The Nintendo Switch has gone far as a console. It's introduced some major innovations to video game consoles with its modular design, and it's played host to some of Nintendo's strongest games of recent memory, like Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. It seems like it still has a few good years of life in it, so fans are excited to see where the Switch goes next. However, it seems more and more likely that Nintendo has another console on the way. The Nintendo Switch Pro is one of the most hotly debated rumors about Nintendo products, largely because fans aren't sure that it's real.
There's certainly a lot to be gained from Nintendo introducing the Nintendo Switch Pro. Based on specs in the rumors, it could be way more powerful than the normal Switch, running games on par with its next-gen rivals from Microsoft and Sony. While the Switch Pro's capabilities are easy to imagine, what's been harder to predict is when Nintendo might reveal it. Now that E3 is back online, it's perfectly believable that Nintendo wants to announce the Switch Pro there. The video game conference is sure to be filled to the brim with industry-shaking announcements as usual. There's plenty of reasons that the Nintendo Direct at E3 would be the the perfect place to unveil a new Nintendo console.
Preparing For the Holidays
Microsoft and Sony had one huge part of their next-gen console plans in common. Both companies set up their new consoles for a launch in holiday 2020. That stands to reason; the end of the year always comes up with a huge uptick in shopping. The PS5 and Xbox Series X both benefited from being hotly demanded presents for the holiday season to the surprise of nobody. Because E3 is in the middle of the year, it's a great time for members of the game industry to look back on what they've gotten done so far while also explaining their plans for the rest of the year. Odds are that plenty of holiday heavy-hitters will be revealed in that window -- including the Switch Pro.
Lots of Switch Pro rumors attest to a 2021 release. Although plenty of the year has passed, a Switch Pro reveal in June at E3 followed up by the console's launch in December wouldn't be far-fetched at all. The window of six months created that way is more than enough time for Nintendo to polish the console and set it up for an international release at the end of the year. There's no reason Nintendo can't replicate the holiday success of the PS5 and Xbox Series X in 2021. In fact, as the economic side of the COVID-19 pandemic improves, the Switch Pro might sell even better.
Standing Up to the Competition
One important facet of 2021's E3 is how much attention there will be on the Xbox Series X. Microsoft has plenty of games worth talking about that'll probably be there, and it's the perfect venue to announce more big plans for the Xbox Series X's future. Plus, even though Sony won't be at E3, odds are lots of people will be talking about the PS5 anyway and making comparisons to it and whatever Microsoft shows off. There could still be big games revealed that make a difference for the PS5, too.
Since these next-gen consoles are bound to dominate conversation at E3 2021 one way or another, Nintendo needs to have its own big conversation piece. The best possible thing it could do, then, is reveal the Switch Pro and talk it up as much as possible to show that it's staying on par with Microsoft and Sony. Microsoft in particular could distract a lot from Nintendo's content, considering how badly Xbox fans want to hear about Halo Infinite and other Xbox titles. The Xbox Series X is poised to get a lot of easy publicity at E3 2021, but Nintendo could take a huge bite out of it with the Switch Pro. What's more, the reveal would probably flood the second half of 2021 with comparisons between the Switch Pro and its rivals, drumming up lots of free publicity.
Console Announcements, Game Announcements
Of course, Nintendo can't reveal the Nintendo Switch Pro without telling fans what games they'll be able to play on it. Nintendo has lots of games that fans are dying for updates on, from Metroid Prime 4 to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2. While odds are good that these games will be at E3, Switch Pro or no Switch Pro, they make a natural pairing with a console announcement. Either Nintendo could start out with a Switch Pro reveal and then explain each game's future on the console, or it could save the Switch Pro for its famous 'one more thing', then reveal that every game it talked about will also be coming to Switch Pro. Nintendo's dramatic flair makes the second option pretty likely.
Fans also have to bear in mind that there might be Switch Pro exclusive games on the way that Nintendo hasn't hinted at in any way. Surely Nintendo is full of ideas for bold games that are too intense to run on the normal Switch. It'd be a shame to let these game ideas sit around; that could be a surefire way for the Switch to fall behind the Xbox Series X and the PS5. It'd make sense if Nintendo's Switch Pro announcement also came with the announcement of some surprising but exciting games for any number of its franchises.
Hope for Nintendo Fans
It always has to be said that, strictly speaking, the Switch Pro is still just a rumor. There's lots of leaks and claims out there that make it look very real, but it's still possible that the console isn't real. However, it only seems logical that Nintendo is working on a console like this. It needs to keep pace with its competitors, who are innovating and pushing all kinds of boundaries. Plus, it has lots of games in production that would surely sell fantastically if they could run seamlessly in 4K in spite of highly detailed environments. E3 famously hosts major video game announcements every year; it only seems right that the Switch Pro -- should it be real -- finally gets revealed at E3 2021.
The Nintendo Switch Pro is rumored to be in development.