In context: since the launch of the Nintendo Switch in 2017, there have been rumors and claims that an updated Pro version of the popular portable console should appear. Of course, this did not happen, but a new report shows that the mid-generation upgrade was indeed planned. Unfortunately, in the end it was canceled.
Despite the fact that the Nintendo Switch appeared only five years ago, the Nintendo Switch is already the fifth best-selling console of all time, despite numerous complaints about the Joy-Con drift, shifting 114.33 million units. This success has led analysts and industry insiders to say that the updated Pro version will come with 4K support, a better processor than the outdated Tegra X1 SoC Switch, more memory, a better and possibly bigger screen, and more.
Switch Pro never appeared. Instead, we got the Switch OLED, which, while offering a few improvements over the base model, is more of a gradual upgrade; it reportedly costs only $10 more to make.
So, what happened to Switch Pro, which many were sure would appear? Digital Foundry Direct’s weekly podcast may have shed some light on this mystery. John Linneman says he talked to several developers who said that at some point it was planned to release a mid-generation Switch, but there will be no console anymore.
Linneman suggests that the cancellation can be partly blamed on the Wii U. The original Wii was incredibly popular when it appeared in 2006, more than 100 million units were sold, but the Wii U sequel failed — just over 13 million consoles were bought. Nintendo may have wanted to avoid a similar situation with the updated Switch Pro.
Linneman believes that Nintendo will release the next-generation Switch 2 console (or whatever it will be called), possibly with an Nvidia Tegra T239 SoC processor, but we won’t see it in 2023. Nintendo will probably still be nervous about another Wii U-style commercial failure (and, to a lesser extent, GameCube).
