The Nintendo Switch is one of the most widely successful consoles of the last decade. The console represents Nintendo's power as a home console mainstay and a handheld console pioneer, and the popularity of the Switch shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. With all of its charm, there's also room for so much more advancement as far as the console's technology is concerned, and that's where the fervent rumors of a "Nintendo Switch Pro" come into play. While a lot of speculation around the supposed upgrade to the Switch is unfounded, at this point there have been enough leaks to all but confirm that the system is happening.
As exciting as the news of a potential Switch Pro may be, there could be some unfortunate bumps in the way of its eventual release. If there is one thing that has dominated the industry in regards to this newest generation of gaming, it is rampant hardware stock shortages. After half a year of being on the market, obtaining a PS5 or an Xbox Series X is still an incredibly difficult task, and there's a handful of different factors contributing to that struggle. With very few signs of these issues slowing down, it's entirely possible that the Switch Pro could suffer the same fate.
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One of the biggest contributing factors to the stock shortages of the PS5 and the Xbox Series X is the multitude of production issues plaguing both consoles. This issue largely stems from the fact that the world was in the midst of a pandemic around the same time that announcements were being made for both consoles, and the need to stay as secluded as possible made running the factories that make consoles incredibly difficult. Even as some factories around the world have begun to resume a somewhat normal level of production, Sony anticipates PS5 shortages to continue into 2022.
Another part of the reason why console production has been so difficult for this newest generation is because of the expensive and hard-to-come-by parts required for some internals. Most rumors around the Switch Pro have to do with its supposed 4K OLED screen, a claim seemingly substantiated by a major OLED manufacturer. The system will also supposedly have increased processing power thanks to new Nvidia tech, and it probably isn't easy to get all of the parts for those components together. So until console production is in a state comparable to more than a year ago, there probably won't be many Switch Pros available whenever it launches.
On top of the production restraints that came with the PS5 and Xbox Series X, this newest generation of gaming was one of the most highly-anticipated in the history of the industry. The enthusiasm of players can already be seen in early reports for the systems, with the PS5 having more games bought and played at launch than on the PS4's launch. The unfortunate thing about this enthusiasm however, is that it directly clashes with the production issues of the new systems. There isn't enough supply to meet the demand, and the demand has remained so high since launch that whenever new stock comes in, it's quickly eaten up.
With how much buzz there is around the rumored Switch Pro, it's very likely that the very same issue could occur. Anticipation for the upgraded console has been building for well over a year, with countless Twitter threads and forums speculating on what the specifics of the hardware will be. Especially now that more solid details have been coming out, the prospect of the Switch Pro is coming closer to reality, and much of the Nintendo fanbase is ready to jump at the upgrade opportunity. If anticipation is anywhere close to as high as the PS5 and Xbox Series X, store shelves and online marketplaces will likely be bare for a long time.
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Just when the issues of high demand and low production looked like they couldn't get any worse, perhaps one of the most disheartening things about the first few months of the PS5 and Xbox Series X's life cycle has been the dominance of scalpers. Ever since the consoles first launched, scalpers have been buying up large amounts of consoles to resell for a profit, and often at ridiculously high prices. This has put a major damper on the ability of regular people to buy a console whenever they'd like, and it's only exacerbated the scarcity of the consoles online.
Unfortunately for gamers that are just looking to upgrade their hardware, these scalpers play into the previously mentioned issues that have dominated the PS5 and Xbox Series X. The very same could happen to the rumored Switch Pro, and until things get to a somewhat regular state, there isn't much to be done about it. Some countries have considered bans on scalping, while retailers like GameStop have tried selling consoles in bundles to deter scalpers, but the issue still persists nonetheless. As long as scalpers continue to make money off of people that want a new console, the incentive to continue such practices will remain.
The Switch Pro has been one of the biggest talking points in much of the Nintendo community for some time now, and it's understandable considering the supposed upgrades for the console. It's hard to say exactly how the launch of the rumored console will go whenever it happens, but with how hard it still is to grab a PS5 or Xbox Series X, there's bound to be some shortages. There could be some hope in the fact that Sony will be increasing PS5 production over the summer, but with how tumultuous the world has been, that could be wishful thinking when it comes to the Switch Pro.
The Nintendo Switch Pro is rumored to be in development.
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