The New Nintendo Switch (Summer 2019)

Let the record show, I’ve been saying Nintendo would release their newest iteration of the Nintendo Switch in April 2019 ALL YEAR LONG, but I digress...  

The rumor mill is in full effect about a new Nintendo Switch coming out ‘as early as’ mid next year.  OF COURSE there’s a new Nintendo Switch coming out mid next year.  If we take a look at Nintendo’s roadmap to upgrading their handhelds, a 2 year rotation is perfectly normal. 

Talking US launch years, specifically:

Game Boy (1990) -> Game Boy Pocket (1996) -> Game Boy Color (1998)

Game Boy Advance (2001) -> Game Boy Advance SP (2003) -> Game Boy Micro (2005)

Nintendo DS (2004) -> Nintendo DS Lite (2006)  -> Nintendo DSi (2009) -> Nintendo DSi XL (2010)

Nintendo 3DS (2011) -> Nintendo 3DS XL (2012) -> New Nintendo 3DS (2015) 

Nintendo Switch (2017) -> Nintendo Switch+ (2019)? 

As you can see, the majority of the time, an upgrade shows up right in that 2 year pocket.  Looking at what these enhancements normally are, and what the Nintendo Switch currently has, here are a few things I’d like to see in what I’m going to call the “Nintendo Switch+” (NS+) in 2019.

A Better Quality Screen: 

The Nintendo Switch currently has a 720p, 6.2 LCD screen.  At that screen size, even though 1080p may not be that different by the naked eye  (tell that to mobile phone manufacturers), it’ll be an important addition to the spec sheet.  Of course, that means we will probably need a little more horsepower under the hood, which we’ll get to later, but an upgrade to resolution is a necessity.  On top of that, I’d like to see a nice LED display to really bring some crispness and depth to color in handheld mode.  

A Bigger Screen: 

Right off the bat, I want to clarify that I don’t want a bigger Switch, I just want a smaller bezel.  In the world of ‘edge to edge’ display, Nintendo should take a page from this playbook for the NS+.  This small increase in screen size will really help the 1080p LED screen pop and give handheld mode a whole new dimension, while sacrificing zero portability or backwards compatibility with accessories. 

Upgraded CPU/GPU Chip: 

If there’s one thing that gets better, faster than the CPU and GPUs that Microsoft and Sony are using for their systems, it’s the portbile chipsets used by cell phones, tablets, and in our case, the Nintendo Switch.  Putting a newer generation chip into the NS+ can support that larger, 1080p, LED screen that we’re “getting” as well as stabilizing frame rate and resolution in handheld mode would be huge.  I don’t think there’s any need to push 4K resolution on the NS+, but making 1080p/60 FPS standard in both docked and handheld mode will an important upgrade.

Larger On Board Memory: 

Okay, Nintendo, let’s talk.  Flash memory is cheap.  In fact, I think a name brand 128gb MicroSD card was on sale for <$20 in the last couple weeks.  There is absolutely no reason why we don’t have 128gb of standard, on board storage in the NS+.  Anything less would be embarrassing.

And, I think that’s it!  Of course, I do not want to see any issue with dock/joy con compatibility, though I would understand if I have to buy a new case.  However, though I’m a day 1 purchaser of the NS+ regardless of what Nintendo does or doesn’t do with it, I’ll be real upset to put my Pokemon: Let’s Go version up for sale after just months after buying it.    

What do you think Nintendo’s next version of the Switch will be called?  Will it be out in the summer of 2019?  What upgrades would you like to see?  Comment below, or visit the Discord to keep the conversation going.  Check out GameZilla Media’s website and Patreon for all of GameZilla Media’s content.  Last, but not least, check me out personally on Twitch to talk all things Nintendo, but until next time — Game On!  

- @testanomics