Nintendo has stated that they will not be producing any upgraded version of the Switch anytime soon. However, based on some interesting word choices, that might’ve changed.

It’s all in the wording.

In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has mentioned that “his company doesn’t plan to announce a new Switch model anytime soon”. Why is this important? Well, Twitter user Takashi Mochizuki points out that last year in 2019, Furukawa mentioned that they weren’t going to release a new model of their famed console in 2020.

Thus, if we go purely on Furukawa’s words, this means that we might see an upgraded Switch model sometime in late 2021 or 2022. Probably.

A New Switch for 2021/2022?

Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite.
Perhaps another addition to the Switch family?

An upgraded Switch console would be an interesting addition to the family indeed. It’d also be a badly needed shot in the arm for Nintendo. With the release of the PS5 and Xbox Series S/X, Nintendo is facing some pretty intense pressure for new products. Bloomberg even notes that:

Without a Switch Pro and suite of new games such as a sequel to Zelda Breath of the Wild, Nintendo’s 2020 will mark the high watermark as the Switch cycle wanes and with a difficult year-ago comparable as 2020 results were significantly boosted by Covid-19 demand.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for Nintendo Switch.
AKA: When are we going to get news of the sequel already?!

Speaking of Breath of the Wild, it’s possible that Nintendo is actually reserving the release of an upgraded Switch in order to coincide with the release of Breath of the Wild 2. It’d make sense. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is basically the flagship title for the console. It has such a large fanbase that any sequel would see massive sales based on the name alone. A Breath of the Wild 2 using upgraded graphics would be a major improvement over the first game. Granted, this is all speculation, so take my words with a grain of salt.

Rock salt from Breath of the Wild.
Or in this case: a chunk of rock salt.

Conclusion

Nintendo may be planning on releasing an upgraded Switch in late 2021 or 2022. Maybe. It’s all rumor and speculation until Nintendo actually says something official about this. So take it with a chunk of rock salt.

Sources: Bloomberg, Twitter