Nintendo may be working on a Switch Mini console that fits in your pocket. A leaker that goes by the name of Nash Weedle on X has recently shared a post that contains details about the potential of this more portable console.
Details about the rumored device come from the discovery of patents that Nintendo is said to have filed. Since these are leaks the information isn’t confirmed and it’s possible nothing ever comes from these patents. However, it’s also possible Nintendo could indeed be working on a Switch console that fits in your pocket. The patent filings tell an interesting story about what changes consumers could expect to see.
For starters, let’s think about what a Switch Mini that’s pocketable would be like. If it fits in your pocket, a Switch Mini would almost certainly be more susceptible to damage. One of the patents seems to have an answer for that. Nintendo could be devising a pair of attachable protective covers that can be affixed to the console on the front and back via magnets. The back cover appears to be something that you could attach to the back and still use the Switch. While the front cover would be solely for protective purposes as it would cover the screen.
A Nintendo Switch Mini could also be called the Switch Pocket
There’s really no telling what a new smaller Switch console would be called. But In addition to Switch Mini, there’s speculation it could be called the Switch Pocket or the Switch Micro. As mentioned by Notebookcheck, Weedle refers to the console with all these potential names. But Nintendo may have another name for the console entirely and choose none of these.
Nintendo may rearrange the buttons to make the console smaller
In addition to the first patent, another one mentions rearranging the buttons to help make the console smaller. On the current Nintendo Switch OLED and original Switch, the L and ZL and R and ZR buttons are situated like triggers and bumpers on a normal controller. But the patent for the Switch Mini suggests Nintendo could move the buttons around to be placed in a line at the top of the console. Basically, it shows Nintendo taking the ZL and ZR buttons and placing them to the side of the L and R buttons instead of behind them.
Yet another patent says Nintendo might also place the home and screenshot buttons at the bottom of the console. This could certainly help Nintendo save space on the front of the console. But it also seems like it would be hard to reach those buttons if they were on the bottom. Just looking at my Nintendo Switch OLED, the only feasible way to press a button on the bottom of the console where the USB-C charging port is would be to turn it upward so the screen is no longer facing you.
Trying to reach buttons down there with my thumbs doesn’t really work. However, this could be entirely different if the console was physically smaller. Maybe the buttons would be closer and within reach.
Shrinking down the cooling system
Another potential change Nintendo could make is to decrease the size of the cooling system. SamMobile points out another post by Weedle that references a more compact cooling system. This could easily be another way to help decrease the overall size of the Switch to make it more of a mini, pocketable device. Perhaps by using cooling systems that are similar to those used in phones. Take ASUS’s ROG Phone 7 for example. It uses a combination of thin graphite sheets and a rapid-cycle vapor chamber to help dissipate heat and improve thermal efficiency.
Look at this from another perspective. The cooling system was one of the larger components of the PlayStation 5. And in its most recent iteration, the “Slim” model, Sony shrunk it down to help save space. So, it’s reasonable to assume that reducing the size of the cooling system is one thing Nintendo could be working on to help bring a more pocketable Switch console into reality. Again though, take this information with a grain of salt until more concrete evidence pops up or until Nintendo confirms the console.
