A new, smaller, less expensive Nintendo Switch will reportedly arrive this fall

Nintendo

• A new version of the Nintendo Switch will arrive this fall, according to a new report in Nikkei.
• The new version of the Switch is reportedly smaller, less expensive, and focused on portability.
• A separate, more powerful Switch console - previously rumored - is reportedly delayed.
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A new Nintendo Switch is said to be in the works, and it could arrive as soon as this fall.

That's according to a new report from Japanese publication Nikkei, which says that Nintendo will release a smaller, less expensive, portability-focused Nintendo Switch this fall.

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The new report lines up with previous rumors about a Nintendo Switch hardware iteration, which pointed to two new versions of the Nintendo Switch: a smaller, less expensive one, and a more powerful new version.

The latter device is reportedly delayed, according to Nikkei, which cites development challenges.

Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Nintendo

The Nintendo Switch is a portable game console as well as a home game console - it can be docked and played on a TV.

The rumor isn't without precedent: Video game console makers, including Nintendo, are known for releasing new versions of existing consoles.

The idea is simple: new versions of existing consoles could re-energize sales, and at the same time, can potentially reduce hardware production costs.

Similarly, in releasing a more powerful version of an existing console, console makers can bolster horsepower without having to release an entirely new platform.

In the case of the PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One X, for instance, both consoles offer sharper visuals and snappier load times, even though they're only intended to play standard PlayStation 4 and Xbox One games.

"Super Smash Bros. Ultimate"/Nintendo

Nintendo's biggest Switch game of the last year is "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate."

Nintendo is expected to reveal at least one of the rumored consoles at E3 2019 in June, the annual video game trade show in Los Angeles. A Nintendo representative didn't respond to a request for comment as of publishing.