Nintendo has issued a statement refuting the claim that people who purchased a Nintendo Switch within the past month could trade it in for the new system model for free.

The battery life of the original Nintendo Switch has been a major point of discussion amongst Nintendo fans who use the system, as some games can quickly burn through the remaining battery power if they are played in portable mode. Mainly, titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim have been some of the worst offenders. Luckily for Nintendo fans, though, there is a new version of the Nintendo Switch on the market. Not only does it have an improved battery life, but it will last for roughly two hours longer than the battery in the launch version of the system.

Related: Nintendo Controller Design Application Suggests SNES Games Are Coming To The Switch?

Unfortunately, there have been several reports online claiming that Nintendo will replace any older Switch system that was purchased after July 17 with the brand new model as part of an exchange program. The people who purchased their Nintendo Switch on July 16 shouldn't feel too bad, though, as it seems that these reports are false. Nintendo has issued a statement to The Verge denying the existence of a Nintendo Switch exchange program.

"We do not have a Nintendo Switch exchange program. We always want players to enjoy their Nintendo Switch systems, and if anything ever gets in the way of that, we encourage them to visit https://support.nintendo.com for support, or to contact our consumer support team."

Nintendo Switch Console

The Nintendo Switch exchange program isn't the only story regarding the company replacing old hardware that is out in the wild. There have also been reports of Nintendo offering to fix Joy-Cons suffering from the drift issue for free. There were numerous complaints about the Joy-Cons that had gained traction on social media, as the joysticks have a tendency to shift in one direction regardless of how they are pressed and repairs are no guarantee that the problem won't return. The report came from a leaked internal memo from within Nintendo, but no official word has been given from the company that confirms or denies that Joy-Cons will be fixed for free.

The release of an updated Nintendo Switch with better battery life is just one of two new models of the system that will be released in 2019, as a portable system called the Nintendo Switch Lite is also due to hit store shelves in September. The Nintendo Switch Lite is missing some features of the original Nintendo Switch, but it will be around $100 cheaper to purchase. Not to mention, there has also been speculation that a Nintendo Switch Pro model is in development, but the release of the upgraded base model and the Nintendo Switch Lite suggests that it won't be getting a release anytime soon.

Next: New Nintendo Switch Portable Dock Can Fit in the Palm of Your Hand

Source: The Verge