There were some suggestions that the supposed Switch ‘Pro’ absolutely needs to have slightly improved specs to ensure that it can run certain games and improve existing ones, but is that all that is needed? Perhaps not, according to an industry veteran.
In a recent interview with Nintendo Everything, Engine Software co-founder and vice president Ruud van de Moosdijk (who has worked on several Switch games, including recent versions of No more heroes 1 and 2) said as “good” as it would be, a slightly improved model with some extra energy could potentially go to waste.
As long as it is part of the Switch ecosystem, this means that games still need (or at least they should) run on all systems already available and, for compatibility reasons, performance is rated at the lowest specifications. As a result, upgraded systems with additional power are never really fully “used”.
“Truth be told, our opinion on this may be counterintuitive to many people, but we are not big subscribers to the” Pro “model. Of course, it would be nice to have more RAM or GPU / CPU faster compared to before, but if still is considered to be the same platform, you must ensure that your game runs on all models, so for reasons of compatibility, your performance is rated to the lowest specifications. well used for that reason. “
On the Nintendo front, a previous “updated” system that was arguably underused was the New 3DS. One of the few games that took advantage of this was Xenoblade Chronicles 3D, but in addition, the developers showed no interest for fear of leaving the rest of the market. Similar situations have occurred on rival platforms as well.
At best, it appears that a Switch Pro would feature a standard revision of resolutions and slightly improved frame rates (like rumors), but “added power” or added grunt is much less likely – especially when current models (Switch and Switch Lite ) have now sold a combined total of more than 68 million worldwide. After all, this would be a considerable installation base to be excluded.
You can learn more about the supposed Switch Pro in our comprehensive guide. If such a device does exist, what are your expectations? Do you think it needs to offer much more than an improved frame rate and resolutions? Tell us below.