Nintendo Switch Pro release date rumor is the sobering news I didn't want to hear

A Nintendo Switch Pro release date rumor says we aren't getting the new console any time soon

Nintendo Switch Pro
(Image credit: Nintendo)

According to a whole host of rumors and leaks the Nintendo Switch Pro was supposed to be announced at or before E3 2021. That didn't happen and now, after the dust from the show has settled, gamers have been left just as much in the dark about the rumored next-gen console as they've ever been.

And, if this latest Nintendo Switch Pro rumor is to be believed then what new information we do now know isn't going to please fans of the Big N at all. That's because the Nintendo Switch YouTube channel, Switch Up, has written in a tweet that they've been told there will be no Switch Pro until 2022.

In the tweet Switch Up says that:

See more

To be very clear, then, Switch Up has not got its information from an official source and, as such, we're 100 per cent in rumor territory here. That said, however, the information is listed as coming from a "reliable peripheral manufacturing source from China", who has stated that they've been told the Switch Pro is getting a "2022 global market release".

Now, firstly, if that is true then many gamers just like myself are going to be very disappointed, and especially so now we've got a quick-look at The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2.

With the PS5 and Xbox Series X now out and showing people the awesome power of next-gen gaming experiences, many Switch owners have been crying out for an upgraded console to help Nintendo's virtual worlds keep pace in terms of immersion and fidelity.

The Nintendo Switch has done phenomenally well in terms of sales but the tech in it is now going on half a decade old and is absolutely dwarfed by the performance delivered by both Sony and Microsoft's flagship new consoles. It seemed to make sense, then, that Nintendo would follow its fierce rivals with a new system of its own.

But maybe the truth has been hiding in plain site all along. All those semi-conductor shortages that have plagued the PS5 and Xbox Series X as well as high-end graphics card markets could of forced Nintendo to delay the launch of the Switch Pro. Maybe Nintendo, who looked at its bank balance and saw that it was very healthy indeed,  thought it could ride out the shortage this year, and then launch trouble free next.

It's not the news I wanted, and I still think it may end up costing Nintendo gamers in the long run, who will have their heads turned over the rest of 2021 and, especially, during this year's winter holiday season. It may also impact just how many minds are blown when the Switch Pro does come out, as by 2022 gamers will be very familiar with next-gen graphics and gameplay.

Maybe though it is the real world result that we all should of expected. Here's hoping this rumor is false, though, and we all get to play Breath of the Wild 2 this Christmas on the Nintendo Switch Pro. To cheer us all up, here's that E3 2021 teaser trailer again.

Robert Jones

Rob has been writing about computing, gaming, mobile, home entertainment technology, toys (specifically Lego and board games), smart home and more for over 15 years. As the editor of PC Gamer, and former Deputy Editor for T3.com, you can find Rob's work in magazines, bookazines and online, as well as on podcasts and videos, too. Outside of his work Rob is passionate about motorbikes, skiing/snowboarding and team sports, with football and cricket his two favourites.