Insider says ‘Switch Pro’ was cancelled

A games industry insider and journalist has said that an enhanced version of the Nintendo Switch was in the works, but has since been cancelled

Rumours about a more powerful version of the Nintendo Switch have been prevalent for almost as long as the Switch itself has been around, but one games journalist says that the rumours were true.

The information comes courtesy of Digital Foundry senior staff writer John Linneman who said during an episode of DF Direct Weekly that, at one point, a “Switch Pro” was in development. Linneman says “there was some sort of mid-generation Switch update planned at one point, and that seems to no longer be happening”.

Linneman went on to say that he expects Nintendo has shifted its focus to the next generation console, what some are calling the “Switch 2”. He says that Nintendo is likely pretty nervous about the transition to next generation hardware, as previous transitions, such as from the Wii to the Wii U, have been rough.

“How do you make that transition while keeping that audience happy and make it exciting again?” Linneman said, “There’s a risk that if they just do more Switch, like enhanced Switch, it won’t necessarily get that same buzz. But if they go too far from the concept they can alienate their fans again.”

Despite the power difference, players are still very excited for upcoming Switch games, like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Picture: Nintendo

While the Nintendo Switch has been wildly popular since its release in 2017, some have expressed concerns about the difference in power between it and its competitors. The shift from Microsoft and Sony to the Xbox Series and PlayStation 5 only widened that gap, and third party developers have often foregone Switch versions of games that appear on other consoles.

One stopgap solution that’s popped up in the meantime is cloud versions of games, which has been seen in games like the Kingdom Hearts series, Resident Evil, and Control. These cloud versions run the game on server hardware rather than on the Switch itself, and then stream the resulting gameplay to the Switch’s screen.

Resident Evil 2 will soon be available on the Switch via cloud streaming, but the experience is unlikely to match other versions. Picture: Capcom

It’s not a perfect solution, however. The quality of the resulting gameplay visuals depends greatly on the quality of the internet connection a player has, and if a player is located far from the server the game might not be playable at all. Latency for inputs is also inherently greater when playing a streamed game, which means games that require fast reaction times might not be as enjoyable as a local version would be.

In other Nintendo news, the creator of Super Smash Bros has talked about the strange details of his contract with the company. Masahiro Sakurai has said that, unlike most development contracts, his company doesn’t get paid until after the games he develops have shipped.

Nintendo has also been in a bit of hot water with the Nintendo Switch, after a UK consumer rights group claimed that Switch controllers have a “design flaw”. The group tested a number of Joy-Con controllers and found a flaw in their design that could lead to long-term instability through normal usage.

Written by Oliver Brandt on behalf of GLHF.