Published , by Asif Khan
Published , by Asif Khan
Nintendo Switch continues its march to world domination, but that hasn't stopped rumors about new versions of the handheld hybrid console device. The latest report comes from multiple anonymous sources who claim that Nintendo will release a cheaper version of the Switch in June. That would line up with E3 2019 as well as the tentative Super Mario Maker 2 release date.
The Bloomberg report claims two people familiar with the matter believe that a cheaper Switch model is to be expected in the next year. One source claimed that the smaller, cheaper Switch will likely release in June with a modest upgrade coming to the regular system by the end of the year. These sources also told Bloomberg that a new more powerful Nintendo Switch is not currently being developed. They requested to remain anonymous, but there are definitely murmurs of new Nintendo hardware swirling around financial analyst circles. Many of them are jockeying to figure out just how many Switch consoles were sold in Nintendo's last fiscal year.
The low estimate on Wall Street is for Nintendo to only have sold 15.5 million Switch consoles in the full year ending March 31, 2019. The highest estimate is at 18.3 million units. More intriguing is the disparity in fiscal 2020 Switch sales expectations, which range from 16 million to 22 million units. A lower price model could definitely throw these numbers out of whack as demand for a $200 Switch would likely be a lot higher than the current $300 version. Nintendo slashed their full year Switch sales guidance earlier this year to 17 million units which is still below consensus estimates.
It will be interesting to hear what the Big N has to say when they report earnings results later this week. The stock already jumped on the news of a deal with Tencent, and recent NPD data points to a very strong first quarter for the Nintendo Switch. We hope these rumors are true, and fans will be able to get a Switch in their hands for even less money as soon as this summer.