Nintendo is working on two new versions of the Switch that could be released as soon as this summer, Trend reported citing The Verge. One of the models is said to be a cheaper variant, while the other device reportedly has “enhanced features targeted at avid video gamers.”
The Wall Street Journal says the cheaper model will omit the vibration feature, suggesting that it won’t have detachable Joy-Con controllers at all; it’s said to be seen as a successor to the 3DS. Nikkei reported earlier this year that Nintendo was planning to release a smaller Switch with a focus on portability.
The report doesn’t have any firm details on the higher-end model, but one source implied there was more to the revision than a simple performance boost. Even so, there’s clear room for improvement in that regard; the Switch uses Nvidia’s four-year-old Tegra X1 processor, and if Nvidia were to get back into mobile chip development for Nintendo it could make major gains in power and efficiency.
The WSJ says the new Switch hardware is likely to be announced at E3 in June.