New Nintendo Switch Could Be Closer Than We Thought

According to a report from Bloomberg, the new Nintendo Switch, currently being referred to online as the Switch Pro, could begin assembly this July. While an official announcement has yet to be made, which may come as part of E3, some are anticipating that it may be announced even sooner in order to give publishers the chance to “showcase their full range of Switch games at the global event.” The actual release of the console could be as soon as September.

This new, upgraded model is likely to eventually replace the current standard model, and will continue to be sold alongside the Switch Lite. Previously reported differences include a larger, 7 inch, 720p resolution screen as well as the capacity for 4K resolution when docked, although prices are expected to increase accordingly. The current model comes at $299, and previous estimates put the new price at possibly a $50-$100 rise, but as this will apparently factor the rising Chinese labour costs, this could change, and the exact price remains unknown.

As Nintendo uses different components to those used in the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, it shouldn’t fall foul of the current, on-going shortage of semiconductor chips, but as the Switch in general still struggles to meet demand, the possibility of us seeing a repeat of 2020’s global Switch shortage can’t be ruled out.

Food For Thought:

With the Switch being the best-selling console for almost two years, and the subject of a pandemic-fuelled bot-provoking shortage that caused multiple retailers worldwide to run out of stock, could the release of a new Switch console be just what gamers need to level the playing field again? For anyone who was put off by the $500 price tag some online resellers were asking for during summer 2020, an upgraded model coming in even at $400 could be much more enticing, and for anyone happy to buy second-hand, the likelihood of the current model becoming more readily available as people choose to replace it with the new one could mean that everyone who missed out on the joy of Nintendo exclusives like Animal Crossing: New Horizons might finally get to join the fun. So this is probably good news for everyone involved!

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