Not-so-great news for Nintendo fans: there is not going to be a Nintendo Switch Pro anytime in the near future. Gaming tech insiders have speculated an upgrade to the Nintendo Switch is highly unlikely due to a variety of rumors.
Although there has been no official announcement or confirmation regarding the concept, development or even cancellation from Nintendo, Switch Pro has been a much-awaited launch for the past couple of years. Read to find out why the Nintendo Switch Pro was canceled.
Nintendo Switch Pro rumors
To start with, there have been rumors of two different upgrades to the Nintendo Switch: Switch 2 and Switch Pro. Switch Pro is a mid-gen upgrade whereas the Switch 2 is a full-fledged successor.

- An upgrade has been long overdue from Nintendo, however, it’s still early for a new successor to the Switch. Reports suggest Switch Pro was shelved in favor of Switch 2.
- Rumors of a Nintendo Switch Pro first surfaced in 2021 thanks to the aging Nvidia Tegra X1 SoC hardware in the original console. The upgrade was expected to feature 4K capabilities.
Why was it canceled?
According to Digital Foundry, Nintendo is worried about repeating their own history with the Gamecube or the Wii U. The Gamecube had poor sales, but it was succeeded by the pathbreaking Nintendo Wii.
- The Wii U upgrade did not fare well in the market, but the Nintendo Switch put them back in the map. Nintendo does not want to repeat this situation with another unsuccessful sequel.
- It is possible that Nintendo was actually working on the Switch Pro before they canceled it. But the global semiconductor chips shortage and the COVID-19 pandemic could have hampered this.
Nintendo Switch sales and OLED version
As of December 2022, 118 million Nintendo Switch units have been sold, overtaking Sony PS4’s 117 million units. The Nintendo Switch is now fourth in global console sales, right after Sony’s PS2 and their own DS and GameBoy.
Breakdown of sales for the 9th generation of consoles, followed by projected numbers by the end of the fiscal year (March 31st, 2023);
Nintendo Switch – 118 million, 123 million projected
PS5 – 28 million, 37 million projected
Xbox Series X | S – 20 million, 24 million projected pic.twitter.com/eA9WIpShT2— Rythian (@LumberjackRy) December 21, 2022
In 2021, Nintendo (kind of) announced a successor to the Switch with a bigger OLED version of it. The Nintendo Switch OLED upgraded the existing LCD screen along with some improvements in internal storage size, kickstand and speakers.
https://youtu.be/4mHq6Y7JSmg
Nintendo is not known for pursuing game-changing tech specs like their rivals Sony and Microsoft do with the PlayStation 5 or the Xbox Series X. However, aging hardware concerns in the Nintendo Switch is reason enough for a deserved upgrade.
As things stand, Nintendo is highly unlikely to release a new Nintendo Switch console anytime in 2023, especially not the canceled Nintendo Switch Pro.
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