Yet another source claims that Nintendo will launch a cheaper Switch model this summer. In a new report focusing on the company’s continued success, Bloomberg cites people familiar with Nintendo’s plans that believe “a new, cheaper version of the Switch” will be on store shelves by the end of June. This will help Nintendo to maintain its growth year-over-year, even as Sony and Microsoft begin to gear up for the next generation.
Although Nintendo has yet to acknowledge any future hardware plans for the Switch, reports have suggested that the cheaper model would have a smaller display and might not come with a dock or even support the dock. With the 3DS seemingly nearing the end of its life span, the Switch could replace it altogether.
Nintendo hasn’t released its official numbers for the 2018 fiscal year, but analysts estimate that Nintendo shipped 17.5 million Switch units through March 2018. That’s not quite the 20 million unit goal that the company set for itself, but it’s impressive nonetheless. And now analysts believe Nintendo could hit 18.5 million in 2019.
A cheaper Switch model could certainly help to drive that growth, but the software lineup is even more important. As Bloomberg points out, the Switch library for 2019 is shaping up to be far stronger than 2018’s, with first-party titles like Pokemon Sword and Shield, Animal Crossing, and Luigi’s Mansion 3 all set to drop by December.
As for the other rumored Switch model, Bloomberg’s sources say that a more powerful Switch is not in the works, but that the standard Switch will receive “a modest upgrade” before the end of the year.
