Report: Nintendo to launch updated Switch console in 2019

Nintendo will release a new version of the Switch next year to ensure its handheld-home console hybrid remains competitive.

According to the Wall Street Journal, which claims to have spoken with "suppliers and others with direct knowledge of the plan," the Japanese outfit wants to ensure the Switch maintains its impressive sales trajectory. 

The console has sold almost 20 million units in roughly 18 months on shelves, meaning it's already managed to surpass the Wii U's lifetime sales total of 13.6 million units by some margin. 

Nintendo apparently hasn't decided how it'll update the system, and is still mulling over a number of possibilities. 

One option would be to install a better display, making it brighter, slimmer, and more energy efficient than the 6.2 inch LCD screen it's currently packing -- though Nintendo apparently won't use the OLED tech that's become prominent in high-end smartphones. 

Another might see the company expand the Switch's internal battery, giving console owners more freedom to play in handheld mode when out and about. 

If the rumors prove true, the new Switch would reportedly launch in the second half of 2019, meaning it could arrive as soon as next summer. Nintendo has, naturally, declined to comment on the matter.