Nintendo Announces Revisions to the Nintendo Switch

 Nintendo Switch

Nintendo recently announced a new Nintendo Switch model launching later this year. While this announcement comes on the heels of the Nintendo Switch Lite, this model is much more akin to the regular Switch that released in 2017. This model includes a few refreshed components, the biggest one being improved battery life for the hybrid console.

Looking at Nintendo’s recent FCC filing, the new Switch model includes an updated version of Nvidia’s Tegra X1 chip, new flash memory modules, and a new circuit board to accommodate the other upgrades.

Depending on the game you are playing on your current Nintendo Switch, it typically gets about 2.5 to 6.5 hours of use on one charge. For example, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the console lasts about 3 hours without needing charged. Nintendo claims the new model will be able to run games somewhere between 4.5 to 9 hours on a single charge, longer than the Switch Lite’s 3-7 hour estimated time without charge. While we will not know for sure until we get our hands on it, we can hope that that means we can play Breath of the Wild for at least 5.5 hours without stopping.

Just looking at the new and current Switch’s on the outside you will not be able to tell the difference between the two. As of now, it seems the only way to tell the difference between the two is the revision of the Switch’s serial number will start with “XKW” and followed by the model number “HAC-001(-01).” The current Switch’s serial number starts with “XAW.”

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When purchasing a new Switch, you will be able to tell it is the new model by the all red box, where the current version is white. In the future when buying a preowned Switch, you are going to want to look for the serial number to know which model you are getting.

According to Gizmodo, a Switch representative said to expect to start seeing the new Switch on store shelves in mid-August, but that depends on the retailer.

John Hansen
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