Analysts Expect Nintendo Will Release a Mini-Switch by the Spring of 2019

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Analysts Expect Nintendo Will Release a Mini-Switch by the Spring of 2019

//cdn.themis-media.com/media/global/images/library/deriv/1357/1357165.jpgIf industry analysts are correct, we could see a smaller, lighter version of the Nintendo Switch in the next couple of years.

The Nintendo Switch has done exceptionally well for Nintendo since it launched last month, becoming the company's fastest selling console ever [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/170099-Nintendo-Switch-is-Officially-the-Companys-Fastest-Selling-Console-Ever]. Some industry analysts think that the success of the console will lead to Nintendo releasing another variation of the unit sometime in the next couple of years.

According to a Bloomberg report, analysts at Citigroup Inc. are speculating that the Switch is too large for kids to easily take it on the go, and that the need for a smaller unit could lead to a "Switch Mini" being released in the coming years. In an April 13 report, the analysts wrote, "Although the Nintendo Switch can be used as a handheld device, we think smaller children could struggle to use it comfortably in that format due to its size and weight. Accordingly, we think Nintendo will launch a lighter, dedicated handheld version of the Switch, possibly to be called the Switch Mini."

While the analysts didn't guess at what a Switch Mini might cost, they did have some predictions as to how many units Nintendo might sell. The report speculates that such a device could sell 6.7 million units in the 12-month fiscal year ending in March 2019. Alongside that, they expect Nintendo to have sold 25.7 million units of the standard Switch by then.

A smaller, lighter Switch could be interesting, although if Nintendo decided to release such a unit, it would likely spell the end of the 3DS. That said, if Nintendo could release a smaller Switch that could play the same games as its bigger brother, it might catch the interest of some dedicated handheld players. We'll just have to wait and see if this prediction comes true.

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[BarkBarker]

Depends on who their audience is. Core gamers MIGHT be their audience this time around so maybe that's their primary divide between Switch and 3DS: Core and Casual. Honestly it's not all that heavier than tablets from my experience and kids got those so who knows how they'll play it.

 

[Jacked Assassin]

I first saw that article while looking through Google News. This is the kind of wishful thinking that might cause me to preorder Skyrim only to wait for a Nintendo Switch that won't come (anytime soon).

 

[Saltyk]

Well Nintendo has a pattern of releasing improved versions of their handhelds. And the Switch is a glorified handheld. I can see something like this happening. Maybe a Mini-Switch and a Switch XL.

 

[Cowabungaa]

Can I first have an improved version of the Switch, please? I'm still waiting for those glaring design flaws to be fixed before I'm getting one.

 

[-Dragmire-]

I expect a larger hard drive and improved battery first. A smaller version has battery life and heat issues to solve if the quality is going to be kept the same. While a smaller screen could have a lower resolution, it's still going to have to output 900p when docked.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

"They won't make enough of them, they'll be hard to get and eventually will get discontinued," added said analysts with a shrug.

 

[Covarr]

"They won't make enough of them, they'll be hard to get and eventually will get discontinued," added said analysts with a shrug.

It seems far more likely that the NES Classic was discontinued so they could reaccommodate[/i] reallocate their manufacturing resources to more Switch units. I mean, say you're a big company, and you have two products on the market:

[ol]
[li]A profitable nostalgia device that brings one-time money from each buyer[/li]
[li]A profitable platform that is likely to bring repeated future software purchases from each buyer as well as restore brand relevance[/li]
[/ol]

Yes, the NES Classic is in high demand, and yes it's definitely making them money. But they don't have unlimited manufacturing capacity. No company does. Switches are selling out, doing far better than the Wii U did, and the best thing Nintendo can do is to ride that success while it's there and try and keep up with that demand as well as possible. They learned with the Wii U that early install base is vital to long-term success. Without it, you lose 3rd party support, and in turn lose a lot of future console sales, as well as potential first party software sales that would go with those systems.

That first year is everything, and if they have to kill off another product to help it along, so be it. The fact is, as popular and outright good as the NES Classic is, it simply doesn't have the same long-term viability and profit potential as a major platform.

P.S. Thanks

 

[Makabriel]

According to a Bloomberg report, analysts at Citigroup Inc. are speculating that the Switch is too large for kids to easily take it on the go, and that the need for a smaller unit could lead to a "Switch Mini" being released in the coming years. In an April 13 report, the analysts wrote, "Although the Nintendo Switch can be used as a handheld device, we think smaller children could struggle to use it comfortably in that format due to its size and weight. Accordingly, we think Nintendo will launch a lighter, dedicated handheld version of the Switch, possibly to be called the Switch Mini."

Geez...

I remember having to haul my computer around in a suitcase for LAN gaming. Hell, even this gen consoles need a large backpack to fit in to carry it around.

YOU CAN FIT THE SWITCH IN A PURSE!!!! It doesn't need to be smaller!!!

#firstworldgamingproblems

 

[Saelune]

This week in Duh...

Duh.

Isnt this standard fare for both Nintendo AND consoles in general?

 

[AzrealMaximillion]

Yes, the NES Classic is in high demand, and yes it's definitely making them money. But they don't have unlimited manufacturing capacity. No company does. Switches are selling out, doing far better than the Wii U did, and the best thing Nintendo can do is to ride that success while it's there and try and keep up with that demand as well as possible. They learned with the Wii U that early install base is vital to long-term success. Without it, you lose 3rd party support, and in turn lose a lot of future console sales, as well as potential first party software sales that would go with those systems.

That first year is everything, and if they have to kill off another product to help it along, so be it. The fact is, as popular and outright good as the NES Classic is, it simply doesn't have the same long-term viability and profit potential as a major platform.

P.S. Thanks

I doubt its due to a lack of manufacturing capacity. Nintendo goes to Foxconn like every major electronics company not named Samsung and pay them to built their stuff. "Capacity" should not be an issue considering the multiple versions of the 3DS and the Switch are made there. The fact that they're having trouble keeping Switches on shelves. I've got a couple of friends who work at the EB Games in the city. They're getting 1 or 2 Switches every 3 or so weeks until (they say) July. If Nintendo were "riding the wave" as you say, you'd think they'd be putting the console on shelves at a much faster rate. This console is outselling the Wii, which also had awful supply issues as well, think how many Switches they could have sold by this point.

I also disagree with your point about Nintendo learning anything from the Wii U launch. If they had learned about a big install base, shelves should be stocked with the console. A large portion of the Wii U's failure is due to the failure of the 3rd party to make a large presence on the Wii. Nintendo focused on trying to sell to casual customers and the people who game as a regular hobby stopped buying Wii games. A lot of Nintnedo's troubles started in the final years of the Wii when nothing but Nintendo's flagship franchises was selling well generally. That trend continued into the Wii U. If Nintendo learned anything, they learned that casual gamers are not good repeat customers. And let's be frank, Nintendo has been having major issues selling 3rd party games since the N64.

I personally think that the NES Classic was discontinued because it would eat a good chunk of the Switches sales. They could easily make more, but I think Nintendo would rather you buy NES games on the eShop rather than getting a bunch of them via the NES Classic. Especially when the NES is so easily hacked, which I think is another reason we aren't going to be seeing anymore past the final shipment. What the Switch actually needs is a bunch of games, 1st and 3rd party. I'd like for the 3rd party games to stick around for more than the first 2 years of the Switch's life, but that depends on Nintendo. Its been shown with Bayonetta 2 that buying exclusives doesn't work, so they have to figure something else out. Barring the Wii, every Nintendo home console has sold worse than the previous one. Nintendo's core fan base seems to be shrinking on that front.

 

[Guffe]

A smaller Switch just sounds weird, or stupid, can't decide which, to me...

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

As if the Switch's controls weren't small as it is.