‘No plans’ to release a new Switch model in 2020, says Nintendo
Company denies reports claiming more powerful model will soon enter production
Nintendo has no plans to launch a new Nintendo Switch model during 2020, it said on Friday.
In its latest earnings presentation, the platform holder said it will instead focus on communicating the appeal of the existing Nintendo Switch models, which have now sold some 52 million units.
Nintendo’s statement comes in the wake of several reports claiming that the Japanese firm has been planning a third Nintendo Switch model, in addition to the flagship console and newly-released Lite.
Citing sources from the related supply chain, Taiwanese website DigiTimes reported this month that new Switch hardware would enter mass production in the first quarter of this year and launch soon after.
Another report from The Wall Street Journal claimed in 2019 that Nintendo was planning a more powerful Nintendo Switch hardware revision, with “enhanced features targeted at avid gamers.
Japan-based Kantan Games analyst Dr. Serkan Toto recently predicted in a GI.biz article that the upgraded Switch hardware would launch this year.
“There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Nintendo will launch a ‘Switch Pro’ in 2020, my guess is at $399,” he said.
“More specifically, I predict 4K support, bigger cartridge sizes, and of course beefed-up components. I also think the device will launch after the summer holidays to counter the roll-out of the PS5 and next-gen Xbox later in the year – along with a first-party, system-seller game.”
Nintendo sold 10.8m Switch consoles between October and December 2019, around 5m of which were Switch Lite consoles.
In its earnings meeting on Friday, the company said it felt it could better communicate the Lite’s unique features going forward.
“We feel that we have not yet fully communicated the special features and appeal of Nintendo Switch Lite, so we will continue to address this going forward,” it said.
Analysts have suggested Nintendo Switch may have a longer than expected life cycle during which it surpasses Wii’s sales total of 102.63 million units.
In 2019 Nintendo released the cheaper Nintendo Switch Lite and refreshed the flagship Nintendo Switch model with a longer battery life.
The platform holder recently said it hopes to continue selling the Switch family of consoles for as long as possible and that it has no plans for a Switch price cut.
Nintendo is reportedly planning to release “at least” two Wii U ports for Switch in 2020, with the company likely to detail its plans in an upcoming Nintendo Direct live stream.
