When unboxing a Nintendo Switch for the first time, one of the most immediately striking things about the system is how small it is. But the console actually might be too big for some people, something which could force Nintendo to take action.
Analysts from Citigroup Inc. believe the Switch is too large to be a truly portable gaming console, and expect Nintendo to release a mini Switch in the fiscal year that runs through March 2019, according to Bloomberg. In particular, they claim Switch, in its current form, could have problems accommodating younger users, a demographic Nintendo has prioritized throughout its history.
“Although the Nintendo Switch can be used as a handheld device, we think smaller children could struggle to use it comfortably in that format due to its size and weight,” analysts including Minami Muakata, Kota Ezawa and Alicia Yap wrote in a recent report, via Bloomberg.
“Accordingly, we think Nintendo will launch a lighter, dedicated handheld version of the Switch, possibly to be called the Switch Mini.”
The analysts even went so for as to predict the success of the mini Switch, reportedly estimating it could sell 6.7 million units in the 12 months through March 2019. Furthermore, Citigroup said it expects the current Switch to sell 25.7 million units by then.
The hybrid console is off to a great start financially, as Nintendo announced Thursday it sold more than 906,000 Switches in the United States in March, making it the fastest-selling console in the company’s history.
We picked up a Switch the day it was released, and thus far have had mixed reactions about the unique system.
Thumbnail photo via Flickr/iphonedigital
