Something to look forward to: It's no secret that Nintendo's Switch console has been a massive hit. With a platform-exclusive game attach rate of over 50 percent and more than $250 million in sales as of November, Nintendo is doing better than ever. Now, Nintendo may be looking to take the formula that's worked for them so far and iterate on it in the form of a new Switch model.
Rumors about the possibility of a new Switch console have been circulating for some time. Previous reports suggested the device would have a higher-resolution screen (1080p versus 720p) and an LED panel instead of the LCD panel current Switches ship with.
To that end, we have some good news and some bad news. The good news is, Nintendo does indeed appear to be working on a new Switch if a recent Nikkei report is anything to go by (partial translation available here). The bad news is, the model will probably not emphasize improved visuals or performance; quite the opposite.
Nikkei's report claims that Nintendo's upcoming Switch model will be smaller, and missing some features in order to boost portability and make "playing outside" more convenient. As a result, the price will also be lower, though we don't know by how much.
We have no idea what features Nintendo could be planning to cut for the new Switch model. However, as Ars Technica points out, if the system truly is going to focus on portability, the attached TV dock will likely be one of the first "luxuries" to hit the chopping block.
It also wouldn't be surprising if Nintendo downgrades the Switch's 720p display to 480p. Though we wouldn't bank on it, if the system is intended to be smaller than the normal Switch, the difference in pixel density may not be all that noticeable for casual users.
Speculation aside, we'll undoubtedly learn more about Nintendo's plans in the coming months. Nikkei says the company plans to release their new Switch systems as early as this year.