While Microsoft and Sony are moving on to a new generation this holiday, Nintendo continues to play its own game with Nintendo Switch. This is how it’s been arguably since GameCube, but certainly with the Wii onward, Nintendo’s marched to the beat of its own drum. That’s become especially true with its latest console, which marries Nintendo’s handheld infrastructure with its mainline console market and centralizes its product lineup. However, since as early as last year, rumors/leaks about a Nintendo Switch “Pro” have surfaced.
A hardware refresh of the Nintendo Switch still wouldn’t likely compete with PS5/Xbox Series X simply because of the Switch’s design, but it would be an interesting proposition for consumers. In fact, Nintendo could do something similar to the Xbox Series X/S dynamic by adding a “premium” option for purchasing a Switch. Nintendo’s done something similar with its previous handheld consoles, and obviously, the Switch is far more ambitious in comparison, but adding a new “premium Switch” alongside games “Optimized for Switch Pro” isn’t too far-fetched.
Something along the lines of “Optimized for Switch Pro” is not a new idea from Nintendo. Back during the Wii/Wii U days, Nintendo had the 3DS handheld systems selling surprisingly well. Halfway through the lifespan of the 3DS, Nintendo put out the aptly-named *New* Nintendo 3Ds as part of a hardware refresh. The system was slightly more powerful and a few new features compared to the original 3DS, and also had a few exclusives games that didn’t work on existing 3DS hardware. Only a few games were exclusive, so it wasn’t a huge issue, but was worth noting for anyone looking to play something like Xenoblade Chronicles 3D.
Adding a Pro version of the Nintendo Switch to the hardware lineup would make a lot of sense business-wise. Having a premium console lineup alongside the base and budget offerings would complete Nintendo’s hardware selection. Nintendo could emulate a similar business strategy it had employed with 3DS, and there’s a pretty strong possibility a “premium” Switch console would perform well. There’s certainly a demographic of Nintendo and/or gaming fans looking to get even better performance on a mobile gaming platform. It’s definitely not a surefire success, but there are plenty of methods Nintendo could employ to make a successful high-grade Switch console.
Of course, there’d certainly be benefits and drawbacks to a Switch console with higher graphical and processing power. Fitting more powerful components into the Switch form factor is no easy feat. Battery life and power draw would certainly be an issue, but assuming the Switch Pro has things like a larger screen, then there’d potentially be more hardware size to work with. There’s also the potential issue of bulk, and whether or not a Switch Pro may be too big/too heavy for a mobile gaming console. The Switch is not like Android/iPad tablet, it needs proper cooling, and with an even bigger GPU comes an even bigger cooling solution.
That being said, assuming there are no major drawbacks, a Nintendo Switch Pro would likely perform very well. Employing exclusives would be a solid strategy, something both Microsoft and Sony are implementing to great effect for PS5/Xbox Series X. The number of exclusives would need to walk a fine line before the base Nintendo Switch becomes obsolete, but it’s not an impossible strategy. Alongside exclusives, existing Switch games could be optimized to run on much stronger hardware, boasting even more impressive performance from a mobile gaming platform.
Creating a Nintendo Switch Pro aligns with Nintendo’s former hardware strategy, and while it would be significantly different this generation, it’s not out of the realm of possibility. Nintendo has already accomplished a lot with putting out the original Switch in the first place. Packing even more powerful hardware into a mobile form factor would be yet another impressive technological feat, and could help support the Switch in the long run amidst Microsoft and Sony’s offerings. There’s also the possibility that third-party support could expand with more powerful hardware, but it’s a slim chance considering how hit-or-miss third-party support has been for the Switch already.
That being said, being able to theoretically play Breath of the Wild, Pokemon Sword & Shield, or Fire Emblem: Three Houses in 1080p/4K at 60 FPS would be an absolute treat. Some of the best Nintendo Switch games are incredibly optimized, but still run at a modest 30 FPS because of the Switch’s hardware limitations as a mobile console. If Nintendo can pull it off again, even better graphical performance for games “Optimized for Nintendo Switch Pro” would be a seriously impressive accomplishment.
A Nintendo Switch “Pro” is rumored to be in development.
![\"IT電腦補習](\"http://itteacheritfreelance.hk/test/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/logo2-2.png\"){kind=logo}
www.itsec.hk
www.itsec.vip
www.itseceu.uk
Leave a Reply