Regarding the fact that Nintendo Switch is now four years old, it is difficult for me to concentrate. March 3, 2017, to some extent, it felt like last month or ten years ago. Even though I only bought real new PlayStation and Xbox consoles a few months ago, the thing itself still feels "very new" in my mind. But considering the views we want to express in our Switch life, it’s no surprise
The momentum of updated hardware versions is increasing. Frankly speaking, considering the thousands of hours I have happily devoted to the Switch, I all need to update. But for Nintendo, when it decides to release it, it is crucial to release it and choose the games to sell with it. For the so-called Nintendo Switch Pro, timing will be everything.
The latest report comes from
It also provides some detailed information about the upcoming version, the most famous of which includes a 7-inch 720p OLED screen. This size is larger than the 6.2-inch display on the standard Switch and the 5.5-inch display on the Switch Lite. The report also mentioned that the shell of the screen will remain unchanged, which means that the new Switch is likely to have a thinner bezel. It is a wise move for Nintendo to keep the body size unchanged, because all of our Joy-Con, accessories and chassis can be transferred to the new hardware cleanly. Of course, it remains to be seen whether we will get some kind of controller revision to finally solve our Joy-Con drift problem.
As someone who specializes in using Nintendo Switch in handheld mode, the details about the screen sound great to me. The OLED screen is great, definitely bigger than the current LCD screen of the Switch. Just like the OLED display on the original PlayStation Vita, it will provide brighter colors, deeper blacks, and more energy-efficient battery life. However, some people are disappointed by the news of the 720p display, rather than the full 1080p display.
I really don't think this is a problem. Considering the distance most people keep the device from their face in handheld mode, 720p is enough to provide excellent images. 1080p is very suitable for situations like Nintendo Labo. In this case, you can fold some cardboard together and tie the entire product to your face, but I would rather extend battery life with better artificial VR features.
When docked, the hardware revision should also have 4K capabilities, although the details are vague in the report.
Some solutions for how to work are listed, but it seems that the increased processing power will remain inside the dock itself, rather than the handheld device. This will undoubtedly narrow the gap between the current position of Nintendo Switch and the leaps that Microsoft and Sony made last fall, although in terms of functionality, it is undoubtedly still far below PlayStation 5 and Xbox SeriesX. However, if this narrowing of the gap means that Switch will also launch a series of third-party games, then Nintendo is a victory.
The Bloomberg report pointed out that Samsung will start producing new screens in June and plans to produce nearly one million screens per month for the rest of this year. But this is the tricky part. Does Nintendo plan to prepare the Switch Pro in time for launch during the holidays, or will we see it early next year, which coincides with the 5th anniversary of the Switch itself?
On the one hand, it makes sense to prepare new hardware for the public during the peak holiday season. Especially considering the fact that by then the manufacturing problems of Sony and Microsoft should be mostly resolved, which means that anyone who wants to buy a new game console should be able to worry-free. Ready to use the shiny new Switch with PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|Intel® Developer Zone S will be extremely beneficial for Nintendo.
However, given that this epidemic has clearly affected the development of the entire video game industry, including
, I wouldn’t be surprised if the plan changes. We are considering launching new Nintendo hardware in early 2022, which will be launched within about five years after the Switch is launched. However, if this is the case, then if Nintendo launches a new game console in 2021 that will not be available until early 2022, will it hurt its holiday sales? If people know that an update is about to be released, will people postpone buying the original Switch?
In terms of Western distribution, five years seems to be Nintendo’s best choice for consoles. We got SNES in 1991, Nintendo 64 in 1996 five years later, GameCube in 2001 five years later, and Wii in 2006 five years later. With the advent of Wii U, the great success of Wii makes it an outlier. 2012, six years later. But Wii U’s mistakes made the Switch back to the plan in March 2017, less than five years later. However, it is worth reiterating that this hardware update does not sound like a leap from generation to generation. Instead, it feels more similar to PlayStation 4 Pro, Xbox One X, or more appropriately the New Nintendo 3DS that is often forgotten by people.
The new Nintendo 3DS has a more powerful processor, better battery, larger screen and other buttons to help make the entire 3DS experience smoother. It also has a small but weird list of exclusive games. The big one is
,
sand
. But the handheld version of the SNES virtual console is also its proprietary version, which includes things like
, This
Trilogy, and
, This is a currently unavailable game in the SNES Online library of Switch.
I can't imagine that Nintendo will eventually announce Nintendo 64 Online just to provide support after the new hardware version. Frankly speaking, given that the Switch has surpassed
I can’t imagine Nintendo’s desire to allow a game that won’t be playable on all these consoles.
For now, the current development momentum of Switch is eye-catching. Although the focus in 2020 is mainly on the release of Sony and Micrsosoft consoles, Nintendo’s sales volume is
, And there is no sign of slowing down.
currently
, And only move up in the list. The remaining product lineup for 2020 is solid, if not spectacular.
with
Surprisingly, the Switch is still the home of incredible indie games on the first day as praised.
.
Having said that, Nintendo is certainly not without current problems.
Participated in three incredible games and turned it into a bland collection, leaving other celebrations of the same type behind in the league, not to mention
It is currently expected to stop shipping to retailers within a few weeks and remove it from the eShop. Nintendo also fumbled
Announced its 35th anniversary
Will switch to Switch this summer. Of course, there seems to be more classics
News later this year, but with
In just a few days after that, including an opening montage, it made us understand the legendary history of the legend, which makes it hard not to feel that Nintendo has messed up Link.
Speaking of Link, the last big question mark of Nintendo Switch Pro is what games will be released with it as a demonstration of its upgrade. The two that have been announced and immediately come to mind are
And newly discovered
, While the former has no release date, while the latter is scheduled to be released in early 2022. It seems like a mistake to release a new console without a marquee game, and any kind of game feels like that kind of large, important open-world experience that Nintendo is happy to put on a hat when promoting new hardware.
But, like many exciting video game rumors and reports, all we can do now is wait. Whether this year or next year, Nintendo seems to be preparing to upgrade its popular hybrid console. Although it seems that this is not a real generational leap, judging from the continued success of the Switch, Nintendo does not need to reinvent the wheel now.
