We’re expecting a Nintendo Switch Pro at some point – but what can we expect from a Nintendo Switch Pro or new Nintendo Switch?
After months of rumors and supposed leaks, a Nintendo Switch Pro has just been announced. Well… kind of. That’s because Nintendo has officially revealed the Nintendo Switch OLED, but it supports many of the details we’ve been expecting for some time from the widely reported Switch Pro. It seems odd that Nintendo would drop a trailer for the Nintendo Switch OLED without any sort of fanfare, especially after such huge gaming events like E3 were allowed to come and go with no announcement or even a teaser for the device, but that’s exactly what it did. We had suspected a dedicated reveal event would be hosted at some point, maybe a mini Nintendo Direct of sorts, but alas, Nintendo decided to go with a more subdued announcement. Here’s everything you need to know about Nintendo’s mid-gen refresh of the current Switch model including its price, release date, and specs. After months of speculation, we finally have an official release date for the Nintendo Switch Pro (which we now know is called the Nintendo Switch OLED): October 8,2021. Bloomberg predicted a Nintendo Switch Pro console would have a release date around September or October this year, which surprised many at the time. Previously, a release date of March 2022 was hinted at, but that’s been ruled out thanks to this announcement. Obviously redesigns cost money, and redesigns with improved hardware doubly so. We were expecting a Nintendo Switch Pro, with its updated hardware, to cost more than the current Switch’s £279 / $299 / AU$449 pricing, and we were right. Regional pricing details are still being announced but the Nintendo Switch OLED will launch at $349.99 / £309 / AU$539. Thankfully this isn’t a huge step up from the original Switch’s asking price and is less than the $399 price tag that was predicted by some like Dr Toto. For comparison, the PS4 Pro was $100 more than the PS4. At this price, the Nintendo Switch OLED is able to fund its improved specs, but shouldn’t venture too far outside an affordable range for gamers looking to upgrade their handheld console. A Nintendo Switch Pro could still be in the works According to Tokyo-based analyst Serkan Toto, a Nintendo Switch Pro could still happen. Toto has suggested that the Switch OLED might be a « dummy upgrade » before a real upgrade arrives next year. Speaking to Bloomberg, Toto said: « This new Switch looks more like an interim model than a real upgrade to me, » Toto told Bloomberg. « This might just be a dummy upgrade until Breath Of The Wild 2 is ready and the component shortage is over next year. » The Nintendo Switch OLED has been announced The Nintendo Switch OLED (which was supposed to be the Nintendo Switch Pro) has been announced by Nintendo. In an announcement trailer posted to the official Nintendo YouTube channel, we got our first glimpse of the hardware improvements that are coming. Obviously, the display will be enhanced and take advantage of OLED technology to deliver an amazing picture with vivid colors and impressive contrast. The Switch OLED’s screen will also be slightly bigger (7-inches as opposed to 6.2-inches) and the internal sound system is getting a boost. If you like downloading games you’ll be able to take advantage of 64GB of internal storage, and those who like gaming online can use the new Nintendo Switch dock’s Ethernet port which is built in. The Nintendo Switch OLED does not support 4K gaming while docked as was expected of the rumored Nintendo Switch Pro, and outputs at 720p in handheld mode. Where is the Nintendo Switch Pro? Now that June 3 has been and gone, the imminent announcement of a Nintendo Switch Pro seems less likely. Nintendo is also hosting its own event during E3 on June 15, so it could make the announcement then. Either way, we’ll be keeping an eye out for any news should it appear. Nintendo Switch preorders might go live on June 4 Preorders for the Nintendo Switch Pro could go live on June 4 according to a tweet from prominent Pokémon leaker CentroLeaks. A date of June 30 has also been suggested, but CentroLeaks believes that this was likely a placeholder. This date doesn’t sound too farfetched, considering the Nintendo Switch Pro could be revealed on June 3. Nintendo Switch Pro announced could take place on June 3 We could get a Nintendo Switch Pro announcement as soon as June 3, according to one of the hosts of the Xbox Era podcast. Nick Baker believes that Nintendo will reveal the new console on Thursday June 3; however, he noted that the date could be pushed back, as it has been before. The reveal would line up with Bloomberg’s report, which tipped the console to be announced before E3 takes place. Nintendo Switch Pro to be revealed before E3 We might see Nintendo’s new Nintendo Switch before E3, according to sources at Bloomberg. The console could be announced ahead of June 12 so that publishers can show off upcoming games, and a release date is tipped for as early as October. Nintendo Switch Pro confirmed? OLED firm Universal Display Corp might have inadvertently revealed that a Nintendo Switch Pro is indeed on the way, as a recent transcription of an investors call by the company made mention of a “new Switch Pro” and its choice of OLED as its screen. Universal Display Corp CEO Steven V. Abramson stated during the investors call: “… Nintendo has selected an OLED screen for the new Switch Pro due to OLED benefits of higher contrast and faster response times.” This our best proof yet that a new Nintendo Switch is indeed on the way, but it’s still unclear what form it will take. Nintendo Switch Pro in doubt Nintendo has ramped up Nintendo Switch production as it aims to shift 30m units this fiscal year, according to Nikkei Asia. This is an unusual move when a company is set to release new hardware, particularly if its set to replace an existing model, and it’s clear that Nintendo thinks that the Nintendo Switch has plenty of life in it yet. Dataminer strikes gold? A data miner known as SciresM has claimed (via Wccftech) that they have found reference to a new Nintendo Switch model within the Switch’s latest firmware update, codenamed ‘Aula’. Reportedly, this hardware uses the same chip as the Nintendo Switch Lite and 2019 Switch model, the Mariko (Tegra X1+) SoC. However, SciresM also claims that there are references to support for a Realtek chip which is a “4K UHD multimedia SoC”. Rather than being within the Switch tablet, they think that it “might be inside a new dock and not inside the tablet, though, there’s no way to tell from the firmware code yet.” They also say that the tablet itself will have an improved OLED screen, though what resolution it’ll offer is still unclear. The claims of some kind of 4K support do line up with the many other reports from the past year which claim that an upgraded Switch capable of 4K is on the horizon. Of course, there’s been no confirmation from Nintendo itself that a new Switch is on the cards and, in fact, Doug Bowser has made comments very recently that suggest there might not be for some time. With that in mind, we’re still taking this with a pinch of salt. Analysts think it’s still on the cards Despite Doug Bowser’s recent comments, industry analysts still seem to think that there could be an upgraded Nintendo Switch on the cards for 2021. Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Dr Serkan Toto of Kantan Games and Piers Harding-Rolls of Ampere Analysis said they think the console is on the horizon. Toto was quite confident in his prediction, while Harding-Rolls was more reserved, saying he thought such a release in 2021 would make “commercial sense”. Doug Bowser comments suggest no Nintendo Switch Pro anytime soon We should temper our expectations that there’s going to be a Nintendo Switch Pro or new Nintendo Switch any time soon if recent comments from Nintendo of America’s Doug Bowser are anything to go by. Speaking to Polygon, Bowser said that while improvements to the Switch technology are always being thought about, the company isn’t exactly feeling the pressure thanks the ongoing success of the original Switch and its Lite counterpart.
