Smaller, cheaper Nintendo Switch might surface during E3 2019

For months we’ve heard rumors about a smaller, cheaper Nintendo Switch that could come out sometime in 2019. Now, thanks to a new report, we have a potential launch date for the console: June 2019.

The report comes to us from Bloomberg who spoke to two people familiar with Nintendo’s plans, both of whom not only corroborate the existence of the console, but claim that it’s coming soon.

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What the sources from Bloomberg couldn’t nail down is the exact price - although they say it’s cheaper than the current $299/£279 model - nor its exact specs, saying that the lite version of the console would be smaller and may lack the dock. They didn’t provide any other specific information.

What the sources could say with confidence is that the smaller Switch will be out sometime in June… which, admittedly, would line up nicely with E3 2019 and the company's most-watched Nintendo Direct event.

If Nintendo plans on announcing a new console, that'd be a good place and time to do it, especially since it sounds like we may not see either the PS5 or Xbox Two at the show.

Bad news for the Nintendo Switch 'Pro'

Of course, the report isn't all good news: the sources claim that earlier rumors about a more powerful Nintendo Switch console are incorrect - according to them, there's no console in development that's significantly different in power.

Where the confusion likely came from is the a slightly modified version of the hardware - what the sources say is a 'modest upgrade' - that seems likely to replace the current model on the market. It's unlikely that this modest upgrade would provide a substantial difference for gamers chomping at the bit for higher frame rates and resolutions. But it could help make the console more VR-friendly.

As for other E3 2019 announcements, we're hoping to hear more about Pokemon Sword and Shield, Luigi's Mansion 3 and Animal Crossing on Switch, but for now all we can do is wait.