Nintendo Set To Release Small Switch Despite ‘Performance’ Issues

Nintendo is looking to release a mini Switch, but like a lot of things from the Japanese game Company it’s going to be a slow process with insiders tipping a 2019 release.

Nintendo’s move to combine the two playing styles into a single hybrid design called the Switch has also resulted in a machine that isn’t as powerful as other home consoles like Sony’s PlayStation 4, or Microsoft’s Xbox while also being heavier and with a shorter battery life than the 3DS.

According to Citigroup the new console is too big to truly combine home and portable gaming for everyone with users complaining that the new device is far from “portable”.

The US group expect Nintendo who have has several variants of portable devices to release a smaller version of the Switch in March 2019.

“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,” the analysts wrote in an April 13 report. “Accordingly, we think Nintendo will launch a lighter, dedicated handheld version of the Switch, possibly to be called the Switch Mini.”

For decades, Nintendo has turned over billions by having gamers buy two distinct sets of hardware: one to play at home like the Wii, and another such as the 3DS when on the go.

Nintendo shares rose 2.1 percent in Tokyo on Friday after the company said Switch sold faster in its first month than any other of its video-game systems, with more than 906,000 Switch consoles shipping last month in the U.S., according to data from industry researcher NPD Group.

The Citigroup analysts didn’t predict how much the smaller Switch could cost, but estimated it could sell 6.7 million units in the twelve months through March 2019.

Sales in Australia are believed to have slowed, Nintendo expect the regular Switch to sell 25.7 million units by then.