Nintendo Reportedly Working On A New Switch Model To Release In Second Half Of 2019

While the Switch sales have been solid since its introduction in March 2017, Nintendo is looking to ensure it stays competitive in the market with a new model in the works according to The Wall Street Journal.

According to suppliers and others with direct knowledge of the plan, Nintendo plans to release a new version of the Switch console next year in order to maintain the sales momentum of the device.

Sales are going doing well but it is said it is no longer delivering the favorable surprises that marked the device’s first year. After a sharp rise in Nintendo shares last year, it’s been trailing the broader stock market this year, which suggests the move to update the Switch to keep up with competition.

According to the sources, Nintendo is still debating what new hardware and software features to include in the upgrade, while weighing the cost of features. One option is possibly improving the display, as the current Switch uses a lower-end liquid-crystal display without some techniques that are standard in more recent smartphone LCDs. However, the updated Switch isn’t expected to adopt the organic light-emitting diode, or OLED panels used in Apple’s iPhone X series.