The Nintendo Switch Pro could live up to its theorized name if it delivers on the features that gamers deserve.
With the announcement of the Switch Lite, the inevitable release of the Nintendo Switch Pro has gamers thinking about what they want out of the third version of the hybrid console/handheld.
The vanilla Switch does offer quite a lot, with its ability to switch between TV display to handheld play remaining its top-selling point. It’s a console for gamers that enjoyed the Nintendo 3DS, or even those that grew up playing on Game Boys.
Yet for fans of the Nintendo 64 and Nintendo Wii, the Switch still manages to provide epic blockbuster titles in the Legend of Zelda and Super Mario series.
What more could fans want than a console that has a library of games from all of their favorite franchises? It plays games in HD both docked and undocked, and is a pretty snazzy looking piece of technology.
And yet, there are still plenty of opportunities for improvement when it comes to what many are theorizing will be called the Nintendo Switch Pro console.
Nintendo Switch Pro features
Bigger screen
And I’m talking doubling the size of the current vanilla Switch’s screen. Right off the bat, I’ll admit that this would make for a clunkier, less travel-friendly Nintendo Switch. Think of it like an iPad or larger Kindle. Both are pieces of technology that are often seen on airplanes or train rides, and yet they don’t look too out of place.
Would a 12-inch touchscreen Nintendo Switch Pro be worth a price hike? I’d be the first to say yes, as I never want to play my Switch in handheld mode out of a certain FOMO on the tinier details of games like Breath of the Wild or Super Mario Odyssey. A larger screen would give me more of an opportunity to enjoy my Switch wherever I go. Sure, it’d be a much heavier console, but I think you’ll see my attraction to that spec in the next point.
Sturdier construction
Let’s face it: as portable as the vanilla Switch is, it lacks the sturdiness of things like iPads or Nintendo 3DS consoles. As the Lite is all one piece, those Joy-Con controllers add a solid feel to Nintendo’s slightly smaller November 2019 console release.
How Nintendo would be able to lend the same sturdiness as the Lite to the Nintendo Switch Pro is beyond me, but I’m positive that the technology developers behind the gaming giant’s video game consoles would be able to figure out a way to make this happen. I get a little nervous when applying a natural torque to my handheld Nintendo Switch console, as the attached Joy-Cons feel flimsy and ready to snap off. If Nintendo fixes this issue with the Switch Pro, I’ll be buying the console day-one.
Improved Joy-Cons
While we’re on the topic of the Joy-Cons, let’s cover the grounds on which they have been failing. With the left Joy-Con’s connectivity issues, coupled with the Joy-Con drift problems, Nintendo is up to their elbows in Joy-Con controller repairs. I’m not sure what hardware limitations or shortcuts have led to all of these Nintendo Joy-Con issues, but I do have some Joy-Con improvements in mind.
The Switch Lite got something right with switching the left Joy-Con’s d-pad buttons to an actual d-pad. This is the tried and true method for playing both retro games with limited dimension inputs, along with modern games that require a lot of menu surfing. Along with an actual d-pad, the Joy-Cons could use thicker, more Wii U like construction. I know that the Wii U GamePad was no gamer’s favorite, but there was something to be said for just how solid the joysticks on that console’s tablet controller felt.
Longer battery life
The big winner here would be a battery life that lasts longer than a couple of hours. It’s tough to justify bringing your Switch out for games like Dragon Quest Builders or Super Smash Bros. Ultimate when it’s inevitable that the console will run low on juice well before your flight, train ride, car ride, ect. is over with. The current vanilla Switch averages 3 or so hours for intense games like Breath of the Wild, while the Switch Lite will boast a slightly meatier 4 hour average for the popular Zelda title.
This may be asking for a lot, but I would be stoked to see a 10-hour battery life average for games like Breath of the Wild. If the Nintendo Switch Pro console itself houses bigger, more powerful processors and display tech, then packing in a much stronger battery shouldn’t be anything of an issue. The caveat here is that Nintendo has quietly announced a new vanilla Switch upgrade that will feature a 5.5 hour long Zelda battery life. However, after owning a vanilla Switch, it seems silly to buy another simply to improve its battery life by an hour and a half. If the Nintendo Switch Pro was to have a much bigger battery, I would be immediately swayed into buying the ultimate console in Nintendo’s current lineup.
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