While there is always chatter regarding the possibility of a Nintendo Switch Pro or Nintendo Switch 2 reveal, there’s actually a justification for it right now.
The Nintendo Switch is five years deep into its lifespan, but it remains a force when it comes to console sales. With three different models in production, all are seeing some level of success at retail.
That makes a recent move by Nintendo very strange. The company set a number of YouTube videos regarding the Nintendo Switch OLED Model to private. No official word has been given on discontinuing production of the enhanced version of the Switch, leaving fans scratching their heads as to why.
While a discontinuation of the OLED model is possible, there’s another possible explanation. Nintendo made a similar move with Nintendo Switch Lite videos ahead of the reveal of the Nintendo Switch OLED model. This makes it easy to speculate that a reveal of the Nintendo Switch Pro or even a next-gen Nintendo Switch 2 console could be revealed in the immediate future.
There is no official word on a new model of Nintendo Switch or a successor, despite fan speculation surrounding a Switch 2 or Pro model. There have been hints that something is on the horizon for the Switch, though.
In 2021, data miners uncovered information regarding a 4K-capable Nintendo Switch. These discoveries were made in hidden files within the 12.0.0 firmware update. Later in the year, reports circulated that a dozen developers already had devkits for the Nintendo Switch with 4K capabilities. Nintendo took the rare step of publicly addressing these reports in September 2021 ahead of the Switch OLED Model’s launch:
While Nintendo disavowed the possibility of a Switch Pro, the wording keeps the door open for a Switch 2. In May 2022, Nvidia ran a job listing for a “Game Console Developer Tools Engineer.”
“Nvidia is looking to hire a deeply technical, creative and hands-on software engineer to pioneer the next generation of Graphics Developer Tools for Game Consoles,” the job listing reads.
Nintendo and Nvidia have a wide-reaching partnership. The current Nintendo Switch is powered by Nvidia’s Tegra X1 system on a chip.
Alongside the lack of 4K, the Nintendo Switch is also falling behind rival consoles in terms of pure hardware power. It’s only recently that games like NieR: Automata and Persona 5 Royal are being ported to the Switch. The Switch lacked the processing power of the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One at launch and has been left out of many cross-platform releases as a result. With publishers now turning their attention to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo has renewed motivation to release a Switch 2.
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