With the launch of the Switch, Nintendo hedged its bets and tried to cater to multiple gaming markets with one hybrid device. The Switch is a home console, but it's also a portable. Switching between the two simply requires placing or removing the handheld from a dock. However, it apparently doesn't cater to everyone.
Analysts at Citigroup Inc. believe the existing Switch hardware is simply too big to be a comfortable portable gaming platform for all people. In particular, they see it as being a bad fit for children due to both its size and weight. With that in mind, Citigroup believes Nintendo will release a smaller version of the Switch "in the fiscal year through March 2019."
Rather than a smaller version of the Switch outright, Citigroup suggests this Mini Switch would be a dedicated portable device. So compatible, but not the hybrid like the Switch. Being smaller means lighter and easier for smaller hands to grip comfortably, much like the 3DS. In fact, it could form a true replacement for the 3DS in a couple of years.
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What Citigroup is suggesting would be the equivalent of Sony's PS Vita, if not a little smaller. That's certainly achievable in terms of offering a smaller display while retaining a 720p resolution. The difficulty would be maintaining the three to six hour battery life. However, if we're talking 2019 then Nintendo will have ample time to move over to a more efficient Tegra X1 SoC and optimize other areas of the system.
What would your prediction be for a Mini Switch? A 5-inch display, no Joy-Con detachable controllers, and internal memory staying at 32GB would be my guess. I bet Nintendo could deliver such a system for $199.
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