," which is "no longer delivering the favorable surprises that marked the machine's first year on the market." From the report: Nintendo is still debating what new hardware and software features to include in the upgrade and weighing the cost of the features, people with knowledge of the discussions said. One option is improving the display, they said. The current Switch uses a lower-end liquid-crystal display without some technologies that are standard in more recent smartphone LCDs. Updating the display with these technologies would make it brighter, thinner and more energy-efficient. The updated Switch isn't expected to adopt the organic light-emitting diode or OLED panels used in Apple's iPhone X series. Nintendo is looking to release the new Switch in the latter half of 2019, perhaps as soon as summer, the people said. [...] The upgraded Switch would likely share many features with the current version and be compatible with existing Switch game software.

2 of 98 comments (clear)

  1. Portable Docked Mode by mentil · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I'm betting this'll use 7nm chips, and Nintendo is mulling whether they should just improve the battery life, or improve the performance. Right now, when in portable mode, the SoC is underclocked in order to improve battery life, but it renders at 720p (for the 720p screen) and framerate is noticeably worse in many games (Doom and Xenoblade at least). It'd be tempting to have it run at the docked clock speed while in portable mode, slap a 1080p screen on there, and give owners the same experience in docked and portable mode.
    It's also worth noting that a new Switch revision is expected to fix the hardware bugs responsible for it being hacked, so there is that.

    I'm still wondering where the 3rd party games are, considering how well the systems have sold. Hope it didn't Vita itself with high development costs.

    --
    Corruption is convincing someone that the selfless ideal is the same as their selfish ideal.
    1. Re:Portable Docked Mode by markdavis · · Score: 3, Interesting

      >"It'd be tempting to have it run at the docked clock speed while in portable mode"

      There is an easy solution to that. Give the user a CHOICE. I know, it isn't fashionable to let users decide. But a single setting option would allow the user to pick do they want higher performance or longer battery life. Cost $0.

      My wish? A non-portable Switch version. There are people who have no interest in portable or having a screen and just want a console to play at home on the big screen who would be tempted to buy if it were much cheaper. Add a non-portable version to the lineup at half the price (no dock, no screen, no batteries, no charging circuits, no space limitations, etc).