2020 may not have gone according to plan for many companies inside of the gaming industry thanks in large part to the COVID-19 pandemic which forced the majority of studios to work from home. As a result, game development tended to slow down, forcing game delays and possible announcements to be pushed back. For many fans, Nintendo also had a slower 2020, releasing fewer first party titles than expected, even though many of them like Animal Crossing: New Horizon went on to experience record sales.
With a slower 2020, many are expecting a bigger 2021 for Nintendo and with the arrival of the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, it seems there are big expectations for a new Switch model to close the hardware gap. Rumors and speculation have continue to run wild with even one insider declaring the console's name being the Super Switch. While Nintendo has not divulged or hinted at any possible links to a new Switch model, the company President has finally broken his silence on the topic.
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This week, Nintendo announced it was raising its annual forecasts thanks to extremely strong sales of the Switch console and the company's best quarterly earnings since 2008. After announcing the earnings report, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa took questions from investors on the call. One in particular asked about the rumors surrounding a more powerful and upgraded version of the Nintendo Switch.
Furukawa wasted no time in addressing the question, simply stating that Nintendo had no plans on announcing a new Switch model anytime soon. Considering how well the console has been selling, his answer shouldn't be too surprising. However, while Furukawa likely wanted to squash the never-ending rumors, his answer may have unintentionally opened the door further for more speculation. Fans immediately began dissecting the phrasing of his response, with a fair majority believing that he's hinting that a Super Switch announcement is definitely coming, perhaps later in the year.
Interestingly enough, industry analyst David Gibson had a slightly different translation of the quote from Furukawa. Instead of saying there was no announcement anytime soon, Gibson reported the phrasing as Nintendo has no new models plan beyond the already announced Super Mario World and Monster Hunter Rise Switch consoles previously revealed.
Regardless, today's Q&A session didn't do much to dissuade fans from continuing to speculate a new hardware version for the popular Nintendo Switch. Fans and analysts alike continue to believe Nintendo has something planned with some indicating it could come with 4K resolution, an OLED screen, larger hard drive, faster processing, and a bigger price point. With plenty of 2021 left, Nintendo still has plenty of time to make an announcement regarding an all new Switch Pro version or address the rumors fully.
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