Everyone Needs to Shut Up About a Switch Pro!
The Nintendo Switch is a fantastic piece of gaming hardware. There is no denying that. It’s also, still incredibly popular as it was one of the biggest sellers in the November deals (Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, etc.). Heck, I had two families I know that bought a Switch in November ask me for input on games and accessories. Yet, without fail, at least once a month, I see some reputable gaming news site say two words that make my blood boil: Switch Pro.
We’ve already agreed the Switch is fantastic; was fairly revolutionary at its time that has, I believe, served as inspiration for other popular gaming hardware solutions like the Steam Deck; and is extremely popular almost 6 years later. I think that many of us can also agree that the Nintendo Switch is not the most powerful machine out there. Nintendo seem to have sacrificed a lot of power for the portability and cost factors. For some gamers, this is a sacrifice well worth it, and others can’t go two minutes without grousing about how other gaming hardware options are more powerful which then prompts Nintendo stans to go on about why it’s okay, show examples of Switch games looking great, etc. Then, there are people who insist that there’s a secret next-gen version of the Switch that Nintendo is working on which takes on a few different names through the years, but the most prevailing is Switch Pro.
First talks about a Switch Pro occurred around early 2020, and maybe even a little earlier than that. The Switch Pro is one of these white whales that seems to have existed forever with leakers, insiders, etc. always teasing something and some even saying that fans should expect news soon. Then, said news doesn’t happen, everyone pretends like the Switch Pro rumors never happened, and everyone starts talking about the Switch Pro all over again, building hype for a hypothetical machine.
If you want to go about and tweet about some fantasy wish list about Switch Pro features or whatever, that’s fine. I can get behind that and would love to share some of my dreams and wishes with you. However, I see a lot of big and reputable sites talk about it and have headlines like “Everything we know about the Nintendo Switch Pro.” Dear journalists, this is misleading clickbait and you should all be freaking ashamed of yourselves for having them and constantly writing and/or updating them. While I’m still not a fan of it, GamesRadar+ at least has the decency to mention in the headline that it is a “rumored console.”
Is it possible that there’s a Switch Pro releasing in 2023 like current rumors suggest? Yes. However, we have to remember that insiders and leakers have been saying a Switch Pro announcement is just around the corner for well over 18 months! That’s a giant freaking corner! Will I be excited if Nintendo announces a Switch Pro? Also, yes! I don’t think they’d call it a Switch Pro, but I would be ecstatic if they announced a more powerful version of this phenomenal handheld console.
I’m sick and tired about reading headline after headline talking about Schrodinger’s Switch Pro. If you’re an average reader, please don’t click on articles talking about new rumors for a Switch Pro. You’re feeding the clickbait and building up hopes that could very well be dashed. If you’re a journalist or write for a website, please stop writing these clickbait pieces. Just wait for official news from Nintendo. They’re probably not going to stealth launch a new console.