Nintendo Switch: Two new consoles enter into production as rumours swirl about updates

One of the consoles is expected to include beefed-up insides

Game enthusiasts and industry personnel walk past the Nintendo Switch exhibit during the Electronic Entertainment Expo E3 at the Los Angeles Convention Center (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

New Nintendo Switches have gone into production, according to reports, as rumours continue to swirl about what they might actually be.

Nintendo has long been rumoured to be working on updates for its convertible console, which first came out in 2017. The new version is not expected to be an entirely new revision, but rather build on the existing hardware, in the same way as the Xbox One X and PS4 Pro did.

Now two of those new consoles have gone into production, according to the Wall Street Journal. It comes as Nintendo is said to be rearranging its manufacturing processes, taking some of it outside of China in response to the ongoing trade war.

One of the new consoles will look like the existing model but will include improved components for better performance, according to the report.

The other is said to be cheaper than the existing one, and could include a new design. That console might be the rumoured "Switch Mini", which might also come in a smaller form factor.

Both of those are being made alongside the existing console, according to the same report. That may suggest that the existing version of the Switch will stick around even when the two new models arrive.

Production is being stepped up to ensure that enough of the new Switches are ready for when they are released, the Wall Street Journal reported. When the first Switch came out, Nintendo was apparently shocked by the high level of demand and it was often difficult to actually get hold of one.

It is not clear when the updated version of the Switch will actually arrive. But rumours of increased production could suggest that it could drop in the coming months.