The internet has been abuzz lately with rumors of a new Nintendo console potentially hitting the market in 2021 – aptly named by most as the Switch Pro. The rumors on a new Switch coming out in 2021 even has some vegas sports betting sites taking an interest in the matter.
The Switch has been a rousing success for Nintendo – topping the charts as the best-selling console in the United States for 22 consecutive months. That does not mean Nintendo is not working on something new. Whether that new product is due out in 2021 is up for debate. We see a few reasons why we will and will not see a new Nintendo Console this year.
Why We Will See A New Nintendo Console In 2021
News of Developers Making Games in 4k
News leaked this week that some developers are starting to make their games for Nintendo in 4K. The Switch does not have the capabilities to play games in 4K. While we cannot be sure if this upcoming project is this year or well down the road, it does seem to suggest Nintendo is working on a new console.
Power Limitations of Current Switch
The Switch is not a powerful console. Many games are unavailable on it, or if they are, the games are downgraded, so they are playable on the machine (the Outer Worlds is the perfect example if anyone wants to see a port that is downgraded for the Switch). We have seen the power of phones increase to the point they can play some higher-quality games, so many a hybrid console with similar power would help Nintendo.
Demand Seems High
Chatter on Nintendo treads seems to point towards a high demand for a new Nintendo console. The majority of people seem to genuinely like the Switch, even if it does have a few issues (drift on the Joy-Cons anyone).
However, a more powerful console with higher resolution and better battery life seems like it would make many Nintendo fans happy, especially if all the current Switch games are playable on the new version. The new console would likely launch very well, especially if it is tied to the launch of The Breathe of the Wild 2.
Why We Will Not See A New Nintendo Console In 2021
The Shortest Life Span of a Nintendo Console
If the Switch Pro is to come out in the first half of 2021, it will represent any Nintendo console’s shortest lifespan – beating out the Wii U, which lasted from November 2012 to March 2017. However, the Wii U was a flop, selling barely 10% as many units as the original Wii.
The Switch is no Wii U. The Switch is the second-best-selling Nintendo console (excluding handhelds) of all-time. It has reached that mark in less than four years and continues to sell well as we start 2021. The hybrid console’s strong sales have some pundits believing Nintendo is in no rush to release a new or upgraded version.
Cloud Gaming Potential
The Switch’s hardware lags behind the behemoth power of the PS5 and Xbox Series X. Heck, it is not even as strong as the PS4 or Xbox One. However, the issue could be mitigated by cloud gaming. For those who are unfamiliar with cloud gaming, we shall explain. Cloud gaming is essentially streaming a game hosted on a server. The process allows for games requiring higher levels of ram and processing to run on slower/older machines.
Cloud gaming first hit the Switch in 2018 with Resident Evil 7. Since then, a few games have run off servers – allowing them to play on the console.
However, there are some drawbacks to cloud gaming – especially for a console like the Switch. For one, you need to have a constant, reliable, and fast internet connection. While many people have the speeds necessary for cloud gaming, it does render part of the Switch’s appeal – the fact it is portable – unavailable for these games. This means Cloud gaming is fair if it is for a limited number of games, but it cannot work as a simple fix for everything.
