Another day, another rumor from Switch Pro. This time, Bloomberg reported that an enhanced version of the portable hybrid / console will be released in time for the 2021 holiday season and will include a 7-inch 720p OLED screen and 4K output in docked mode. . Improving the Switch screen is one thing, but we have some other hardware-related desires that we would love to see resolved with a Switch Pro.
What do you want to improve with a potential model of the Switch Pro? Let us know in the comments below!
Enhanced power and performance
If the recent Bloomberg report is accurate, and the Switch Pro is capable of producing in 4K when coupled, this is fantastic. An OLED screen will help a lot to make images sharper on your handheld too, but what about the power under the hood?
The Switch is much less powerful than even state-of-the-art home consoles, and you need to sacrifice resolution, graphics and sometimes even performance when playing certain third-party games on the Switch. The professional (who was not intentional) to play them on the Switch is portability, but it sucks that the Nintendo console is considered “the worst place to play” certain games like The Witcher 3 or Overwatch. I want you to be a candidate, not the last resort. – Lucy James, senior video producer
Bring the AR camera back
Besides, one of the most interesting features of the 3DS was its special integrated camera. Although it has the same basic functions as a camera, allowing you to take pictures and share them, the 3DS camera can take pictures in 3D and is capable of reading data designed for Augmented Reality – or AR. Given the great growth of AR in the last decade and as Pokémon Go is one of the most popular games globally, it seems appropriate that Nintendo should give a camera with AR functionality again with the new Switch.
Given that the Switch has become a favorite of players on the go, having a new Switch with AR functionality can be a game changer, especially with AR advances. For the 3DS, its use of AR was limited to a few games, such as Pokedex 3D Pro and Kid Icarus: Uprising, which used specialized AR cards to open additional resources. However, the 3DS also featured a free game called Face Raiders, which allowed you to flip photos taken from the camera and broadcast them in a shooting game where you would shoot balloons in your area. It was a creative use of technology. Given how the updated Switch will be a much more sophisticated device than the 3DS, there is potential for something exceptional if an AR camera makes a comeback. – Alessandro Fillari, editor
No longer. Joy-Con. Drift.
Look, it’s 2021. The diversion of Joy-Con has been a problem since launch, and it’s amazing that it’s still been a problem for four years since the launch of the Switch, and even happens in the updated Switch model that was launched in 2019. Yes, Nintendo will fix the broken controller for free, but it’s a nuisance that we shouldn’t have to deal with. I want to fight bosses in my games, not the control I’m using.
Anyway, Switch Pro cannot be started with these problems: and I hope they prioritize a fix. And damn, I also want to feel more comfortable buying those limited edition Joy-Cons without worrying about future drift problems! – Lucy James, senior producer
New and improved Joy-Cons with more options
Joy-Cons need to change. For motion-controlled games, they are fantastic, but still have a lot of room for improvement. As it stands, Joy-Cons are relatively flat and have nowhere to rest their palms, so they tend to be uncomfortable after a few hours. A slight redesign of the Joy-Cons’s ergonomics could do wonders for the controller – perhaps an extended grip that resembles the many out there.
On the other hand, Joy-Con analog joysticks are not ideal for games with shooting mechanics. And as much as I don’t mind using gyro aiming controls, they don’t replace the precision and control offered by the Pro Controller stick.
The lack of an official D-pad option for standard Switch owners has also been a major pain point. I hope Nintendo will present an entirely new custom Joy-Con model for the Switch Pro, allowing levels of modular customization for the Xbox Elite controller, where you can fit a standard D-pad and other useful parts to create the perfect layout.
In other words, I’m asking Nintendo to find a way to provide a prestigious version of the Switch Pro controller experience to those who prefer to play in portable mode. Pro Controller is rightfully one of my favorite controllers of all time; it has an excellent and balanced weight and, most importantly, it is ergonomic enough that you can play non-stop for a long time. So, if Nintendo can make the Switch game as comfortable as with the Joy-Cons on its own, then that would be a dream come true. – Matt Espineli, Editor
Better battery life
This is a no-brainer, really, but I would love to have a better battery life in portable mode. One of the biggest complaints about the Switch when it launched was its lackluster battery, which was resolved with the updated model released in 2019. If the reports are accurate and the Switch Pro is much more powerful, I hope we don’t take a step back when it comes to battery life. There is nothing worse than being on a long car trip and really getting into the rhythm in Breath of the Wild or FFXII, just for the low battery warning to appear. I speak from experience. Okay, the only thing worse is being the pilot who doesn’t know how to play, but you know what I’m getting at. – Lucy James, senior video producer
Ethernet port on the console, please
The switch has no Ethernet ports to talk to, so if you want the console’s hardline, you need to buy a separate adapter. For a Switch Pro, Nintendo should just avoid this whole process and include a port.
Preferably, including the port on the console itself would be ideal, allowing you to connect regardless of whether you are playing on the dock or in your hand. An Ethernet port would be an especially welcome addition to the many multiplayer-focused third-party games that have been released for Switch since its launch, such as Rocket League and Apex Legends.
Many of these games support cross-play with their Xbox, PlayStation and PC counterparts, so the least that Nintendo can do is to ensure that Switch owners can have the same kind of stable online connection. Trying to play multiplayer games (especially shooters) via Wi-Fi is not ideal.
And in addition to third-party games, Nintendo has some original games that would benefit from a hard line connection, like the upcoming Splatoon 3. Of course, the whole trick of the Switch is that it can easily transition between a traditional console and a portable device, then another cable would tie you up, but it’s a small price to pay for a more stable internet connection. – Jordan Ramée, Associate Editor
Built-in microphone for voice chat
Voice chat must be on the console. I shouldn’t have to download the Switch Online app to chat with my friends while we play. It would be nice if Nintendo added a built-in microphone to the Switch Pro to make things easier for those trying to get into the online game. At the very least, it could even be incorporated into games again, much like what we saw on the DS and 3DS. Not that I want to go back to the era of game mechanic tricks involving blowing into the microphone, but imagine all the peculiar voice-related game ideas that Nintendo could invent again if given the opportunity! – Lucy James, senior video producer
Give us StreetPass (or something like that)
I already knew, the best feature of the 3DS, and how I wish it had arrived on the Switch. With a Switch Pro possibly on the horizon, now is Nintendo’s chance to reintroduce the feature – or at least a spiritual successor to it. What StreetPass did well was twofold: it accentuated the portability of the 3DS system itself and created a social space that increased the feeling of belonging to a community of Nintendo fans. There is no reason why the company should not be able to recreate both on the Switch – and use it as an opportunity to release new firmware on older models as well.
The switch is built around portability. The main point of the system is that it is not attached to a place, so give us a reason to take it with us. The initial marketing push featured attractive young people in their 20s throwing rooftop parties with their Switches, but the system itself does not encourage us to actually pull them out. And while Nintendo has (somehow) increased its online service offerings, the system still lacks a real sense of a shared community.
In fact, the Switch’s box office success is all the more reason to introduce a system similar to StreetPass. The switch has surpassed 3DS lifetime sales in half the time on the market, so a feature that allows it to passively ping other users would be much more useful and prolific than ever. There are a lot of Switch fans out there, Nintendo. Let’s get to know them. – Steve Watts, Associate Editor
Bluetooth headset support
I want to be able to use Bluetooth headsets without an adapter on the Switch Pro. I know that the Switch can now support up to eight Joy-Cons, so it’s easy to see why the headset support didn’t make the cut. But we are in the wireless era, an era of AirPods and wireless noise-canceling headphones. So, if I could hook up my headphones and pair them with my switch automatically, without worrying about an adapter, it would be great. – Lucy James, senior video producer
Expand the Classic Games Library
I’d love to see changes in the Nintendo Switch Online classic game library. While it is fantastic that Nintendo opened the NES and SNES library for the Switch, it still keeps a treasure trove of its titles locked for older systems. I know it is not as simple as transferring them; there is undoubtedly a lot of emulation work that needs to be done behind the scenes. But if we can expect more robust specifications on the Switch Pro, then I hope that the extra power can make it possible for the N64 and GameCube games to reach the service.
If more classic games were available, I would expect an increase in the price of Switch Online, but, honestly, I would pay. I can never say no to that kind of nostalgia, especially over the years and these classic games and consoles become more difficult to access. – Lucy James, senior video producer