Leaks about the Nintendo Switch Pro are shockingly common lately. With the rate at which new information and claims about the console are coming out, one would think that it's already public and Nintendo is talking about it itself. On the contrary, Nintendo has yet to actually announce the Switch Pro, and generally hasn't acknowledged all the leaks about it. It's a weird situation for Nintendo, which is traditionally pretty good at preventing leaks. For fans, it's also a little confusing to constantly sort through the different claims about the Switch Pro's status, but it's also exciting to explore all of the console's possibilities.
One of the latest leaks about the Switch Pro seemingly revealed a crucial piece of information about the console: its price. A European retailer recently put up a listing for the Switch Pro that priced it at 399 €. As usual, it's hard to say if this is the actual price for the Switch Pro, but it's also the first major time a fairly credible source has publicized the price for Nintendo's mysterious theoretical console. If that's really the price of the upgraded version of the Switch, it's perfect. It'll have a serious competitive edge over other next-gen consoles by being more affordable, and it'll offer fans a pretty good deal on a more powerful console.
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For consumers who don't use the euro, the big question around this Switch Pro leak is how it translates into other currencies. It converts to about $486 USD, for instance, but that's certainly not the exact price. It's possible that Nintendo rounds that up to $500 for American consumers, considering how close the conversion is to that price. It'd also put the Switch Pro on par with the PS5 and the Xbox Series X terms of price and follow the pattern of consoles across companies steadily rising in price. However, it actually seems a little more likely that Nintendo will round down to $450, or possibly even lower, based on its pricing track record.
Nintendo has a history of releasing consoles at a more affordable price than Sony and Microsoft. For example, when the Wii released, it sold for $249, while Xbox 360 prices started at $299. Similarly, the Nintendo Switch has spent much of its life priced at about $299, while the PS4 went for $399 and the Xbox One was priced at $499. Even though the Switch Pro is a more powerful console that may compete with the PS5 and the Xbox Series X, odds seem good that Nintendo will preserve its pattern of making cheaper consoles, especially if the Switch Pro price leak is to be believed. Odds are good that Switch Pro buyers will be spending $400 to $450 on the rumored console rather than the $499 that the PS5 and Xbox Series X go for.
This leak makes perfect sense considering Nintendo's tradition of pricing consoles. It also makes sense when one considers the Switch Pro's potential capabilities compared to the PS5 and Xbox Series X. Leaks about an OLED screen in the Switch Pro indicate that it'll be a modular console like the original Switch, rather than a more traditional console that only works with a TV, which is something earlier leaks suggested. If the Switch Pro is still modular, it'll inevitably have to sacrifice some things in terms of performance in order to work as both a handheld and a standard console. That means a slightly lower price than the other next-gen consoles is to be expected.
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At the same time, the leaked price is high enough to justify the console's rumored capabilities. For instance, if the Switch Pro can really run cutting edge games in 4K and with increased FPS, then it's only right that the console costs considerably more than the original Switch. The idea of running Breath of the Wild 2 in 4K is definitely tantalizing and would likely to motivate a lot of Nintendo fans to save up for a Switch Pro, even if it's more expensive. Tons of other upcoming Nintendo games could get a lot out of a next-gen platform too, from Metroid Prime 4 to Splatoon 3 to Pokemon Legends: Arceus. If there's one way Nintendo can make these games more exciting, it's by putting them on a platform that vastly enhances each game.
All this is to say that the Switch Pro's leaked price lands in a sweet spot. It isn't so expensive that the Switch Pro's potential limits as a modular console are a huge draw back. At the same time, it's a reasonable price for the console's supposed upgrades. If the leaked price is to be believed, Nintendo has clearly weighed the costs of production very carefully against the appeal to consumers and come up with a pretty reasonable asking price.
As soon as Microsoft and Sony announced the Xbox Series X and PS5 respectively, the onus was on Nintendo to unveil a next-gen console to compete with them. Although the Switch is an innovative console with some great games, it just has no way of competing with the PS5 and Xbox Series X in terms of graphical quality and processing power. Fans dreamed of something like the Switch Pro long before any concrete indication of its existence came forth, but increasingly believable leaks like those about the Switch Pro's potential price make it feel much more like a reality. All that remains is for Nintendo to officially announce the console, give fans a release date, and potentially unveil some games that are getting enhanced Switch Pro versions.
The Switch Pro leaks all definitely have to be taken with a grain of salt. One recent leak claimed Switch Pro preorders would start on June 4, which admittedly seemed inexplicable and arbitrary. June 4 passing uneventfully served as a good reminder to Nintendo fans that ultimately Nintendo is the only entity that can truly be relied on for Switch Pro news. Even so, not all leaks are created equal. Even if there's falsification afoot with the Switch Pro's price leak, the context in which it took place makes it a little more believable than most, and the price itself sounds right along the lines of what Nintendo would settle on. The only step remaining is for fans to see if Nintendo finally reveals the console at E3 2021.
The Nintendo Switch Pro is rumored to be in development.