RUMOR: Two Nintendo Switch Models Are In Development, May Be Announced This Summer

According to The Wall Street Journal, Nintendo is currently developing two new versions of the Nintendo Switch and could announce them over the summer. Both Switch revisions are intended to appeal to different audiences, reminiscent of the numerous, distinctive Nintendo 3DS hardware variations the Kyoto-based company has released.

One of the new Switch systems will aim for a younger demographic as something of an entry level device, providing consumers a cheaper option by eschewing some of the standard Switch’s features. This will particularly affect the Joy-Con controllers, preventing them from being detached from the console and removing their rumble capabilities.

The description given sounds like a Switch that’s incapable of connecting to a television. While it is somewhat humorous that such a device would betray the Switch’s namesake gimmick, it could prove to be a valuable addition to Nintendo’s roster. In 2014, Nintendo released similarly cheaper yet less capable iterations of the Nintendo 3DS, dubbed the Nintendo 2DS, to coincide with the launch of Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, so this concept isn’t an alien one to them.

Nintendo’s second Switch revision will in turn be marketed towards more dedicated gamers. There were seldom few details concerning it, but one source believed it won’t be as powerful as Sony’s or Microsoft’s consoles. However, the report notes that the new Switches’ designs are surprisingly “different from the original.”

If the Journal‘s report is correct, Nintendo has a wide window to reveal their new systems, although at or before E3 would be an ideal period to do so. We’ll keep you posted.