Nintendo Switch Pro Seems Even More Likely With New Production Rumors

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A new rumor about the Nintendo Switch is hinting that a new system will be entering production soon. There is chatter within the gaming industry that an enhanced Nintendo Switch is on the way, with a larger OLED screen and the ability to hit 4K resolution on compatible TVs.

Fans have been expecting an announcement regarding a new version of the Switch for a while now, as rumors regarding a Pro model have circulated for years. Nintendo hasn't been in any rush to make any announcements, and why should it? The base version of the Switch has outsold the 3DS, selling nearly 80 million units since 2017. Nintendo can't keep the existing Switch consoles on shelves, especially with the popularity of titles like Animal Crossing: New Horizons. There is also the matter of component scarcity to consider, as companies like Microsoft and Sony are struggling to keep up with the demand for the Xbox Series X and PS5. Starting production on a new line of systems is a tricky prospect, considering the global pandemic.

It seems that Nintendo is ready to begin the next step of the Switch's life cycle and it involves the end of the original systems. According to Game Reactor, Nvidia is ceasing production on the chips that are used to power the Switch and Switch Lite. Production on the NVIDIA Tegra X1 Mariko chips is due to end this year, which means that the existing versions of the Switch will also cease to be made.

The only reason Nvidia would stop producing the chips for a system that is selling extremely well is if it's being replaced with something new. There are rumors circulating that the Switch Pro will enter production soon, and the Tegra chips being phased out lends credence to them. It seems that the capabilities of the enhanced Switch model are different enough that it will need new hardware under the hood.

Even if Nintendo stops producing the existing Switch and Switch Lite models, it doesn't mean that support for those systems will dry up, not when there is a potential audience of eighty million people for its games. The rumors of Switch Pro exclusive games are likely true, but there likely won't be many, as Nintendo won't want to miss out on the existing install base of the system. If the Switch Pro is on the way then it will presumably be marketed as a machine that will improve the games that players already own, with most future games targeted at the old system, but with upgraded visuals when played on the Nintendo Switch Pro.