The Nintendo Switch has received universal acclaim since its release in March, and even sold more consoles in its first month than it did Wii Us in a year. But even with its success, and the fact it combines portable and home gaming into one machine, Citigroup analysts reckon Nintendo will release a smaller version of the console in 2019.

The analysts say that the biggest reason for developing a smaller handheld version of the Switch would be to accommodate to smaller children, who might currently struggle with the size and weight of the regular Switch console.

Writing in an official report, the Citigroup analysts said: "Although the Nintendo Switch can be used as a handheld device, we think smaller children could struggle to use it comfortably in that format due to its size and weight".

"Accordingly, we think Nintendo will launch a lighter, dedicated handheld version of the Switch, possibly to be called the Switch Mini".

Nintendo already offers several handheld consoles, including the 2DS, 3DS, 3DS XL and recently released 2DS XL, so you may be wondering why the Japanese gaming giant would need another. It's possible that the DS series of handheld consoles may eventually come to an end.

If the only way of Nintendo releasing a new model is to launch a bigger version of an existing console, then ideas are clearly coming to a standstill. A handheld version of the Switch may reignite sales and offer Nintendo a new avenue to go down.

Citigroup analysts haven't said how much they think a Switch Mini would sell for, but they think if such a console did exist, it would sell 6.7 million units in its first 12 months through March 2019. They also predict the regular Switch would have sold 25.7 million units by the same time.