Nvidia is planning to stop production of the current Nintendo Switch chip this year, according to GameReactor. If the rumour's true, it could be a big nail in the current Switch's coffin – and yet more evidence that a new Nintendo Switch is on the way.
The anonymous tipster claims Nvidia will kill off its popular Tegra X1 Mariko System-on-Chip – the processor in both the Switch and Switch Lite – in 2021. "The source... didn't elaborate further on what comes next or what may happen with the current versions of the hardware," adds GameReactor.
Today's development ties in with a recent Bloomberg report that Nintendo has a new Switch console in the pipeline. Apparently the device will boast a 7-inch OLED display made by Samsung and the capability to output 4K resolution (when connected to a 4K TV).
The Nintendo Switch launched over four years ago, so it's certainly due an upgrade. Especially when you factor in the demand for next-gen, 4K-capable consoles such as the PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles. (Here's where to buy a PS5, and where to buy an Xbox Series X, if you're still on the hunt).
Today's news could also spell curtains for the Nvidia Shield. The chip-maker's high-end streaming box relies on the very same processor as the Switch. The Shield was last upgraded in 2019, with support for both Dolby Vision HDR and AI upscaling, so it's hardly obsolete.
Back in February, Nintendo's Global President, Shuntaro Furukawa, told investors the company had no plans to launch a new console "soon". What does he mean by "soon"? We can't say, but it seems that Furukawa is no longer denying that Nintendo will launch a new Switch.
Demand for Nintendo's family-friendly devices has remained strong. According to GamesIndustry.biz, more than three million games consoles were sold in the UK last year, including over 1.5million Nintendo Switch machines, 450,000 PS5s and 310,000 Xbox Series X consoles.
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