Original Nintendo Switch Is Getting A New SoC And Storage According To FCC Filings

Nintendo recently unveiled the long-rumored Nintendo Switch Lite game console. Rumors have also swirled that Nintendo was working on an updated original Switch game console and new FCC filings have surfaced that seem to confirm that update. The FCC filing shows that the Switch is getting a new SoC and a change in NAND memory type.

The form that Nintendo submitted to the FCC is called a "Class II Permission Change." That is a form that asks for permission to change components of the game console without having to submit the entire console for recertification. The filing doesn't shed any light on which SoC and what sort of memory change Nintendo has planned for the Switch.

Certainly what Nintendo is looking at is some sort of update to the NVIDIA Tegra chip inside the current Switch and an upgrade in storage; likely more storage capacity. There have been rumors that Nintendo is working on a Switch Pro console, but this FCC filing isn't for that. The FCC filing makes it clear that the updates Nintendo is talking about are for the current generation Switch.

Switch fans shouldn't expect Nintendo to make a big deal about these changes; odds are the changes won't be talked about at all. It's time for an upgrade inside the standard Switch; the console is working on a four-year-old version of the NVIDIA Tegra X1 that is underpowered compared to current-gen chipsets. Some have complained that the X1 is barely powerful enough to support some of the current titles on the machine.

There is also the chance that the Switch might move to the same chip used in the new Switch Lite. Nintendo does not indicate when the upgraded SoC and storage might roll out. We won't know if the new console performs better than the current version until they are compared.