Nintendo has just announced that they are giving Switch owners the option to have their newly purchased consoles traded in for the newer model. The new Switch console will have longer battery life and is devoid of the previous issues the old model was plagued with. This offer though is only available to customers who purchased the original version of Switch on or after the 17th of July. This is the same day Nintendo announced a system upgrade.
News about the ongoing exchange program was first openly discussed on Reddit with the user by the name of DarthMewtwo stating that Nintendo has told him that they can have the old model upgraded to the newer one for free. Other users started backing up the claim the console manufacturer will replace their units if it was bought, “a week and a half ago” and that the replacement will be a revision unit.
The news was also confirmed by several media outlet verifying the details with their official representatives. The only catch to this is that customers who are willing to have their units exchanged for the new models will have to cover the shipping costs and any insurance coverage that comes with the reshipment. Customers who are turning their old models would also have to transfer their purchase and use their Nintendo Switch Online account to switch to the new system. This offer, however, is not available anywhere except for US and Canada Nintendo Switch customers.
Older models of the Switch console are not eligible for the exchange considering that both standard SKUs of the new model only comes with improved battery life. The newer Switch console can now play games for up to 5.5 hours including Nintendo’s native game “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.”
Additionally, to improve the console’s battery life, Nintendo had to swap the chipsets and the memory of the device. This move did not only contribute to battery savings but also improved the console’s gaming margins. Swapping the older Switch model is not the only strategy Nintendo is giving to keep up with the game console’s momentum. The company also announced the Switch Lite model early this month. The device does not support TV connectivity and will be available to the public this September. The price range for the Switch Lite version will be at around $200.
