Nintendo Switch Pro Delay? Top Boss Bowser Confirms Focus Is On "existing form factors"

There's been rumours about a Nintendo Switch Pro for months and we doubt that rumours surrounding this more power SKU will go away anytime soon.

We've heard numerous reports on the matter, some far more reliable than others.

One of the most recent came from Bloomberg's Takashi Mochizuki who relayed and corroborated a report from Taiwanese newspaper United Daily News.

In short, he confirmed what many had known for some time, that Nintendo was working on a Switch Pro which had "more computing power and 4K high-definition graphics".

In addition, this new SKU was supposedly launching along with "a slew of games from Nintendo itself and related outside studios".

Honestly it seems incredibly believable even without top tier reporters and their sources. Simply because Nintendo has form in releasing multiple handheld console SKU's; so why would Switch be any different?

With all this being said, Nintendo of America boss Doug Bowser has cooled talk of the Switch Pro coming in 2021 in a new interview with Polygon.

It's a lengthy statement, so get comfy:

Let me just break it down. First, we’re always looking at technology. And as we know, technology is constantly evolving and changing. And we’re always looking at what is coming to determine: How can it enhance and improve the gameplay experience? And whether that’s on a current platform, or whether that’s on a future platform, we’re always looking at that.

However, we also see right now — and we just talked about it — that the momentum on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite in the fourth year is strong. And we believe we’re changing the trajectory of another typical console life cycle. And we will continue, for the foreseeable future, to really lean into both of those platforms and the content that comes with it, because it’s the symbiotic relationship that makes the real difference. And it’s why Nintendo Switch is so differentiated.

First, the hardware form factor, obviously, is something — that you have a gaming system that you can play at home as a console, and you can take on the go and play in handheld mode virtually anywhere — is unique and remains unique within the industry. But then the way we build games onto the platform, and the way partners build games onto the platform, is really what matters and the experience that you have when you play. So that’s what we’ll continue to lean into as we go into really what will be the fifth year of Nintendo Switch. And as Mr. [Shuntaro] Furukawa [president of Nintendo] mentioned in his corporate management policy briefing, we believe we’re just at the midpoint of this life cycle on this platform.

Polygon to their credit followed up by asking if the success of Switch in 2020 had extended its lifecycle, and allowed Nintendo to not feel pressured into forcing through an updated 'Pro' edition just yet, to which Bowser replied:

It allows us to to manage the life cycle differently, I would say. I think that’s the easiest way to put it. Right now, with the momentum that we have, our focus will be on the existing form factors.

It stands to reason that Nintendo won't go out of their way to announce a new 'better' Nintendo Switch on the eve of Christmas. They wouldn't want to put people off buying their consoles after all.

We still believe a Switch Pro is coming, but with the existing Switch and Switch Lite both selling by the bucketload, coupled with shortages for the PS5 and Xbox Series X, Nintendo seem well-positioned to hold their nerve and bide their time before announcing or releasing a Switch Pro in 2021.