Nintendo is letting 3DS cannibalize Switch

[Soundwave]

Lucas-Rio said:

Soundwave said:

They will eventually. They'll also release a *bigger* model, which I bet will actually become the top selling model and outsell a "pocket model".

People don't need to be able to put their game handhelds into their pocket, most kids will choose an iPad over a 3DS or Vita if you give them a choice. 

An ipad is a tablet, basically a weak computer.

People are buying 3DS because it's cheap, is really a handheld console and has a great library. But the price factor is big. It was flopping at 250 at launch.

If Switch is struggling, if it's not an immediate success, Nintendo will realease a new handheld.

A new handheld ... which will just use the same Tegra X1 chip die shrunk with the Switch games playable on it. 

Nintendo's kinda locked into this now, there's no reason to create a seperate portable with its own chip going forward, eventually they'll be able to die shrink that X1 down to 10nm and it'll run all the Switch games so they can make whatever form factor of it that they want. 

One way or another, this is all you're going to get for the next 4-5 years IMO. 

Even if Switch flops and they want to make a "HDS" or "Game Boy Ultra" or whatever ... they'd still likely use this same chip because it would immediately give that new system a ton of games already to go for it. There's no point in starting from scratch.