Switch Pro Was Internally Canceled by Nintendo, Says Digital Foundry

Recent reports from Digital Foundry seem to indicate that the highly anticipated Switch Pro, an enhanced version of the Nintendo Switch console, has seemingly been canceled, ending speculation about the existence of the console from gamers.

For the last two years, Nintendo fans had been eagerly awaiting news of a possible Switch Pro. Rumors first began in 2019 when a patent was filed for a larger version of the Switch with a more powerful hardware. This was followed by reports of developers and industry insiders suggesting that a new, more powerful console was being developed by Nintendo.

Unfortunately, it now seems that the Nintendo Switch Pro has been canceled internally at Nintendo, ending speculation on the hypothetical console. Digital Foundry in their report said that they had “spent months trying to corroborate” their findings on the concept of the Switch Pro and had “arrived at the same conclusions that other publications had months ago” that Nintendo had chosen to cancel the Switch Pro.

Digital Foundry cites the reason for the cancellation of the Switch Pro to be the power difference between the currently existing Switch and the potential Switch Pro. They reveal that the new console was going to have double the CPU power but only around 30% more GPU power, which landed it in a grey zone between the existing Switch and the PlayStation 4/Xbox One S consoles.

Furthermore, Digital Foundry also notes that for any games that weren’t remastered for the Switch Pro, there would be only a minor increase in graphical performance, making the Switch Pro a product of “diminishing returns”.

The cancellation of the Switch Pro sends shockwaves to the Nintendo community and prompts many to wonder what the future holds for the Nintendo Switch. Fortunately, Nintendo has already announced plans to update the existing Switch with new internals and has said that moving forward, they might also focus on developing multiple high-end versions of the console.

For now, gamers should likely wait and see what comes of the Switch in the near future. With the current pandemic situation, the future of the Nintendo Switch could remain uncertain but one thing is clear – the cancellation of the Switch Pro serves as yet another reminder to the Nintendo community that Nintendo always puts the gamer’s experience first.