Nintendo is gearing up to release a new Switch console in the second half of 2019, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Citing suppliers and others with "direct knowledge" of the plans, The Journal reports that Nintendo is still discussing which features and hardware should be included in the new model. The same sources said Nintendo could be ready to launch the console as soon as next summer.
The Nintendo Switch was released in March of last year, and while it has sold just shy of 20 million units, momentum has slowed in its second year.
The Journal said a Nintendo representative declined a request for comment, and it did not include details about exactly how the new console may differ from the Switch. Business Insider contacted Nintendo for comment.
Given that the Switch launched only in 2017, a "next-generation" iteration would surprise some. The new model could be an upgrade similar to the PS4 Pro or the Xbox One X. Sources told The Journal that one option for improvement could be the display, which could be made brighter, thinner, and more energy efficient.
The Journal also reported that the new Switch would most likely share "many features" with the current model and that its software would also be compatible.
The release in late 2019 could introduce the new console just ahead of competitors' next-generation consoles. In June, Microsoft's head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, announced that the company's engineers were "deep into architecting the next Xbox consoles," and media reports emerged that the new console would be released in 2020.
