Nintendo Announces Barely Upgraded Switch Model
For months now — even years — people have been swapping rumors about an upgraded Switch model, often referred to mythically as the Switch Pro. The device would boast an OLED screen, 4K resolution support, a beefier processor and more upgrades to keep the Switch competitive with next-gen competition. The rumors heated up shortly before E3 when Bloomberg published an expose that swore we’d have this thing by the end of the year. E3 came and went, the new Switch never showed up, and everyone moved on with their lives.
Today, out of nowhere, a month removed from E3, and on a Tuesday morning, Nintendo announced a new Switch model. The OLED screen is real. That’s it.
Well, there are a couple more things, but they’re hardly worth talking about. It has “upgraded sound,” whatever that means. The screen is ever-so-slightly larger at 7 inches diagonal, but an increase from 6.8 inches won’t be noticed by most people. It’s also got a LAN port, and the larger kickstand is cool we guess, but again….there’s nothing here that we’re burning to upgrade our system over. Oh, and the buggy JoyCons haven’t been upgraded at all.
Fan reaction so far has not been jolly. Social media has exploded with a fresh batch of “Malibu Stacy with a new hat” memes. There are a minority of outliers who are pushing up their glasses and saying “Well, actually, this is a savvy business move because blah blah blah….” They’re swiftly pelted with water balloons before everyone gets back to whining.
So what happened? Somebody at a factory must have something they shouldn’t have and their minds wandered. This weaksauce upgrade was likely the plan all along, but “Nintendo does not comment on rumors or speculation” which allowed the legend to grow from there.
Sorry, folks….nothing to see here. For the few that might want one, the OLED Switch will be out October 8.