Satdl. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Nintendo will be introducing a new version of its popular Switch console next year.

The report says that the move comes as Nintendo hopes to boost sales momentum of the Switch, which has dropped off since its meteoric launch. It’s claimed that this new model would “likely share many features with the current version and be compatible with existing Switch game software.”

It also says that Nintendo “is still debating what new hardware and software features to include in the upgrade”, with one option on the table being an upgraded screen, closer to those found in “more recent smartphone LCDs”, which would “make it brighter, thinner and more energy-efficient”.

You can read the full report here (WSJ login required).

The PokémonRPG for Nintendo Switch that's going to release in 2019 is shaping up to be the game that fans want from the franchise. The untitled RPG won't be the first Pokémon game to release on the Switch. A fighting game spin-off, Pokken Tournament, released in 2017. Then, The Pokémon Company recently released a free-to-play game called Pokémon Quest onto the platform. And now, Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu and Pokémon Let's Go Eevee will be available at the end of 2018. However, those Pokémon games have left a lot to be desired.

The Pokémon games that have released (or will release) for Nintendo Switch aren't the new era of the franchise that fans have wanted to see. There are not using the powerful new hardware of the Switch in meaningful ways. Yet, 2019's Pokémon is promising to present a brand-new era for the long-running franchise. Pokémon will finally evolve on the Nintendo Switch in 2019.

Related: Someone Leaked Pokémon Switch Details on April Fool's and Nobody Believed

Details on the Pokémon Switch RPG are still scarce. However, Siliconera grabbed some quotes about the new game from the Japanese magazine Famitsu. According to the publication, Pokémon Company CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara promised that the 2019 is a game that the company wants 'to make Pokémon fans say ‘this is what I’ve been waiting for’ by delivering a brand-new product packed with gameplay elements and plenty of new Pokémon to encounter.' In addition new Pokémon additions that the game will contain, Ishihara explained that the 2019 entry will be 'an evolved Pokémon game.' It will keep the 'traditions' of the original titles but also offer something new. The CEO stressed:

'The new title coming out in the second half of 2019 will be a completely different game [from Pokémon Let’s Go]. It is not an entry game, but a game that we want longtime fans of the Pokémon series to look forward to.'

All of this should be taken as a very good sign from Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. While the Pokémon series has always been popular, the franchise has remained rather stagnant through its many years. Pokémon has only offered slight improvements and changes with each subsequent entry of the franchise. There hasn't been a game in years that has completely turned Pokémon on its head, while still keeping the core spirit of the games in tact, like Nintendo did with Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario: Odyssey.

It sounds as if the 2019 game will change that fact. Taking Tsunekazu Ishihara's comments at face value, the incoming RPG will finally update Pokémon's formula and create something that can stand up with the best that the Nintendo Switch has to offer. Like Breath of the Wild and Odyssey, 2019's Pokémon game will have the heart of the series but also something that's never been seen before in any other title. The promise that the game won't be an 'entry title' like Pokémon Sun/Moon or Red/Blue alone, is an exciting break with tradition.

Of course, a lot still must be revealed with 2019's Pokémon game. Fans can probably expect a lot of details about Pokémon on Switch during E3 2018, but the 2019 Pokémon title most likely won't be the headline game of Nintendo's E3 plans. Still, there will undoubtedly be more details, and possibly even a trailer, released during the biggest video game event of the year.

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Source: Siliconera