Nintendo reportedly has plans to reveal its upgraded Switch replacement prior to E3 2021. The console will apparently be ready to ship by September or October, despite ongoing semiconductor shortages that have impacted the production of the PS5, Nintendo Switch, and other video game consoles.
This news comes by way of a recent Bloomberg report, citing “people familiar with the matter.” According to the report, the new unnamed upgraded Switch “may be” revealed ahead of E3 to allow other publishers to showcase games during the show. The new Switch will begin full production as early as July to allow it to launch this fall. The production company in charge of assembling the new upgraded model seems to be confident it can fulfill Nintendo’s orders, even with the chip shortages.
As previously reported, the new, upgraded Switch model is said to feature 4K capabilities, a 7-inch OLED screen, and better battery life. Nintendo is releasing an upgraded Switch to compete with the recent launch of the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles. Though, with all of these upgraded capabilities, it wouldn’t be surprising for the console to be more expensive than the base Switch model.
While the price of the system is unknown, it’s estimated that it will be more expensive than the current $300 Nintendo Switch, and will apparently replace the standard model. Bloomberg noted that Nintendo will phase out the standard Switch model, selling the upgraded one in its place, alongside the $200 Switch Lite handheld.
With E3 right around the corner, we’ll likely find out more about the upgraded Switch system soon.
