You may have seen that the words ‘Nintendo Switch Pro’ have been trending of late, with many fans believing that Nintendo was gearing up to reveal its new console and its release date.
However, this time around, the rumours were way off the mark — the Nintendo Switch Pro has not been announced, and the release date for such a machine has certainly not been revealed.
Nintendo did reveal something today, but it turned out to be a new paint job for the Nintendo Switch OLED, themed around the upcoming game Splatoon 3.
As you can see in the Tweet below from the official Nintendo account, this is very much not the Nintendo Switch Pro. It’s a new lick of paint for the OLED model instead.
Calling all Inklings and Octolings!
This #NintendoSwitch – OLED Model #Splatoon3 Edition launches 26/08! pic.twitter.com/j7OwvkDLxv
— Nintendo of Europe (@NintendoEurope) July 6, 2022
This latest wave of rumours does prove one thing, though. Nintendo fans are still hungry for news of a next-gen console from Nintendo, which makes sense considering that all we’ve had since 2017 is variations on the Switch concept.
Sony’s PS5 and Microsoft’s Xbox Series X launched in 2020 and both of those consoles have speedy SSD storage and stunning 4K graphics, so it would make sense for Nintendo to release its own powerful new machine to keep up with the curve. There are still plenty of rumours and leaks but nothing concrete about it has emerged.
Check out our Nintendo Switch OLED review if you want to know whether that is worth an upgrade to. But what about the Pro? Read on and we’ll tell you what we’ve heard about it from rumour-mongers around the web.
Nintendo Switch Pro release date
The Nintendo Switch Pro release date is yet to be confirmed, with Nintendo not even confirming the console’s existence in the public sphere.
The Nintendo Switch OLED console arrived on 8th October 2021, but alas it was not the Pro – it doesn’t have 4K support or a new processor. This was only a visual upgrade, as opposed to a whole new console idea.
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So as it stands, Nintendo Switch hasn’t announced or confirmed a Switch Pro console. The higher-ups in Nintendo have also avoided answering the question when pushed for a release date.
Nintendo has said that the current console is “mid-way” through its life cycle, which could mean there are years left to wait. As the original Switch console is five years old now, you’ve probably got plenty of time to save up for the next Nintendo console.
Read more on Nintendo:
- Nintendo Switch OLED review – handheld gaming levels up
- The very best Nintendo Switch games
- Best Nintendo Switch games for kids
- Best Nintendo Switch micro SD cards to buy
- How to charge Nintendo Switch controllers
- The best Nintendo Switch Lite games – take these on the go
- How to connect Nintendo Switch to TV
Nintendo Switch Pro price
With no official release date there’s no confirmed price yet. With the OLED costing $349.99 and £309.99 in the UK, we’d say expect a price increase. The new model would have better hardware and performance and be seen as the premium model.
Bloomberg Intelligence predicted that the Nintendo Switch Pro could get closer to the $400 mark. “I still think Nintendo can drive strong demand even at $399.99,” analyst Matthew Kanterman said. He’s not the only one guessing that’s the price point either. Watch this space should the console ever come to light.
Nintendo Switch Pro specs
There have been several reports on what to expect from the Nintendo Switch Pro. Most push for support for 4K resolution (something the OLED model doesn’t have), and a better battery is also expected.
The current Switch has 32GB storage, the OLED 64GB. The battery life has already been improved on the Switch from 6.5 hours to 9 in the last update too. Could the Switch Pro perhaps get us to 10 hours?
OatmealDome, a known data-miner, found evidence of a new Switch dock that will support 4K visuals. That rumour seems to be backed up by Animal Crossing World, a fan-run website that spotted some recent Animal Crossing screenshots, posted by Nintendo, that appeared to be taken in 4K resolution.
The new console will keep the dual-gaming function that the Switch is famous for, some rumours have said, allowing you to play games on your TV or in a handheld fashion.
The general assumption is that the Nintendo Switch Pro will work better and faster than its predecessor, whichever mode you choose to play your games in. Some fans are hoping that extra-speedy SSD storage might be included, allowing the console to cut down dramatically on loading times.
Also seemingly on the cards is a fitness tracker, much like you get on your smartphones, and this would indicate that the hugely popular Ring Fit Adventure franchise will remain a top priority for Nintendo going forward – something that does not surprise us.
Rumours abound that the new console will also have an OLED display, in handheld mode, which will definitely make the appearance of the games a lot sharper than they did on the original Switch.
Fans are also hoping for greater performance speeds, improved battery life and perhaps even improved functionality with Bluetooth.
We hope too that third-party games will play much better as while exclusive Nintendo games generally run fine, there have been many issues with porting over games not made by the studio, and any new console will need to rectify this problem to keep the console as a leading one on the market.
Many fans, of course, would also hope to see the dreaded ‘Joy-Con drift’ problem eradicated by the Switch Pro. Hopefully there’ll be no such problem on the next console from Nintendo.
Should I wait to buy a Nintendo Switch Pro?
Should you buy a Switch now or wait for the Switch Pro? Well, that depends on how soon you want to start playing the best Nintendo Switch games that the console has to offer.
If the Switch Pro actually is in development, we think it will be some way off and we would be surprised to have it on the shelves this side of 2024. With that in mind, if you want to play some Nintendo games any time soon, you’d be better of buying a current-era Switch.
And there are great deals to be found on the Switch right now so if you are itching to play Mario Odyssey or you can’t hold out on playing the New Pokemon Snap, you may be better off just forking out for a current-gen Switch now.
Read more:
- Where to buy the new blue Nintendo Switch Lite
- Nintendo Switch vs Lite: which should you buy?
- Upcoming Nintendo Switch game release dates
- Best Nintendo Switch SD cards to buy
Nintendo Switch deals
Here are some of the deals we have found at the moment if you are debating going ahead and getting one – and if you love gaming, we highly recommend you do!
- Nintendo Switch Neon Console with Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury | £434 at Littlewoods
- Nintendo Switch Neon Console with Animal Crossing New Horizon & Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | £333 at Very
- Nintendo Switch Neon Console with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | £279 from Currys
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