When it comes to the Nintendo Switch, it’s been rumored and speculated that Nintendo has been in the plan stages of creating a mid-cycle refresh for some time. I’m sure that Nintendo is tired of this rumor, as it shot down the idea of a Switch Pro that was making the around earlier this year, again. Yet, the dream of the mid-cycle refresh has yet to die.
In a recent interview with Polygon, Nintendo of America’s President, Doug Bowser (still geeking out that Bowser runs Nintendo) spoke out on this very topic, again.
“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” Doug Bowser goes on to mention.
He continues on, “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”
So, as it would seem, yet again, Nintendo isn’t a fan of introducing a new console while their flagship console is going strong. While both Microsoft and Sony had implied this tactic, to mixed success, Nintendo has always waited until the end of a console’s lifespan. Sometimes even waiting longer than many of us would like for them to do so.
That all said, it doesn’t look like Nintendo has any interest in a Switch Pro, at least not for the moment. But from what Bowser stated, it does feel like Nintendo is in the design stages of a new console, but it won’t be a mid-cycle refresh and but a replacement for the original Switch.
