The Nikkei, a Japanese financial newspaper, is reporting, after much speculation, that Nintendo will release a revised version of the Switch sometime in its 2019 fiscal year. The fiscal year runs from April 1, 2019 – March 31, 2020 with the report suggesting it is slated for fall, but could find its way out as early as this summer.

Few other details were given about this revision other than it will be focusing more on the handheld aspect. Other features are supposedly going to be removed to help cut costs, but nothing concrete was offered as to which features would be getting removed. The rumors have suggested a slimmer frame and better battery, which sounds likely for a remodel of Nintendo hardware.

Nintendo home consoles don’t tend to get revisions nearly as drastic or with nearly the same frequency as their portables do, but if this is in fact going to be a more focused handheld device, then maybe this also means we are finally at the end of the 3DS’s long life. This would allow them to sell a dedicated handheld to families that just want something for their children and a home console for everyone else. The difference this time out is that it would have a completely unified software library.

Nintendo has not commented on the report just yet, but we will update this article accordingly if they do.

[Source: The Nikkei via Japanese Nintendo]

I’m all for a portable-only version of the Switch. I primarily use it connected to my television, but I have no problem with them offering that as an option for those who know they just want to take it on the go.