In framework: Ever since the* that is( launched in 2017, there have been rumors and claims that an upgraded Pro version of the popular handheld console was set to arrive. That never happened, of course, but a report that is new that the mid-generation refresh to be real prepared. Unfortunately, it was canceled.
Despite just showing up 5 years ago, the* that is( is already the fifth best-selling console of all time, despite the numerous complaints of Joy-Con drift, having moved 114.33 million units. This success led to analysts and industry insiders claiming an updated Pro version would arrive complete with 4K support, a better processor than the* that is( aging Tegra X1 SoC, more storage space, a far better and perhaps larger display, and much more.
The Switch Pro never appeared. What we got alternatively ended up being the* that is( OLED, which, while offering several improvements over the base model, is more of an incremental upgrade; it reportedly costs just $10 more to make.
So, what happened to the Switch Pro that many were convinced would arrive? The Digital Foundry Direct Weekly podcast may have shed some light on the mystery. John Linneman says he talked to developers that are several unveiled a mid-generation Switch was planned at one point, however the system isn’t any longer taking place.
Linneman proposes the cancelation might partially be blamed on the* that is( U. The original Wii was incredibly popular when it arrived in 2006, selling over 100 million units, but the Wii U follow-up flopped badly—just over 13 million consoles were bought. Nintendo might have wanted to avoid a situation that is similar with all the updated Switch Pro.
Linneman thinks Nintendo will to push out a next-generation Switch 2 (or whatever it will be called) system, perhaps loading Nvidia’s Tegra T239 SoC, but we are perhaps not gonna view it in 2023. And regardless of this successor becoming even more powerful, Nintendo will probably remain stressed about having another Wii U (and, up to a smaller level, GameCube)-style commercial failure on its fingers.
