Nintendo reportedly planning new Switch in 2019

The Nintendo Switch.
Nintendo

• Nintendo is planning to release a new version of the
  Nintendo Switch in the second half of next year,
  The Wall Street Journal reports.
• The Nintendo Switch hit the shelves in March 2017, and
  while it has sold just under 20 million units, momentum has
  slowed.
• The Journal’s report suggests that the new model could
  be an upgrade on the current Switch, similar to the Xbox One X
  or PS4 Pro.

Nintendo is gearing up to release a new Switch console in the
second half of 2019,
The Wall Street Journal reports.

Citing suppliers and others with “direct knowledge” of the plans,
the Journal reports that Nintendo is still discussing what
features and hardware should be included in the new model. The
same sources said Nintendo could be ready to launch as soon as
summer next year.

The Nintendo Switch console was released in March of last year,
and while it has sold just shy of 20 million units,
momentum has slowed in its second year.

A Nintendo spokesperson declined to comment, according to the
Journal, and there were no solid details about exactly how this
new console might differ from the current Switch.

Given the Switch only launched in 2017, a “next-generation”
iteration would surprise some. The new model could be an upgraded
version, similar to the PS4 Pro or Xbox One X, which were
released in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Sources told the Journal
that one option for improvement could be the display, which could
be made brighter, thinner, and more energy efficient.

The Journal also reported that the new Switch would likely share
“many features” with the current model, and that its software
would also be compatible.

The release of a new Nintendo Switch in late 2019 could
potentially arrive just ahead of next-generation consoles. In
June,
Microsoft’s head of Xbox Phil Spencer announced that its
engineers are “deep into architecting the next Xbox consoles,”
and
media reports emerged that the new console would be released in
2020.

Business Insider contacted Nintendo for comment.