Nintendo may be planning to launch an upgraded Switch console by September, Bloomberg reports. Citing people familiar with the matter, the news agency said the Japanese company aims to begin assembly of the new model as soon as July, and may also announce it ahead of the upcoming E3 conference sometime in June.
Rumours of Nintendo working on an alleged “Switch Pro” model have been circulating around for quite some time now. The most recent of such was reported back in January, where dataminers discovered information regarding the alleged Pro’s potential hardware specifications and features within the console’s firmware update that was released at that time.
It is believed that the upgraded console will feature a larger 7-inch 720p OLED display and a tweaked NVIDIA Tegra X1 chip. The latter would offer higher clock speeds than its predecessor and would also allow the Switch Pro to upscale visuals to 4K, with the assistance of NVIDIA’s own DLSS technology and a “4K UHD multimedia SoC” by Realtek. Other than that, the datamined information also mentions an improved internal cooling feature and better battery life.
As we are aware by now, the world is currently facing a shortage of semiconductors which have limited the production capacity of various industries, including those in the tech and automotive scene. Nintendo’s suppliers are “confident” in fulfilling orders for the Switch Pro console despite this, the report added.
Bloomberg says supplier production lines are better prepared for any potential “shake-up”, and noted that parts required for the upcoming Switch model “are subject to less competition than those in its rivals.” However, Nintendo’s ability to meet consumer demand won’t be guaranteed, the people familiar with the matter told the news agency.
With June arriving soon, it won’t be long until the renowned Japanese video game company unveils its upgraded hybrid console – that is, provided that these rumours and tips are accurate. If true, Nintendo’s decision to introduce a new model during these trying times is a bold one indeed. This is especially given the fact that they are still coping to meet consumer demands for the existing Switch and Switch Lite models worldwide.
(Source: Bloomberg)
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