After months of speculation, the Nintendo Switch Lite has recently come to light as being a reality. Now, a source has revealed that a new model of the standard Nintendo Switch might join it in the future, and it may offer some performance boosts over the original.
According to dataminer Mike Heskin, the 5.0 Firmware for the Nintendo Switch refers to at least three unique hardware lines, with one of them being the new Nintendo Switch Lite, which utilizes a Tegra 214 versus the original Tegra 210. According to the dataminer, a second Switch model that's yet to be released will also utilize the Tegra 214, and the GPU is clocked at a higher value than the Switch Lite. This might provide a modest increase in the system's power, though it may not be as much of a boost as those who are hoping for a Nintendo Switch Pro want.
With that being said, the proposed 'New' Nintendo Switch will still have some significant upgrades over its predecessor. According to the datamine, the new version may offer more memory, as the data indicates a 4GB version (the same as the standard Nintendo Switch) with the other at 8GB. The new Nintendo Switch should also provide a slightly improved battery life, as it will utilize the same lower-voltage LPDDR4X DRAM as the Nintendo Switch Lite, which also sports a longer battery life than the original. Lastly, the new Nintendo Switch will potentially offer more built-in storage space, which could make it a better system for players who prefer digital copies of games.
Some of what's not changing about the new model of the Nintendo Switch will likely please those who've already purchased a standard Nintendo Switch. The new version will likely continue to work with existing peripherals, as the physical form of the Switch isn't expected to see any changes from the original. So unlike the Nintendo Switch Lite, that doesn't work with a dock and can't be connected to TVs, the standard Nintendo Switch should still be able to, and it will likely continue to work with existing joycons.
For now, this information is purely speculation, as Nintendo has not offered any official announcements regarding any upgraded or improved versions of the Nintendo Switch. Players shouldn't expect any major reveals of a new Nintendo Switch likely until the end of the year or later, as Nintendo has stated that no new versions except the Nintendo Switch Lite will be coming prior to the holiday shopping season.