Nintendo Switch console. Photo: Mozilla Foundation

At a glance: What is a Nintendo Switch console?

Nintendo unveiled the Switch on March 3, 2017. The Nintendo Switch price was $299 at launch, which significantly undercut the prices of the Sony PlayStation 4 ($399 at the time) and matched the then-current price of the Xbox One S.

Unlike the PS4 and Xbox One S, though, the Nintendo Switch is what’s known as a hybrid console. This means you can connect it to a TV and play it in the normal home console style. However, the Androidauthority said that you can also use it as a wireless handheld device — not unlike the Nintendo 3DS, another insanely popular Nintendo product.

In other words, the Switch offers the best of both worlds: the power to run home console games that look and play great on television as well as the ability to play those same games on the go.

The Nintendo Switch is officially the company’s second-best-selling home console of all-time with over 68 million units sold to date. That puts it far behind the Nintendo Wii (~102 million units) but well ahead of the original Nintendo Entertainment System (~62 million units). It is not unreasonable to expect it will eventually outsell the Wii to become the biggest home console of all time from the brand.

The Console's Original Version of Nintendo Switch

A new Nintendo leak has revealed the original Nintendo Switch design, which looks nothing like the final product that released in 2017 and has been the best-selling console in the world ever since. 2020 has been a bad year for Nintendo from a security perspective, with leaks flying out of the Nintendo archives like crazy. The latest of these leaks reveals an early and the original design for what would end up becoming the Switch, and eventually the Switch Lite. Interestingly, not only does the original design look nothing like the final product, but it's actually closer to the Switch Lite than the traditional Switch.

Photo: Comic book

As you can see below, the original design for the console boasts a screen that expands beyond the analogue sticks in a way very reminiscent of a mobile phone display. In fact, the console is mostly just screen, with three small buttons at the bottom that prevents the face from being entirely a means to display.

If the design looks familiar, it's because it looks almost exactly like a "leaked" image of the console that made the rounds before it was revealed that was eventually written off as a hoax. According to some documents that accompany the leak reported by the Comic book, the Nintendo Switch was originally going to support 3D functionality and be backward compatible with the Nintendo 3DS. Nintendo was also apparently looking at utilizing a 480p screen. Thankfully, it decided against this and made the screen 720p.

Of course, take all of this -- the images and the tidbits of information -- with a grain of salt given that all of it is the info of the leaked variety. At the moment of publishing, Nintendo has not commented on this leak in any capacity and it's unlikely this will change. However, if it does, we will be sure to update the story with whatever is provided.

The latest Nintendo Switch 2 release date, specs, leaks and more

Latest Nintendo Switch 2 news

The new GPD Win 3 gives us a taste of how a Switch Pro could work, with smooth 60 fps gaming on the go.

Taiwan's Economic Daily News reports that Nintendo is including a Mini-LED display on the Switch 2, and is gearing up to launch the console in 2021.

New Nintendo Switch 2 release date

Citing a Taipei-based report out of the Economic Daily News, The Edge Markets reports that a new version of Nintendo's popular hybrid console could arrive by early 2021. That was quickly followed up by a Bloomberg report that suggests that the new Switch could arrive next year complete with 4K support and an expansive new games lineup.

A subsequent Bloomberg report claims that developers are being asked to make their Nintendo Switch games playable in 4K, adding further weight to the possibility of an upcoming hardware upgrade. Economic Daily News later reported that Nintendo was still planning a 2021 launch, and has been visiting companies in Taiwan to obtain displays for the new console. Here's a look at when every version of the Switch has launched so far. Looking at these days, it's possible we could see an updated Switch by 2021 to coincide with the system's four-year anniversary.

Photo: Pocket-lint

New Nintendo Switch 2 specs

The Switch Pro’s rumored specs have varied based on different reports, with some claiming that the next Switch will be a modest upgrade and others hinting at a significant power boost for Nintendo’s console. A sketchy, now-deleted 4chan post (via Inverse) suggests some major changes, including a custom Nvidia Tegra Xavier processor, a 64GB SSD, 4K video support, and two USB-C ports. This post also claimed that the Switch Pro would be a TV-only console, and won’t be playable in portable mode.

Economic Daily News also claims Nintendo is set to include a Mini-LED display in the Switch 2, which is a big leap up from the 720p LCD display included in the original. Utilising Mini-LED tech would mean better responsiveness, contrast, and energy efficiency, all of which would be more than welcome on a new Switch.

New Nintendo Switch 2 features

If Nintendo does make another Switch-like console, it seems safe to assume that it'll once again allow you to play in TV, tabletop and handheld modes. But some recent Nintendo patents hint at some other interesting features that could either make their way to the new console or serve as a complementary device.

Nintendo recently patented a unique health-tracking device, which would be able to track your sleep, monitor your mood via microphones and sensors, and even change the odour of a room. Interestingly, the patented device has its own dock (much like the Switch) and seems designed to work with health-related games a la Ring Fit Adventure. It's too early to tell whether such a device will even come to market, but it will be interesting to see if Nintendo ups its fitness-tracking game in time for the next Switch console, as listed in tomsguide.com

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