Quick Summary
A university student has designed a handheld games console based on the works of Teenage Engineering.
Minimalist and strak, we would love it for Nintendo to take note for its next console.
There's been a lot of talk about the Nintendo Switch 2 recently, not least because it's been put back until spring next year (or so we believe). However, there's been relatively little about its design – what the new hybrid console might actually look like.
We understand that it'll have a larger 8-inch display, but that's about it for now. We don't really know whether it'll be similar to the existing Switch and Switch OLED, or have a number of key changes.
One thing we hope is that it looks something like the concept devised by Nidharshan Suresh (via Yanko Design). He has created a gaming handheld as part of a university project for the minimalist design collective, Teenage Engineering. And it is simple, elegant and exactly what the group is renowned for.
Solid, robust and seemingly made from cast aluminium, the XP-1 has all the right controls but presented with an industrial slant.
We particularly love the grey and white aesthetic with orange accents (the colour that's on trend at present – just look at the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and CMF by Nothing products). And the ergonomic grips on the rear seen an ideal solution to offer a firm hold without spoiling the lines.
There's a volume dial rather than a rocker too, which is neat. It's certainly retro in look and there are plenty of nods to Teenage Engineering's audio products, such as its TP-7 Field Recorder and the EP–133 K.O. sampler/sequencer.
Sadly, the likelihood of the Nintendo Switch 2 looking like Suresh's XP-1 concept are very slim. It'll probably be brightly coloured plastic and rounded (like a Switch, basically), but we can dream.
And if you're looking for a more industrial-style handheld, you can always check out the retro games machines made by the likes of Powkiddy and Anbernic. They might not run the latest Switch games, but they are more than capable of playing the vast library of Nintendo classics from yesteryear.
