Nintendo is gearing up to launch two new versions of its all-in-one Switch console “as early as this summer”, according to the latest reports.
The second system will be a cheaper model than its precedessor with no HD Rumble vibration features, the newspaper says. The detachable Joy-Con controllers on the current model are also expected to be axed on the budget console and replaced with built-in versions.
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The budget model is being touted as the successor to the ageing 3DS handheld console, which has only received a few minor upgrades since launching at the end of 2011.
We don’t yet know whether the budget model can be docked and used on a TV, a feature that arguably set the Switch apart from its competitors.
Unlike Sony and Microsoft, which are both pursuing virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) where computer graphics are layered over real-world images, Nintendo is focusing on cheaper peripheral gadgets, such as its cardboard Labo kits. Nintendo is hoping to complement its next Switch consoles with these lower-priced gadgets, according to TechRadar.
But the Japanese firm allegedly posted a patent for a 3D sensor that sits above the player’s TV and provides a stereoscopic image in a similar way to the 3DS. This means users won’t need to wear 3D glasses, the tech site says.
Given that these reports have yet to be confirmed by Nintendo, there’s no word on an official release date for the new models or how much they’ll cost.
But the games company could choose the Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles – which runs from 11 to 15 June – to unveil the new consoles.