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Nintendo Switch firmware update reportedly hints at new dual-screen version

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The new firmware update for the Nintendo Switch reportedly hints at an upcoming dual-screen version for the endlessly popular console.

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The recently released 10.0.0 firmware update gives Nintendo Switch owners the ability to remap controller buttons, with up to five saved configurations, and the option to transfer data between the console’s system memory and an SD card.

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The update, however, may also contain clues for Nintendo’s next plans for the console, according to vulnerability researcher Mike Heskin.

Firmware 10.0.0 adds preliminary support for a new hardware model: "nx-abcd".
3 of the 5 new DRAM profiles are for this new hardware type and there's evidence of a secondary display of sorts being added exclusively on this model.
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

— Mike Heskin (@hexkyz) April 14, 2020

The “nx-abcd” code name follows “nx-abca” for the original Nintendo Switch and “nx-abcb” code name for the Nintendo Switch Lite. The console was also initially known as the Nintendo NX before it was officially unveiled on October 2016.

It remains, unclear, however, how Nintendo would plan to add a secondary display to the Nintendo Switch. Possibilities include a clamshell design similar to the 3DS, or a separate device such as the gamepad of the Wii U. Given the lackluster sales of the Switch’s predecessor, Nintendo look into bringing back the setup to carry out any plans that it may have had to ditch.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, one of the premier games of the Nintendo Switch, was also released on the Wii U, but the game’s functionality with the gamepad’s display was scrapped. Will Nintendo bring it back for the Switch version if a dual-screen model rolls out?

With the discovery of the code in Nintendo Switch firmware, it is very unlikely that “nx-abcd” is referring to an entirely new device. However, it remains unclear when the dual-screen Switch will be announced, if it is in the works.

Nintendo Switch still hard to find

While a new version of the console is rumored to be in development, the Nintendo Switch is currently in short supply due to a combination of huge demand due to the release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons and the challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic. Opportunistic sellers have taken advantage of the situation by jacking up prices on Amazon.

While stocks of the Nintendo Switch are difficult to find, the Nintendo Switch Lite is easier to find among major retailers such as Target, Walmart, and Kohl’s.

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