In the past few months, there has been a persistent rumor that Nintendo could react to the launch of the PlayStation 5 or the Xbox Series X/S with a Switch Pro model of the hybrid console. But what does the company itself say on this topic?
In the past few months, rumors have been circulating that there was talk of a possible Nintendo Switch Pro model, with which Nintendo could react to the launch of the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X/S.
In a recent interview, Doug Bowser, President of Nintendo of America, addressed this topic and pointed out that Nintendo naturally has an eye on constantly evolving technology. Internally, according to Bowser, the main question is how new technologies can be used to expand or improve the gaming experience for users.
In that sense, Bowser stated the following in an interview with Polygon:
“First, we’re always looking at technology”, Bowser said. “And as we know, technology is constantly evolving and changing. And we’re always looking at what is coming to determine: How can it enhance and improve the gameplay experience? And whether that’s on a current platform, or whether that’s on a future platform, we’re always looking at that.”
“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.”
The Nintendo President continued, “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. Furukawa mentioned in his corporate management policy briefing, we believe we’re just at the midpoint of this life cycle on this platform.”
The President of Nintendo of America added the question of whether the continued success of the Switch would make a hardware overhaul superfluous for the time being: “It allows us to to manage the life cycle differently, I would say. I think that’s the easiest way to put it. Right now, with the momentum that we have, our focus will be on the existing form factors.”