Two Nintendo Switch models are reportedly in development, the first a "Pro" model that's more powerful to a certain extent than the current Switch, and the other a smaller version that's more portable and inexpensive.
However, a new rumor suggests Nintendo has delayed the Pro model due to technical difficulties.
Next-Gen Nintendo Switch Delayed
According to a report in Japanese publication Nikkei, a more powerful "next-generation" Switch redesign is further off. It's not clear, however, if it's referring to the rumored "enhanced" version of the Switch that The Wall Street Journal says is coming later this year, or an entirely new version of the console altogether.
That's an important distinction to make clear, since "enhanced" and "next-generation" are two completely different things. The DS Lite was an enhanced version of the original DS, whereas the DSi was a more significant upgrade in terms of features and specs. It's not clear what Nikkei's report might be referring to.
Nikkei suggests in the same report, however, that the cheaper Switch version is coming this fall. This variant will be geared around portable play, but Nikkei says players will still be able to hook it up to a TV, as they would with a current Switch. For the uninitiated, the Switch is a hybrid console that can be played in both handheld and docked mode. It can be taken anywhere then connected to a TV for a more immersive gaming setup.
The Switch is also compatible with Labo peripherals, which are a set of cardboard-based accessories that connect to the console to allow for unique, unusual, and downright innovative control schemes. It's not clear if the two rumored Switch models would be compatible with Labo toys.
Quality Of Life
Elsewhere in the report, Nikkei claims Nintendo has canceled its quality of life projects. In 2014 and 2015, Nintendo said it would apply its unique design philosophy to the growing trend of personal health tracking devices. At the time, it seemed Nintendo was suggesting that it was going to enter the wearable market with health devices akin to an Apple Watch or a FitBit accessory.
Then in 2016, Nintendo put that project on hold. Fast forward to December 2018, when Nintendo reportedly contacted major component manufacturers to inform them it was exiting the health business entirely. A source that spoke to Nikkei said the project was canceled because the company wasn't able to make a "Nintendo-like product."
