New Switch model coming in second half of 2019, reports Japanese WSJ

LordKano said:

The OG Switch will progressively drop in price to reach the 3ds price point as time passes so that's not really an issue but a significantly smaller switch really seem out of the picture for a while

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

But problem is that Switch has higher price point at start, 3DS had huge price cut to $170 only 6 months after launch.
I mean we can realisticly expect around $250 price point for current Switch next year, maybe around $200 in 2020. thats too long time to reach $150-200 price point that they will need when 3DS dies, they will need at $200 price point next year, and $150-200 Switch Mini/Pocket would perfectly fit.

Also I don't see why smaller more affordable Switch is out of picture for a while?
Just for record, Switch Mini/Pocket doesnt mean we want have Switch Pro also at one point.

NateDrake said:

Pretty much. The X1 kind of put them in an odd spot as they can't really maneuver around it. The X2 is the only direction to move and that would bring them to a Pro.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

To be fair X2 could bring them also smaller, stronger battery life Switch, Switch Mini/Pocket.

Bowser said:

Switch current size is perfect now. A smaller version would mean smaller joy-cons and while that could work for kids, it wouldn't for most people. Does anyone imagine smaller joy-cons? Same goes with a bigger sized one, Switch is already at the limit of what a portable device is. I know most people don't carry it on their pockets but yeah, a bigger model would be way too big for a handheld device imo.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

We could had built in Joy Cons and eventually made smaller, much cheaper, stronger battery life Switch just for handheld play. That would be perfect Switch for kids.

Chauzu said:

I don't understand the people that want a 1080p screen. Shouldn't we first achieve native 720p in all games?

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

If they really use Tegra X2, 1080p screen would mean that Switch Pro in handheld mode can have resolution that games have them currently in docked mode.

Spinluck said:

They are not putting an X2 in this thing, that's more than a revision lol.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

New 3DS had newer stronger CPU wit more RAM and VRAM compared to original 3DS, thats also more than revision.

Sander VF said:

A reminder that games, including Metroid Prime 4, would be developed with the base model in mind, while a revision would merely run them at higher res and/or framerate

No different from PS4P and Xbox1X.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Hey higher res is fine with me. It is the main reason I have a Pro.

Simba1 said:

But problem is that Switch has higher price point at start, 3DS had huge price cut to $170 only 6 months after launch.
I mean we can realisticly expect around $250 price point for current Switch next year, maybe around $200 in 2020. thats too long time to reach $150-200 price point that they will need when 3DS dies, they will need at $200 price point next year, and $150-200 Switch Mini/Pocket would perfectly fit.

Also I don't see why smaller more affordable Switch is out of picture for a while?





To be fair X2 could bring them also smaller, stronger battery life Switch, Switch Mini/Pocket.





We could had built in Joy Cons and eventually made smaller, much cheaper, stronger battery life Switch just for handheld play. That would be perfect Switch for kids.




If they really use Tegra X2, 1080p screen would mean that Switch Pro in handheld mode can have resolution that games have them currently in docked mode.




New 3DS had newer much better CPU wit more RAM and VRAM compared to original 3DS.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Exactly. X2 would be used no matter the direction they move -- be it smaller or a Pro. The X1 is outdated and useless. They have to move towards the X2 whether it be a Pro, Lite or both.

potentialtodisplease said:

So now you are gonna keep an eye out for something you just told me was coming out in 2023 with a ridiculously smug attitude? Yeah okay.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

you talked abou nonsense 7nm nvidia mobile chips that dont exist. he talked about a 12 nm process, thats a more realistic possibility. you are just spitting nonsense

Jarmusch said:

you talked abou nonsense 7mn nvidia mobile chips that dont exist. he talked about a 12 mn process, thats a more realistic possibility. you are just spitting nonsense

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

It's nm. The difference in 12nm and 7nm is very little. The design is much more important.

Ashler said:

So marcus sellars was right all along, interesting!

Can't wait to hear about the 'Pro' specs.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

hell no he isn't

Dekuman said:

X1 is based on maxell and X2 is based on pascal and the majority of the performance gains between the two is the die shrink allowing higher clocks.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

While the differences were small, Pascal was not just a die shrink. We saw some differences in how it responded to things like async compute and dx12 features in general gen on gen, minor tweaks were made to cuda architecture and so on.

In the general case, a shrunk X1 could be a smaller chip than X2 because it would lack both Denver cores and have the smaller cuda core count. I don't think this is a more likely road, but if Nintendo wanted that I see no reason why Nvidia would say no. Nvidia was already "done" with X1 in 2017, but Nintendo's bulk orders for new chips revitalised production and helped synergise with Nvidia's own shield, a product that would almost certainly not still be in production otherwise.

Nintendo is now one of Nvidia's larger clients and shrinking X1 would not be "hard" if that's the route Nintendo wanted to go. A shrink to 12nm, even.

They will probably dump the Denver cores on the X2 regardless and may choose to do something custom - a chip that uses Pascal arch but has the same cuda counts as X1, for example. With 25+ million lifetime orders guaranteed such a prospect is not remotely out of the question to fit Nintendo's needs.

Edit: They actually both have the same core count! I was confusing with the follow up to tx2. In. That case the only advantage would be if they had compatibility concerns.

Do we know much about the Mariko specs ?

Fucking hell.

MonthOLDpickle said:

Innovation is better then just another PSBOX copy though.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

They should definitely just ride the Switch train into the foreseeable future. Add VR and bring back Wii U like functionality eventually and call it a day. Nintendo's forte is surprise though.

I'm not sure they'd even consider going back to a traditional console style right now.

Given the games already announced for 2019, they are going with the cheaper route first. Price is still a barrier for the casual market that loves games like Animal Crossing or Pokemon.

The Pro will come a year or so later, at the same time as next gen, with some big games to show its capabilities (Zelda ?)

NateDrake said:

Exactly. X2 would be used no matter the direction they move -- be it smaller or a Pro. The X1 is outdated and useless. They have to move towards the X2 whether it be a Pro, Lite or both.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Yeah, I totally agree, only problem I could see if from some reason X2 would be more pricey for Nintendo for instance compared to shrinking X1,
but I think higher chances are for X2 in any case, saying that we still cant say that Tegra X2 for this revision is sure thing.

potentialtodisplease said:

I mean I understand people not wanting to get left in the dust, but some people are around here are absurd. 7nm is a HUGE boon for power savings. You would be stupid not to use it.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

And it's already being used in mass production this year, we are talking more than a year from now to release date. (November 2019?)
That may not be enough to have affordable 7nm for a home console, but this is a mobile chip we are talking about. The One X has a 340 sq.mm die, the Tegra X1 is just ~140.
It's obviously not guaranteed that it will happen, but it's feasible.

Do you want 4K or better more "Power"?

Clamshell Switch or Switch mini isn't going to be happen anytime soon guys.

Anyway I think it'll be a light upgrade. A shrunken bezel would be nice

Elfotografoalocado said:

And it's already being used in mass production this year, we are talking more than a year from now to release date. (November 2019?)
That may not be enough to have affordable 7nm for a home console, but this is a mobile chip we are talking about. The One X has a 340 sq.mm die, the Tegra X1 is just ~140.
It's obviously not guaranteed that it will happen, but it's feasible.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Yeah not guaranteed for sure, but 7nm is very hard to resist. We know all the chip makers are going full steam ahead. Nvidia is right in the muck as well. Would not surprise me at all to see a Switch 7nm revision in late 2019.

Jump_Button said:

Do you want 4K or better more "Power"?

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

You might want that, but its an impossibility.

Give me an OLED screen and I'll update immediately. Seems as though that isn't on the table though.

potentialtodisplease said:

Well every other maker has released a Pro version with much better performance. All of those revisions coincided with shifts in chip size.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Well Nintendo is known for new hardware revisions but they have barely taken advantage of increase in specs.
Plus i just don't see developers wanting to optimizing for 4 hardware profiles.

lmao at "PRO SWITCH TO SHOWCASE MP4 AT 4K"

I will be thinner, with a beter screen and mayyyyyybe more RAM and thats it

potentialtodisplease said:

That right there would be all I need. Much improved dock performance.


2023 is WAY too late for that. 2021 at the latest will be another revision. I don't see how you guys come to these conclusions. Tech in 2021 already is going to be insane. Nintendo is not just gonna sit around waiting for people to kick their ass.

They might be frugal, but they are not stupid.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

I said 2022, if they release a switch upgrade next year and one just 2 years later, they might find a fatigue, these aren't on contracts like phones, and 2022 is when 3rd parties will be shifting away from current gen to ps5, xbnext and Switch 3.0.

Elfotografoalocado said:

And it's already being used in mass production this year, we are talking more than a year from now to release date. (November 2019?)
That may not be enough to have affordable 7nm for a home console, but this is a mobile chip we are talking about. The One X has a 340 sq.mm die, the Tegra X1 is just ~140.
It's obviously not guaranteed that it will happen, but it's feasible.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

nintendo doesnt use new tech, its either a downsized x1 or an x2 most likely. something costumized already in the works like it was mentioned its a possibility also

Of course the Switch needs "Pro" treatment considering the Next Box and PS5 are on horizon.

I look forward to getting it if it has some good QOL improvements. I can wait, I'm mostly wanting a Switch for Luigi's Mansion 3 and Metroid Prime 4.

Devilgunman said:

Of course the Switch needs "Pro" treatment considering the Next Box and PS5 are on horizon.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Just make cloud editions brehs

Devilgunman said:

Of course the Switch needs "Pro" treatment considering the Next Box and PS5 are on horizon.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

A Switch Pro would not ~hypothetically~ put it anywhere in the realm of the other two successor systems.

Though as always it depends on how much publishers and developers want to downscale their games. Some won't care if the profit is there.

I see that the speculation hype machine is already in full force.

Nintendo is not chasing the spec wars, I seriously doubt that they'll be using a new SoC, likely they'll patch hardware vulnerabilities and dye shrink the X1 to improve power consumption. Outside of that? Maybe a larger battery, and a better screen... Maybe even smaller bezels. They can't change the form factor, without losing compatibility with all their existing peripherals so I don't see that happening either.

Jarmusch said:

nintendo doesnt use new tech, its either a downsized x1 or an x2 most likely. something costumized already in the works like it was mentiomed its a possibility also

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Why in the world would Nvidia create a parallel Tegra development path for the Switch when they have the top mobile GPU technology? The question is, will this be 12 or 7nm. And don't count on Nintendo changing the form factor beyond a bigger screen in the same shell, that's a useless market fragmentation.
They'll simply keep the current Switch as a base SKU.

This won't be a more powerful system, outside of maybe some revised chips and increased RAM.

Expect a lighter, smaller, and possibly cheaper device. The Switch is currently a pretty heavy and large device (especially for children) which could be shrank down after 2.5 years of hardware improvements without a need to change the existing JoyCon design or necessarily the size of the display. If the cost can also be reduced, this may also open Switch up to a larger demographic just in time for the next Pokémon.

This, including the timing, would be consistent with GBA -> GBA SP, DS -> DS Lite, and 3DS -> New 3DS.

potentialtodisplease said:

7nm is a huge jump for power savings. All the companies will jump on it. What exactly do you think this Switch Pro is going to use?

You think they are going to go backwards?

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

No, there is just no agreement that it will be a switch pro in the first place.

Chances are equally that Nintendo wants their next pokemon game on a smaller form factor and hardware that costs at least 50 or preferably 100 euro less with the same margins. I expect a DS Lite, not a New 3DS.
It'll have improvements, but it'll also be more cost effective.

tadaima said:

This won't be a more powerful system, outside of maybe some revised chips and increased RAM.

Expect a lighter, smaller, and possibly cheaper device. The Switch is currently a pretty heavy and large device (especially for children) which could be shrank down after 2.5 years of hardware improvements without a need to change the existing JoyCon design. If the cost can also be reduced, this may also open Switch up to a larger demographic just in time for the next Pokémon.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

This. Nintendo is currently not catering to it's most important market: the kids and parents market. That's partly why Labo didn't blow up imo.

Yup, leaning towards a Pro model, rather than a mini.

potentialtodisplease said:

Hey higher res is fine with me. It is the main reason I have a Pro.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

I hope it is indeed a "Pro" type of a revision, even though I'm unlikely to upgrade myself (unless, god forbid, my unit is broken or something).

It's just a cool thing to have around even if I won't benefit from it personally.

I'd be very salty if the new revisions turned out to be significantly more powerful than the current switch . It's not even 2 years old and now it'll feel outdated

Is it bad that as soon as I read the thread title, my mind went straight to Weekly Shonen Jump?

Keep in mind that Nintendo ain't gonna release something more expensive than the current price of the Switch.

Whatever new model comes will likely be sold at 299$ while the OG Switch drops to 249$.

If this ends up being a more powerful version then I'm in. Maybe Xenoblade won't run like garbage if they can brute force it.

LordKano said:

Keep in mind that Nintendo ain't gonna release something more expensive than the current price of the Switch.

Whatever new model comes will likely be sold at 299$ while the OG Switch drops to 249$.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

That's what I envision.

Dropping the price, but not really.

Would be a smart move.

Here comes the Switch Slim, the real portable update to the 3DS.

Hopefully Nintendo don't shaft early adopters and offer a standalone tablet that their existing joycon, dock can be used with.

Elfotografoalocado said:

Why in the world would Nvidia create a parallel Tegra development path for the Switch when they have the top mobile GPU technology? The question is, will this be 12 or 7nm. And don't count on Nintendo changing the form factor beyond a bigger screen in the same shell, that's a useless market fragmentation.
They'll simply keep the current Switch as a base SKU.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Its extremely likely Nvidia will be developing a parallel development path for Nintendo going forward if they intend to keep the contract. Tegra is getting more and more specialized As far as automotive functions with lots of shit Nintendo has no use for being built into the SOCs.

That is of course if they stay the Hybrid Path. Nintendo will Nintendo and we have really no clue what Next Gen Nintendo could be. The only thing we know at this point is Nintendo and Nvidia seem to have long term interests together

Jump_Button said:

Do you want 4K or better more "Power"?

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

oh no....

LordKano said:

Keep in mind that Nintendo ain't gonna release something more expensive than the current price of the Switch.

Whatever new model comes will likely be sold at 299$ while the OG Switch drops to 249$.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

This, theyre not releasing a more expensive switch on the same year AC and Pokemon release, those demographics are not attracted to expensive prices

I would like to see a "pro" version with 4k capabilities (keep dreaming i guess), but my gut tells me it would be a more affordable version of the Switch.
3DS might be still getting games, but it's on its last steps and i believe Nintendo wants the Switch to be able to reach the 3DS audience which is not able to get it due to the price.

AM_LIGHT said:

I'd be very salty if the new revisions turned out to be significantly more powerful than the current switch . It's not even 2 years old and now it'll feel outdated

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Same, will be more salt than the dead sea in my house.

They seem to speak only of a screen upgrade. Id prefer a more powerfull one, even it means it wont release in 2019

It's funny they can improve portable performance without any development disruption, by just matching docked mode, but as a mostly docked mode user I'm wondering if this update will focus on improvements there at all.

And then I'm also wondering how they are dropping the baseline price without a new version focusing on cost reduction only. But that could drop anytime unexpectedly just like many times in the recent past with Nintendo.

LordKano said:

Keep in mind that Nintendo ain't gonna release something more expensive than the current price of the Switch.

Whatever new model comes will likely be sold at 299$ while the OG Switch drops to 249$.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

at the end of the day, the article its just super vague and lacking any kind of useful info overall. And nintendo aint gonna spill the beans anytime soon, so we'll have to wait for more info/leaks to make any kind of sensible deduction

It can't be thinner than the current model because it needs to fit the current Joy-cons onto it.

I'd expect the same form factor but with better performance. Probably a smaller bezel on the screen though.

I also wouldn't expect an increase in screen resolution either. Just better performance at the same resolution; with everything now hitting native resolution.

I'd be down with the right trade-in deal at GS. I would especially be in if the revision focused on making it more durable. I'm not too worried about mine now, but I'd like to stop babying it, lol.

I can't see any way that a pro model would be more profitable than a cheaper mini/light model.

The audience for a pro model would likely be similar to the audience that already bought a Switch.

The audience for a cheaper/smaller/lighter model would be the huge audience of people who did not yet buy a Switch, but love cheap Nintendo handhelds.

The 3DS has incredible legs, but it would be advantageous for Nintendo to shift those users over to Switch as soon as it's feasible for them to release a device that is more appropriate for that audience. Especially with Animal Crossing, Fire Emblem and a mainline Pokemon game coming in 2019. Those are all huge sellers on 3DS.

A pro model would probably convince a few people who don't yet own a Switch to buy one, but it would mostly just be people upgrading from their existing one.