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New Nintendo Switch hardware coming next year, says WSJ

New Nintendo Switch hardware coming next year, says WSJ

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Nintendo is planning to release a new version of the Switch next year, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. The updated hardware is said to be planned for the second half of 2019 and could come as soon as summer. The WSJ’s report doesn’t contain any solid details on what the refresh might include, but one possible feature is an improved LCD screen.

A Switch redesign is almost inevitable at some point; Nintendo has released several iterations of each of its main portable consoles. The original 3DS, for example, was followed by the 3DS XL, the New 3DS/XL, the 2DS, and the New 2DS XL, each carrying various tweaks to the design, power, and size without significantly altering the capabilities of the platform.

The Switch hardware is solid, but there’s certainly scope for improvement, and Nintendo will want to maintain sales momentum into the next financial year. The company expects to sell 20 million units in the year ending March 2019, an ambitious target that will be challenging to achieve — let alone repeat.