Nintendo Switch Pro's Most Important Update May Not Be Hardware
The Nintendo Switch Pro’s existence has been rumored for a long time now. With more and more reports coming out, it’s looking extremely likely that the console truly does exist and is going to be shown off soon. When it will be shown and released is another matter, but fans are betting on an appearance at Nintendo’s allegedly big E3 conference this year. The release date itself is expected to come either holiday 2021 or early 2022, but due to the current times those are subject to change.
The Nintendo Switch Pro is expected to come with a number of features, including an OLED screen for better image quality and brightness, and more power to run higher resolutions and perhaps more stable framerates. A lot of this is hearsay right now, but again, there has been a lot of it, and reliable sources like Bloomberg have chimed in. However, the most important update that the Pro provides may not be its hardware, even if seeing Breath of the Wild running at a solid 30fps would be a joy. The biggest feature may be its revamped virtual library.
A virtual game library sounds like something fairly standard amongst game consoles, and something that they all technically have. The Switch alone supports plenty of digital-only games, and has limited options for users to set up the layouts of their Switch menus to organize their personal game libraries. Even when compared to past systems, the Switch has an equivalent to the Wii's Virtual Console in the form of the retro games offered as part of Nintendo Switch Online. However, this is not exactly what recent rumors have been talking about.
The virtual library is a library of games, not just a handful. While it still may be locked behind Nintendo Switch Online — there’s no reason for Nintendo to abandon such a good subscription incentive — it will put the current game offering to shame. A more complete game library would be included, alongside the various special game versions that already exist. The NES and Super NES libraries would be built out to something impressive, directly competing with the collections of ROMs available online. And that wouldn’t be all; Nintendo would also finally get around to releasing N64 games onto the Switch’s virtual catalogue. The hype would be immense if it came to pass.
And the hype is the primary reason why it should come to pass. The demand for a more built-out and competitive Switch virtual library has been ringing out since Nintendo started adding retro games to its online service years ago. There is a very real demand for old games becoming playable on modern hardware once again. Players want to pay Nintendo for access to retro titles, especially now that the definition of “retro” has expanded to include GameBoy, GameBoy Advance, and GameCube games. Emulation really shouldn’t be the best and most convenient way to experience Nintendo’s back catalogue.
The launch of the Switch Pro would be the ideal time for this feature to appear. In fact, it could be Nintendo’s biggest slam dunk if it commits to investing in hosting as many games as it possibly can. Consumer sentiment around the Pro’s launch would be very positive if coupled with the functional return of the Virtual Console, and that will only boost sales. It will be especially potent if Nintendo copies Xbox’s method of backwards compatibility, and gives the Pro the ability to play old games at higher resolutions and framerates. Such a thing could even convince fans to give Nintendo a bit of slack for not immediately coming out with as many games as they would like.
However, much of this is rooted in optimism and rumors. There is no guarantee that an expanded virtual library will coincide with the release of the Nintendo Switch Pro, and there are a number of reasons why it probably won’t happen. First and foremost, there’s the issue of assembling and re-releasing so many old games in the first place. Nintendo does not own the rights to every game that’s ever been on its platform, and many of the third-parties have moved around, changed temperament, been absorbed by other companies, or even shut down since they released these retro titles. Chances are that Nintendo’s current sporadic Online game release schedule is the way it is in part due to the hassle of obtaining the rights to release said games.
Such a thing may also just not be in Nintendo’s cards. Recently, industry sentiment has been moving away from the preservation of old games, with Nintendo leaving behind its much-lauded Virtual Console and Sony abandoning its effort to re-release PS1 and PS2 games on the PS3, PS4, and PSP. Even the PSP store is shutting down for good later this year. For whatever reason, Nintendo may just not want to focus on getting a virtual library ready all at once, and instead have the Switch Pro and Switch Online be what they are. While fans would really appreciate more, it’s Nintendo who gets the final say on features and new releases.
Despite all this, there’s still hope for a bigger virtual library in the Nintendo Switch’s future. The console is still selling very well, and it is doubtless that the Switch Pro will do the same, especially if the Pro has exclusives. Nintendo Switch Online will continue to grow its selection of old games, and will hopefully one day reach the Nintendo Switch and original GameBoy era of Nintendo’s back catalogue. It would definitely be great if Nintendo’s, and other historic game companies’, classic titles could be preserved and provided for modern gamers to try out. Whatever the case, there is a good chance that a massive influx of information on the Switch Pro, among other things, is coming this summer at E3, so fans had better strap themselves in and get ready for the future of Nintendo Switch.
The Nintendo Switch Pro is rumored to be in development.
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