Nintendo destroyed the dreams of a Switch Pro when it confirmed to have “no plans” for launching another Switch model at this time.
This comes after a summer of rumors and speculation of a Switch Pro with upgraded internals and NVIDIA’s DLSS tech for true 4K Nintendo gaming. What we got instead is the Switch OLED, which updates only the display to a 7-inch OLED panel.
Contrary to the rumors, Nintendo has now established that it isn’t working on this much-hyped ‘Pro’ system. At least, not yet.
No price gouging and no Switch Pro
Nintendo responded to a Bloomberg report that claimed the company had inflated profit margins on the OLED Switch. Industry analysts claimed the new console costs only $10 extra to produce but is being sold for $50 more than the original.
Nintendo denied the report, tweeting that to “ensure correct understanding among our investors and customers, we want to make clear that the claim is incorrect.” What caught most people’s attention was the follow-up tweet, which unceremoniously destroys and hopes of a Switch Pro.
“We also want to clarify that we just announced that Nintendo Switch(OLED Model) will launch in October, 2021, and have no plans for launching any other model at this time,” Nintendo wrote.
We also want to clarify that we just announced that Nintendo Switch(OLED Model) will launch in October, 2021, and have no plans for launching any other model at this time. (2/2)July 19, 2021
Nintendo doesn’t specifically mention a Switch Pro in the above tweet, but it’s clear what the company is referring to here.
Will there ever be a Nintendo Switch Pro?
We can assume, based on the above statement, that a Switch Pro won’t arrive in the next year. But don’t count out the console just yet. I’ll go out on a limb and say you may see an announcement by mid-2023. As we previously pointed out, the rumors are rife and Nintendo has a track record of creating multiple upgraded versions of the same console.
Plus, Nintendo’s not blind — the demand for a Switch Pro is clearly there and, given the usual two-year update cycle (original Switch in 2017, Switch Lite in 2019 and Switch OLED in 2021), this predicted time frame seems logical.
