15 Reasons a Nintendo Switch "Pro" Is a Terrible Idea
Every week, gamers are hit with fresh rumors about an upcoming “Pro Nintendo Switch.” Such a device would sport 4K graphics and other bells...
Published 4 years ago in Facepalm
Plenty of Nintendo fans are drooling over this. But the truth is that a Pro Nintendo Switch is an absolutely terrible idea. Here are the reasons why.
1
Better to Focus On the Next System
When it comes to why the Pro Switch is a stupid idea, here is the real elephant in the room: Nintendo needs to buckle down and focus on the next system.
From the outside looking in, it’s hard not to imagine Pro Switch development as Nintendo really dragging their feet. And it seems pretty cynical that they are hoping you’ll buy the Switch one or two more times before they even think about announcing another system.2
Nintendo Should Have Bigger Priorities
As much as we love Nintendo, they have their fair share of problems. And one of the biggest is their ongoing issue with drifting Joy-Cons.
Simply put, Nintendo needs to fix this problem ASAP. It’s a real slap in the face to imagine they are working on a Pro Nintendo Switch when existing Switch owners must deal with cheap and defective hardware.3
Boundaries Lead to Innovation
While it sounds like something your old boss would say during a team-building exercise, the fact is that strict boundaries lead to innovation.
For many years now, Nintendo has been unable to compete with the graphics or computing power of their competition. And because of that, they found new ways to innovate through motion controls, touchscreens, and other innovations the competition couldn’t match.
Nintendo is the baby you do put in the corner if you want the magic and innovation they are known for.4
It Ain’t Broke
Why do most companies trot out something new? Most of the time, it’s because sales of the old product are slowing down.
But sales of the original Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite are very healthy. It doesn’t really make any sense for Nintendo to introduce a third variation of their system if interest is still very high for other versions.5
Overly Expensive
Another reason to oppose a Pro Switch is that it would be expensive. In fact, it’s tough to calculate exactly how expensive it could get.
As you may or may not know, Nintendo always prices their systems so they can make a profit, unlike Sony and Microsoft. While this helps them weather financial woes (looking at you, Wii U), it means they pass on added costs to the customer.
Even if you really want a Pro Switch, you may not want to pay what they will want to charge you!6
Worse Battery Life
Aside from drifting Joy-Cons, one of the bigger issues with the launch Switches was the low battery life. And a Pro Switch might manage to make things worse.
While 4K resolution and more computing power sound nice on paper, they are likely to eat through the battery that much quicker. The end result is a system that only looks and plays a tad better while being a much crappier handheld.7
A History of Cash Grabs
One reason to oppose a Pro Nintendo Switch is pretty simple. Gamers need to stop encouraging Nintendo and their weird love for cash grabs.
Since the days of the Game Boy, Nintendo has discovered that they can keep selling you the same thing multiple times. The original Game Boy begets the Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Light, and more colors and versions than you could shake a Tetris block at.
This continued with the GBA, DS, 3DS, and even home consoles. There is no better time than now to stop letting Nintendo sell you the same damn thing you already have!8
Longer Game Development Time
There is nothing worse than a game being stuck in development hell. And as a community, gamers are generally in favor of anything that gets new games into our hands that much quicker.
However, adding potential “Pro” capabilities is merely going to increase the development time for new games. It’s just one more thing that developers must develop for, and if they skip out on enabling these new features, it would alienate gamers who feel like they aren’t getting their month’s worth.9
No More Half Measures
To imagine a Pro Switch, we merely need to look at midlife system upgrades like the PlayStation 4 Pro and the Xbox One X. Those upgrades didn’t make a big change among gamers or developers.
A Switch Pro would be the same way. Nintendo has fans longing for the next system--giving them a crappy upgrade to the old system instead is just a poor compromise that makes nobody happy.10
Extra Computing Power Would Be a Waste
Ask yourself this: what do we really think Nintendo would do with the extra computing power of a Pro Switch?
Sure, it’d be nice to have games that load a tad faster, or maybe they look 10% better than they would on an original Switch. But these are very basic upgrades. How many people want to throw hundreds of dollars at Nintendo for such a poor return on investment?11
Nintendo Fans Aren’t Graphics Snobs
The biggest rumor about a Pro Switch is that it would have 4K graphics. But be honest: does anyone really think hardcore Nintendo fans care about the graphics?
Nintendo hasn’t produced a system that focused on graphics since the days of the Gamecube. Yet systems like the Wii and Switch have been insanely successful. Why would they improve a feature Nintendo fans don’t really care about?12
Nintendo and the Art of Simplicity
This may sound like a backhanded compliment, but here it is: a deluxe Switch model is a waste because Nintendo works best when they keep things simple.
The black and white Game Boy outlasted all of the competition (like Game Gear and Lynx) because Nintendo made the most out of this limited system. Later, they would do the same with the Wii, which won the world over with immersive gameplay (despite those weak sauce graphics).
Giving Nintendo more toys in their toybox doesn’t mean the final product will be any better.13
No Way to Compete
It’s good to ask a fundamental question: why, exactly, would Nintendo even put out a Switch?
You might think it is to keep up with the competition. But a souped-up Nintendo Switch would never be able to be as powerful as a PS5 or an Xbox Series X.
Nintendo lost this particular race before it even started.14
Games Would Still Need to Run On Every Model
A midlife upgrade for the Switch sounds a lot like the Playstation 4 Pro. And gamers learned a major lesson from the pro.
Basically, all games would still need to be able to run on all Switch models. It doesn’t really matter that you have a 4K Switch if the games you play on it also have to play just fine on the Switch Lite.
In short, this wouldn’t exactly be a quantum leap in graphics or performance for Switch fans.15
Nintendo’s Strength Is Their IPs
It’s an open secret why many people buy Nintendo consoles. Everyone wants to check out the next game focusing on Mario, Zelda, Animal Crossing, and other great first-party games.
Nintendo’s biggest strength is the growing stable of killer IPs. If they can sell a new Game and Watch that simply lets you play the original Super Mario Bros., that is proof that a tricked-out Pro Switch is not necessary.
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