New predictions made this week by analysts suggest that Nintendo could skip plans for an upgraded Nintendo Switch console, usually referred to as the Switch Pro.
Gamers and market watchers have been waiting for Nintendo to reveal a mid-cycle refresh in the guise of the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X since the original Switch was released in 2017.
But so far, only Oled refresh has been made available, making little to no changes to the basic guts of the handheld system.
Reports of a 4K console powered by new Nividia tech have circulated in the past, and there has been no reason to believe Nintendo would skip such an opportunity to expand the brand further.
However, one analyst has put together a new prediction that claims Nintendo could skip a Switch Pro console and move toward a new machine.
“Even so, Nintendo Switch family of devices will once again be the best-selling consoles in 2022 at around 21 million sold to consumers, aided by the release of Switch OLED. I’m not expecting a Switch Pro in 2022.
“We have a next-gen Nintendo console in our forecasts for late 2024, so I’m not convinced a ‘Pro’ model is going to appear at all.
“PS5 will outsell Xbox Series X|S on a global basis. The predicted combined sales to gamers are around 28 million.
“PS5 and Xbox Series X will remain supply constrained, but I expect availability to improve slowly over the year and to be in a better place as we arrive at the holiday season.”
Losing out on a Switch refresh means that gamers would have to make do with the base Nintendo Switch console until another one was ready to hit shelves. In the past this has meant waiting longer due to supply constraints, a problem that could repeat.
However, the good news would be that a refreshed console would not increase the lifecycle of the Switch, meaning that its replacement would arrive sooner and provide a refreshed and more powerful platform.
