Nintendo news (April 18): Nikkei rumours (Nintendo Switch revisions, QoL)
Today’s Nintendo news: a couple of Nikkei rumours about Nintendo Switch revisions, and the infamous QoL project!
In the past few months, we’ve heard about several new models for the Nintendo Switch (see this post for example) seemingly in preparation at Nintendo, from various sources (including reliable ones). And today, Nikkei went and shared some details about the rumoured revisions, starting with the cheaper model.
The Wallstreet Journal previously reported that this cheaper, smaller, and more portable model would launch this Summer, but according to Nikkei, it’s this Fall that it will be released. The newspaper confirms that users will be able to use this new model with a dock, and therefore play on a TV.
Also, Nikkei shares details about another model, but it’s not clear whether it’s the same one that The Wallstreet Journal claimed had “advanced features”. The newspaper reports that Nintendo is working on a “next-gen” model (NB: it’s not clear whether they’re talking about a full-fledged console generation, or just a new Nintendo Switch generation… aka. a new model à la PlayStation 4 Pro).
Right now, Nintendo is said to be experimenting on various things: usability, “improved image rendering”, changes to the operating system, and more. But according to an unnamed development source, it’s not clear who is in charge of conceptual development for this new console, which would imply its release is quite far away (and that it may not be the same model mentioned by The Wallstreet Journal last month).
Finally, Nikkei gives us some some news about something completely unexpected, that pretty much everybody thought was long dead and buried… QoL, or Quality of Life. According to the newspaper, Nintendo’s department dedicated to QoL has been shut down. A prototype for a sleep monitoring device was created and was nearing completion before it was canceled, officially due to it not being very “Nintendo-esque”.
The next meeting with investors is next week, and it will be interesting to see whether Nintendo mentions the new Nintendo Switch models and/or QoL at all (to deny rumours, or instead share more details/clarify things a bit).
Source: Nikkei
Via: USGamer / Kyle McLain (Twitter)
