A Nintendo Switch Mini or Nintendo Switch Pocket handheld console could be in the pipeline according to a popular X-based leaker. It seems the source has dug up numerous patents that point to a miniature Switch, although patents often lead to nothing more than the public description of an idea. Howe...
A smaller switch would be a terrible idea. They're already pushing so hard to have mainstream games on the console, and those games have UI elements that can only get so small before they're useless. You'd have to develop your UI around being used on these tiny screens, which either takes extra work or leaves big screen users screwed.
A smaller screen switch would basically be relegated to phone games, and all other games would lose a lot of detail to size
Overclocking a modded switch really showed me what v2 / oled models are capable of.
Any switch past the original is being sandbagged hard so they perform the same as v1.
With only a mild memory oc you can get 30+ fps in totk even when using ultrahand in kariko village.
I honestly want a smaller Switch. I would 100% buy another Switch if I could easily stuff it in my purse like I do my Vita. I hate the trend of larger portables, they hurt my hands and make my arms tired. They're heavier and bigger than I have any use for.
I think it'll work if they just make the screen slightly smaller than the Lite, like maybe just quarter to half an inch. Use an OLED screen for smaller bezels and then put the buttons below the screen and make it foldable like a GBA. It'll reduce the footprint a lot.
To play devil's advocate you've mentioned 3 remasters. I can see why you'd possibly only want one game on the list depending on your tastes but it's hard to say there's nothing on but at that point it's hard to argue it'd the switches fault and the Switch 2 isn't likely to change your opinion
I'm in the same boat. The performance of TOTK really turned me off the switch entirely because it felt like such a low quality game due to the hardware. Frame rates dropped considerably and the visuals deserve way better than what we currently get out of the Switch.
The information found in the patents has led to the presumption that a Nintendo Switch Mini, Switch Pocket, or Switch Micro handheld console is in the works. One focuses on button redistribution, with the home button and capture button being moved to the bottom of the device. Another patent goes further with button movement, placing the L, ZL, R, and ZR buttons in a line. Apparently, doing either of those things would produce a more compact Switch console (regular-sized model is currently US$290 on Amazon).
In yet another filing, magnets are used to attach a cover to the rear during gaming or onto the display for protection, which would be ideal for a Switch model that may be transported loosely in the pocket (more so than the current Lite variant). There is also a patent for a new cooling system, which the leaker believes is headed to the Nintendo Switch 2 but could also be viable for a Switch Mini. Last but not least, there is a filing that pertains to housing screw placement that specifically states “there is room for improvement in the design of portable electronic devices from the viewpoint of miniaturization of portable electronic devices”.
This is the main part to read. This is all based on a few patents that may not lead anywhere.
You must have a huge pocket. The Lite is smaller than most but I wouldn't say it's that pocketable compared to something like a DS or PSP. I can see value for a Switch that's as small as a mobile phone.
Exactly my thoughts. I keep my Vita in my purse as an every day carry, and I often think about the Switch being too large and heavy to be a proper portable game system.
Adult American Male, 29x32 Slim Straights, multiple brands. It fits perfectly in my front pockets and sticks out of my rear pockets. I can't speak for people with smaller pants, though.
I think this'd be a neat companion to Switch 2.
A new gen new 3ds + Wii U analogue.
Vs Nintendo having just Switch and Switch Lite.
As neat as the Switch Lite is, it isn't in the same niche as Ninty's earlier handhelds and I feel like there is a market for it. Though, it might be that the folks in that demo are probably just fine with their phones now.