Nintendo Switch Pro - Release Date, News, Rumors, Price, Trailers

Thursday, 10 June 2021 14:49

Nintendo Switch Pro - Release Date, News, Rumors, Price, Trailers

Written by Mark Sammut

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Everything we know so far about the rumors Nintendo Switch Pro console.

Rumors about a Nintendo Switch Pro have been making the rounds for a good while, almost since the original hybrid system released in 2017. At this point, it seems inevitable that Nintendo will announce something new to close the gap separating the company's main hardware and the systems offered by Sony and Microsoft, even if the Switch has never been in direct competition with the PlayStation and Xbox brands.

While discussions have been rampant about the possibilities of the Switch Pro, Nintendo has opted against confirming anything. Through rumors and news snippets, predictions can be made about a possible release date and price for the console. What does the future hold for the Nintendo Switch Pro?

The Nintendo Switch debuted in March 2017, so it has been out on the market for more than four years. While this is a relatively short cycle for a console, the Switch launched with less power under the hood than the other main systems available at the time, the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Now with the release of the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, the Nintendo Switch has fallen well behind the times, greatly reducing its chance of receiving multi-platform AAA third-party games. 2019's Nintendo Switch Lite serves as the pure handheld alternative to the main hybrid system, providing even more portability while slightly reduced performance.

Even when it comes to first or second-party games, the Nintendo Switch's limitations could hamper the potential of titles such as Bayonetta 3, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2, and Metroid Prime 4.

As of the moment, Nintendo has not confirmed the existence of a new console; consequently, the Nintendo Switch Pro currently has no official release date. A rumored pre-order date of June 4, 2021, came and went without any news breaking, as did a proposed reveal date.

At this point, everything concerning a release calendar is speculation; however, Nintendo typically drops a new console every 5-6 years:

Nintendo Entertainment System - July 15, 1983
Super Nintendo Entertainment System - November 21, 1990
Nintendo 64 - June 23, 1996
Nintendo GameCube - November 5, 2001
Wii - November 19, 2006
Wii U - November 18, 2012
Nintendo Switch - March 3, 2017

Furthermore, the Wii U's lifecycle lasted less than five years. Now, the Nintendo Switch has been far more successful than its predecessor, something that continues to be the case in 2021. The "Pro" part also raises the question of what will be the purpose of Nintendo's new system, although Nintendo Super Switch is also a rumored name.

Plenty of rumors predict a 2021 release for the Nintendo Switch Pro, specifically around the Holiday season. If this were to be the case, a confirmation should be expected sometime soon. Nintendo's appearance at E3 2021 seems like the most likely event to feature such a huge announcement.

The rumored name of "Nintendo Switch Pro" is likely to conjure up images of the PlayStation 4 Pro, a system designed to bridge the gap between generations rather than act as a full upgrade. Sony published that console three years after the launch of the base PlayStation 4, right around the halfway mark of the eighth console generation. Around the same time, Microsoft released the Xbox One S, which provided some benefits via support for 4K Ultra HD video streaming and HDR Gaming. However, Microsoft's proper upgrade, the Xbox One X, would not come out until 2020.

Nintendo has a long history of upgrading or adapting its handheld systems. Taking the 3Ds' North American releases as an example, Nintendo produced:

Nintendo 3DS - March 27, 2011
Nintendo 3DS XL - August 19, 2012
Nintendo 2DS - October 12, 2013
New Nintendo 3DS XL - February 13, 2015
New Nintendo 3DS - September 25, 2015
New Nintendo 2DS XL - July 28, 2017

While not all of these releases felt necessary, they did highlight Nintendo's willingness to stay removed from the traditional console wars and focus on its own products.

The Switch's status as both a home and portable system complicates matters, as Nintendo doesn't typically look to extend the former's lifespan for approximately a decade through upgraded releases. With the console already celebrating its four-year anniversary, Nintendo might look for a full follow-up to the Switch rather than just an upgrade.

Regardless of what Nintendo's next console might be, it will reportedly have specs that improve significantly over its predecessor. The rumors surrounding the Switch Pro's hardware mention that the console uses Nvidia's DLSS technology, has a 7-inch Samsung OLED screen, 8GB memory, and supports 4K resolutions while docked. Other rumors state the Switch Pro will include an ethernet connection and a better kickstand than its predecessor. Naturally, the rumors do not all agree, with some predicting the Switch Pro will have the same Tegra X1+ chipset as the base model, albeit with a superior cooling system.

If these rumors came to be true, the Switch Pro won't compete with the PS5 or Xbox Series X, but it won't be far removed from the Xbox Series S.

Until more information is revealed about the console, one can only speculate on whether the Nintendo Switch Pro will have exclusive games. While the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X did not go down this route, Nintendo has previously taken this option. For example, games such as Xenoblade Chronicles and Fire Emblem Warriors are exclusive to the New 3DS.

Whether the Switch Pro should include exclusives comes down to personal preference, although the upgraded hardware's potential could be limited if games have to also run on the original Nintendo Switch and the Lite. If Nintendo opts to not have exclusives for the Switch Pro, then the system might be a less substantial upgrade than rumors predict.

Due to Nintendo's silence on the matter, the Nintendo Switch Pro currently does not have a confirmed price. Recently, Nintendo has sought to provide a price advantage over Sony and Microsoft's systems, with the Switch's launch price being especially competitive.

Nintendo Switch - $299
PlayStation 4 - $399
Xbox One - $499 With Kinect / $399 Without Kinect

Early in June, 2021, a European retailer leaked a potential price for the Nintendo Switch Pro, with the console being listed for 399 €. If converted into dollars, the price would be just shy of $500, meaning the Switch Pro would cost roughly the same amount as the Xbox Series X and the disc version of the PlayStation 5.

This price should be taken with a grain of salt, but it should be noted that the Nintendo Switch launched at a higher price in Europe than in North America. The 2017 console costs 329.99 € in the EU, while the same system is available for $299 in NA. The Nintendo Switch Lite also costs more in the EU than NA, requiring an investment of 219.99 € compared to the latter's $199.

The Nintendo Switch Pro will either prove to be the industry's worst-kept secret or its biggest swerve. Any current discourse has been fueled entirely by rumors, speculations, leaks, and predictions; however, Nintendo will eventually pull back the curtain to reveal what is in the works. Will it be the Nintendo Switch Pro? The Nintendo Super Switch? Or something else entirely?

For E3 2021, Nintendo will be hosting a Direct on June 15, with the livestream starting at 9 AM PST time. Following this showcase, a three-hour Nintendo Treehouse: Live will take place.

While a Direct at E3 seems like the perfect opportunity to reveal a console, Nintendo tends to prioritize games over hardware, and a reveal as huge as a new console would presumably dominate the event. On its official website, Nintendo confirms that the E3 Direct will last for around 40 minutes. This does not leave a lot of time to dive deep into a new piece of hardware, especially since Nintendo's presentation could include games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2. Nintendo's description of the Direct even mentions that it will focus "exclusively on software—mostly releasing in 2021—for the Nintendo Switch system."

Going by the above disclaimer, it's best to not expect the Nintendo Switch PRO to make an appearance at E3 2021.

The Nintendo Switch Pro has been a hot topic for a while, inspiring plenty of articles to be written discussing its potential. Along with the pieces linked throughout this page, here are some articles to check out:

NEXT: Nintendo Switch Pro Announcement May Come Later Than Expected

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Nintendo Switch Pro - Release Date, News, Rumors, Price, Trailers

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