Nintendo is prepping its next-generation Switch handheld for a release as soon as September, according to a new report from Bloomberg. Due to pricier components, the report says the new device, which is said to feature a faster processor and an OLED display, will cost more than the $299 retail price of the original Switch.
It's not yet clear what the device will be named; the report says only a handful of individuals at Nintendo's Japan headquarters are privy to the name of the device. But it will carry a more powerful Nvidia graphics chip that will make it capable of outputting 4K resolution visuals when docked to TV.
Despite the ongoing chip shortage, Bloomberg reports Nintendo could start production as early as July with a ramp up to peak production in the fall. And because its not competing for some of the same higher-end components as the console and PC gaming markets, the company may be able to avoid some of the extreme supply constraints that have hit the gaming and broader consumer electronics industries.
The current Switch continues to be extremely successful. Analyst firm NPD Group reported on Thursday that the device, which came out in 2017, was again the best-selling hardware in the US in the month of April and the device routinely topped the sales charts all throughout last year's transition from the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One to Sony and Microsoft's new consoles. The Switch also outsold Sony's PlayStation 5 in the US during the first quarter of 2021, NPD reported last month.
Climate TRACE's data show emissions at the facility-level.Image: Climate TRACE