What we really want in a Nintendo Switch Pro



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Rumors of a much-desired Nintendo Switch upgrade have been swirling around for some time, and this week, Bloomberg reported that this legendary new Switch may actually be coming soon.

This upgraded Switch will apparently have a 7-inch 720p OLED display capable of producing 4K graphics when connected to a TV, according to the report. An OLED display would be a major upgrade to the Switch and Switch Lite’s LCD display, likely offering deeper colors and darker blacks. And the 4K output would also be a big leap; Right now, the current Switch achieves 1080p resolution when connected to a TV.

But many of us here at The edge still much like our existing switches, even those of us with the launch model that debuted four years ago this week. The changes we’re calling for aren’t necessarily an OLED display or additional performance. (In fact, it might be boring if extra power led to Switch Pro-exclusive games, like when Nintendo introduced the New Nintendo 3DS.) And while more battery life would still be appreciated, we mostly hope. that it won’t fall below the Nintendo bar with the Switch v2 revision.

Here is our list.

Photo by James Bareham / The Verge

Better Joy-Cons (and more colors)

The Switch’s Joy-Con controllers, while a creative design that offers more ways to play the console and a convenient way to get two controllers in each box, have notoriously unreliable throttles, with many users reporting joystick drift issues over time. Nintendo has said little about what appears to be a widespread issue, but the company implemented a free repair policy in 2019 for users with issues. Nintendo also didn’t use the Switch Lite launches and the current Switch’s second revision to fix drift issues, so they’re still ongoing – this could be another chance for Nintendo to fix things up.

Other changes might just make Joy-Cons better controllers. Putting a real D-pad on the left Joy-Con, similar to the D-pad on the Nintendo Switch Lite, could make platform and fighting games a lot easier than grinding the current four-button design of the left Joy-Con. . Slightly larger shoulder triggers might make the switch easier to hold in your hands. And I’d really like more colors – maybe Nintendo could offer an Xbox Design Lab-like way to decorate my Switch and its Joy-Cons when I buy it?

Bluetooth headset support

Using Bluetooth headphones with your Switch is surprisingly difficult: you have to purchase and plug a third-party Bluetooth adapter into the headphone jack, the console’s USB-C port, or the Switch’s docking station. (Even though the Joy-Cons use Bluetooth, the Switch never came with Bluetooth audio support.)

The demand for Bluetooth audio was so great that a whole cottage industry of third-party adapters has sprung up – just search for “Nintendo Switch Bluetooth Adapter” on Amazon to see some of the many offers available. But even if you buy, most of these dongles awkwardly stick out of the console’s USB-C port, forcing you to remove them to charge them, and some feel like they might break if you don’t look outside.

A switch with native Bluetooth headphone support can be especially handy for playing in bed, no additional dongle or wired headphones required.

Fast CV-like functionality

We really liked Quick Resume on the Xbox Series X / S, which lets you switch between games without having to start them from scratch before returning to where you left off. We think the Switch would really benefit from a similar feature, especially since it has so many games that you can jump into for a few minutes at a time. Imagine jumping from a visit to your friend Animal crossing one island Underworld run to a quick fight in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, all without having to wait for games to cold start every time – sounds good, right?

A Edge The publisher would also really, really like not to have to find a save point in their JRPG every time their partner wants to put away their Animal crossing Isle.

Photo by James Bareham / The Verge

A better crutch

The Switch’s current kickstand seemed like a good idea at first, but in practice it’s not as useful as we had hoped. It’s small, unstable, only clicks at one angle, and terrifyingly comes off quite easily (although it’s easy to put back on). This means the kickstand works best on flat, still surfaces at a single angle – which hasn’t been so great for many situations where we actually wanted to lift the switch, like in an airplane or in the backseat of a car. .

One thing a lot of us really want is Nintendo to fix this problem with a larger Microsoft Surface style kickstand. Not only would that make the console much more stable, but it could also be adjusted for many different viewing angles, which could be very handy for things like the backseat. Mario kart groceries.

Photo by James Bareham / The Verge

Glass screen and small frames

The current switch has a plastic screen which scratches very easily – a lot Edge staff members immediately slapped inexpensive tempered glass screen protectors on their consoles to prevent permanent scratches. Many of us are hoping that Nintendo will add a glass screen to this new model which is more scratch resistant so that we don’t need to add our own.

Hopefully a bigger screen means we’ll see smaller bezels as well, which would give the console a more premium feel. The current Switch has giant dark bezels that reveal how much space could always be filled by screen. And if you’ve used the Nintendo Switch Lite, despite having a smaller screen, the bezels aren’t as prominent either, making the Lite screen’s smaller size less obvious.

Photo by James Bareham / The Verge

An improved dock

The Switch’s current dock works well enough – it gives the Switch a place to charge and helps the console connect to the TV – but we’d more like it to be smaller, to have magnets to make the Switch a bit more secure, and a built-in Ethernet port, because plugging in a USB-A to Ethernet adapter for a wired internet connection is a clunky solution.

A good name

Nintendo isn’t exactly known for its easy-to-remember hardware names. This is the company that signified a whole new generation of console with the letter U, released a handheld called the New Nintendo 2DS XL, and released a smaller version of the Switch that can’t “flip” at all.

While it seems likely that Nintendo will just call it “Switch Pro” or “Switch Plus” or maybe “Super Nintendo Switch” for fun, we figured we’d come up with a few names Nintendo can throw in the trash as well. for the time being. :

  • Nintendo Switch Max
  • New Nintendo Switch i XL
  • Nintendo Switch VII Remake Intergrade
  • Nintendo Switch HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue 358/2 days χ[Chi] øø ™
  • $ witch
  • The SwitcherU
  • 2 Nintendo Switch 2
  • Nintendo Switch
  • Nimtenbo Swantch
  • Nintendo Switch 3 (+ months between game releases)
  • Swii

Netflix

The Nintendo Switch, which turned four this week, still doesn’t have a Netflix app. Maybe the extra potential power of a 4K-capable switch means we can finally watch. Bridgerton.

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