A new, cheaper version of the Switch will be released by the end of June, according to one “person familiar with the matter” cited in a recent Bloomberg report. That’s the most specific time frame yet for the still-rumored release of a redesigned version of Nintendo’s system and coincides well with the E3 expo, a major gaming convention in June.
Further Reading
Report: Cheaper “Switch Lite” will be dockable, come in the fall
A Nikkei report earlier this month suggested the new unit would be available in the fall. That report followed a Wall Street Journal report from last month which said the cheaper redesign might arrive “as early as this summer, complete with reduced features and, possibly, no ability to dock to a TV.”
Bloomberg also echoes Nikkei in suggesting that a “more powerful version” of the system, rumored by the WSJ, is not currently in the works. But a more “modest upgrade” to the standard Switch hardware could be coming before the end of the year, according to Bloomberg’s sources.
Further Reading
Nintendo often releases slight redesigns of its portable and console hardware a few years into their life cycles. Those releases are usually cosmetic, though, with little underlying change to base hardware features or software compatibility. One counterexample, 2015’s New Nintendo 3DS, gave that system a small power boost and second analog nub before being discontinued in 2017.
Rumors of redesigned Switch models have persisted practically since the system launched two years ago. WSJ previously reported on those rumors back in October, focusing on a new LCD screen supplier for the new model. Another January report from Japan’s Nikkei news service suggested a miniaturized Switch focused on portability.
Nintendo of Japan started selling a cheaper, dock-free version of the Switch in that country last May, though the actual console hardware was unchanged from the standard package.
