C. Scott Brown
Today Nintendo finally revealed an updated version of the Nintendo Switch console. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the “Nintendo Switch Pro” that many gamers were hoping for. Instead, the Nintendo Switch OLED model has some notable upgrades, but it’s hardly the pro-level version we expected.
Nintendo fans are understandably a little pissed off. They wanted 4K support and Nintendo didn’t deliver. They wanted a faster turnaround, which they didn’t. Bluetooth audio, a simplified chat system and significantly more internal storage were also on the wish list and were not implemented.
If you just look at what Nintendo didn’t add, you’d probably think the company was mad. But if you stop thinking about the what-ifs and just looking at what Nintendo did The Nintendo Switch OLED model makes it easy to see the company’s strategy.
Connected: Nintendo Switch Buying Guide: Everything You Need To Know
Nintendo Switch OLED model: For mobile gamers only
All in all, with the OLED model, Nintendo really only updated five things compared to the regular Nintendo Switch:
- A larger 7-inch OLED display
- A larger, fully adjustable stand
- Improved audio
- Internal storage increased to 64 GB
- An ethernet port has been added to the dock
Aside from a few other aesthetic differences, this list sets the regular old Switch apart from the chic new Nintendo Switch OLED model. It’s pretty obvious what Nintendo is doing here: it mostly focuses on gamers who take their Switch off the dock and play in handheld mode. Aside from the Ethernet port, the main changes here are the things that mobile users will appreciate the most.
Instead, Nintendo focuses on the one main thing the Switch can do that a PS5 / XBSX can’t, which is to go mobile. So this is the Nintendo Switch OLED model and not the Nintendo Switch Pro. The term “OLED” is included in the name to specifically address gamers who prioritize the handheld mode of the switch. The same applies to the new kickstand and the improved audio quality. The nominal storage increase is basically a throw-away upgrade as 64GB is still a paltry amount and the Ethernet port is a nice touch. Even so, it should come with the original Switch anyway.
In other words, the Switch OLED model is only intended for mobile gamers. TV players do not have to apply.
Does that mean there won’t be a Switch Pro?
C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
Sony and Microsoft both updated previous consoles several times. The PlayStation 4 had an original version, a slim version, and a pro version before the PS5 came out. It is therefore not entirely out of the question that Nintendo could follow suit in 2022 or 2023 and bring a Nintendo Switch Pro onto the market.
But now that the Nintendo Switch OLED model exists, we are skeptical that there would ever be a Pro model. Just look at the numbers: the Nintendo Switch is the company’s second-best-selling home console of all time after the Nintendo Wii. It did so without releasing a new version (aside from the nominally updated model that came out in August 2019). Now that it’s got the OLED model, we expect Nintendo to ride the ongoing sell-off and save up any major upgrades for the inevitable Nintendo Switch 2 (or, I hope, the Super Nintendo Switch).
See also: The best free Nintendo Switch games
With the Switch, Nintendo has video game gold. Even after four years on the shelf, it can still be difficult to find a console at the list price of $ 299. Confident that it is taking the time to release the major game titles we all want (Breath of the Wild 2, Metroid Prime 4, etc.), it has essentially ignored PS5 and XBSX since 2020 when the Switch OLED- Model launched: it posted a tweet! No press conference, no livestream, but a quick tweet to say, “Oh yeah, we have this new version of the switch in case anyone cares.”
The bottom line is that Nintendo doesn’t have to release a Switch Pro. Why bother investing the money and making a next-level version of the console when people are still buying the old one until there is a shortage of supply? You might think Nintendo is crazy not to give its fans what they want, but you have to admit it doesn’t matter.
