Global Hardware Jan 2-9 - Switch Best-Seller as PS5 and XS Stock Remains Low

[Chrkeller]

Bofferbrauer2 said:

Rab said:

At the scale the graph is now, they would be hard to see 

That won't change even if we would remove PS4 and XBO unless we also remove the Switch.

They already have a couple millions under their belt, so they would be small, but visible nonetheless. So I think we could include those bars without it being unreadable. At the same time, I would remove 3DS/Vita, as they run their course, with one already long stopped selling and for the other stopped producing them, those are really in the past now.

Chrkeller said:

A Pro isn't needed, the Switch is selling very well.  

Yeah, sure.  I have been hearing for 2 years it is "100% happening."  Yet, nothing.  And the last few articles I have seen have a 'new' Switch as a typical (non announced) hardware update.  Bigger battery, little things like that.  A Switch Pro isn't happening, IMHO.  But time will tell.

And really I think people underestimate the family nature of Nintendo's success.  The Switch is appealing to families who want to play couch coop, it is great with kids in the car for long trips.  And the thing is family fun isn't driven by the latest graphics.  Hardcore gamers care about power, nobody else does.  

Worst thing Nintendo can do at this point is create confusion with a new hardware model and alienate millions of people who just bought a switch.

There was a company who did all kinds of upgrades.  I remember a CD drive, 32x add-on....  followed by new hardware in the Saturn...  

I wouldn't say it's 100% happening, but considering that Nintendo has a history of upgrading their handhelds along the way, I would say chances are high of some upgrade being developed right now.

Also, NVidia is using the same chips for their NVidia Shield hardware, which gets updated ever other year. Launched in 2015 with upgrades in 2017 and 2019 so far, with those being the same hardware as in the old and new Switch model respectively, so chances are high that NVidia wants to release a new hardware upgrade for their Shield, too. So Nintendo practically gets a new chip for their Switch practically developed for free.

The question is, what will that be? My expectation is a shrink to 12nm for the Tegra X2, which would allow a decent uptick in performance without  taxing the battery much and without NVidia having to invest much for it's development.

I expect an upgraded Switch, just not a Switch Pro.  I could see a slightly larger screen, longer battery life.  Maybe a mild improvement to CPU.  But when somebody claims a Switch Pro, to me that implies a significant upgrade, which I don't see happening.  Not when Switch sales are superb.