Nintendo needs to fix the Switch before putting out a Switch Pro

Games industry analysts Kantan Games are predicting that Nintendo will absolutely, without a doubt, release an updated “Switch Pro” sometime in 2020. CEO Serkan Toto told reporters that he predicts “4K support, bigger cartridge sizes, and of course beefed-up components.” Toto expects the device will be released sometime after the summer holidays, much like the Switch Lite was last year.

While Toto has been predicting a Switch Pro for a while now, there may actually be something to these rumours this time. Nvidia has listed two new low-power SoCs under their Tegra Xavier line. Both of which are code named “NX”, which as you’ll remember was also the Switch’s working title.

There’s two models listed, though I think the most likely candidate is the 10-watt version. It features quad Camel CPU cores at 1.2 GHz, a Volta GPU with 384 CUDA cores, and 8GB of LPDDR4 memory with double the bandwidth of the Tegra X1. At up to 614 GFLOPS, it would nearly double the Switch’s current performance without consuming any more power. On top of that, Nvidia’s Xavier chips support HDR colour and 8K video decoding. Lending weight to Toto’s claims that it will support 4K. Though likely just for video content. Furthermore, both these chips are due to be out in March. Which would make them available for a late summer Switch Pro release.

Overall, I think this rumour has a 75% chance of being true. Nintendo likes to blindside us with announcements, so we likely won’t hear anything until after E3. Probably once the fuss over the Series X and PS5 calms down. I predict Nintendo will probably phase out the current Switch and replace it with this updated model as well, given that they already have a cheaper low-power model with the Lite. Pricing will likely remain the same.

But before they go about releasing a Switch Pro, I do want to circle back to the title of this article. The Switch is, conceptually speaking, Nintendo’s most brilliant product perhaps since the original Game Boy. Though from a technical standpoint, it still feels like it’s in beta.

The Joycon issue in particular is still a persistent problem. Depending on how much the console gets used, it seems the sticks will inevitably start to drift before the console’s second birthday, with most users reporting problems within 6-18 months of ownership. We’ve discussed this issue before. However, Nintendo still insists on using the same low quality sticks for the Switch Lite. Unlike its larger brother, these sticks cannot just be swapped out with new controllers. Instead requiring the whole system to be sent back for repairs, or the end user to take the console apart and do it themselves.

The drift issue has gotten so bad that it’s finally starting to receive attention from the mainstream media. French consumer advocacy magazine 60 Millions de Consommateurs recently named the Switch the most fragile product of 2019. While Nintendo has offered a free repair program in select regions, the root cause of the issue has yet to be resolved.

In addition, the Switch still suffers from other technical problems like poor WiFi reception, the dock scratching the display, Joycons not connecting, and a paid online service and user interface that still feel incomplete.

While the online issues are par for the course, the drop in hardware quality is certainly uncharacteristic for Nintendo. The laugh is that many of these issues have relatively simple fixes. Like putting thin strips of felt inside the dock for example, so users don’t have to buy glass screen protectors to prevent scratching.

The drifting issue, however, would require new parts to be sourced, which likely means that manufacturing equipment would have to be retooled. Something that can be costly. Though I don’t think it’s an problem Nintendo can afford to keep waffling on. Especially if they want to build up a loyal audience. The kind of audience who would buy a Switch Pro. So in redesigning the console, hopefully they will take a moment to fix these issues. Otherwise it’ll be a tough sell for me, as much as I do love the Switch.