Nintendo says it’s not planning to launch a new Switch model in 2020
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by Julia LeeNintendo will not be releasing a new iteration of the Nintendo Switch hardware this year, the company said Friday, laying to rest rumors about a so-called Switch Pro.
“Please note that we have no plans to launch a new Nintendo Switch model during 2020,” said Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa during a corporate management policy briefing for the first three quarters of the company’s current fiscal year.
Furukawa noted the success of the Nintendo Switch Lite — the handheld device’s form factor and price point helped the company “meet a wider range of consumer needs and expand the consumer base,” according to a slide from his presentation. But he added, “We feel that we have not yet fully communicated the special features and appeal of Nintendo Switch Lite, so we will continue to address this going forward.”
This means that while Nintendo may continue to release special versions of the existing Nintendo Switch models — like the sweet Animal Crossing: New Horizons console coming in March — it will not roll out a new version of the hardware outside of cosmetic differences.
So if you’re afraid that there might be a more powerful version of the Nintendo Switch coming out soon, don’t fret, since it won’t be happening this year, at least. The only thing you’ll have to worry about are any new swanky Nintendo Switch units with game-themed Joy-Cons and docks.
The Nintendo Switch Lite launched on Sept. 20, 2019, following the July debut of a revision of the Nintendo Switch with better battery life. The Switch recently topped 52 million units sold, surpassing the Super NES and quadrupling the sales of the Wii U.
Even though Nintendo is staying on the sidelines, it’s going to be a very busy holiday season this year with the launches of Sony’s PlayStation 5 and Microsoft’s Xbox Series X.