Nintendo’s Tweet from earlier today mentions that there are ‘no plans’ for a new Switch model just yet. It does look like players will need to remain satisfied with the Switch OLED for now.
The Japanese company has also denied the recent Bloomberg report, which claimed that Nintendo was going to oversee increased profit margins with the Switch OLED. The report mentioned that each OLED model would only cost an additional $10 to make but be priced $50 higher than the regular Switch model. Nintendo then went on to deny those claims on Twitter before addressing rumors regarding another new Switch model.
Nintendo’s Tweet says: “A news report on July 15, 2021(JST) claimed that the profit margin of the Nintendo Switch (OLED Model) would increase compared to the Nintendo Switch. To ensure correct understanding among our investors and customers, we want to make clear that the claim is incorrect.”
We also want to clarify that we just announced that Nintendo Switch(OLED Model) will launch in October, 2021, and have no plans for launching any other model at this time. (2/2)
— 任天堂株式会社（企業広報・IR） (@NintendoCoLtd) July 19, 2021
Nintendo doesn’t tend to comment on other reports or rumors, so it was a little surprising seeing them refute those claims. According to Bloomberg, a PlayStation insider confirmed that Sony was monitoring the Switch OLED’s performance.
Hope Regarding A New Switch Model Announcement
Another subsequent Tweet then addressed the ‘Switch Pro’ rumors:
[quote]”We also want to clarify that we just announced that Nintendo Switch (OLED Model) will launch in October 2021, and have no plans for launching any other model at this time.”[/quote]
It is a little disappointing that Nintendo has no plans for a Switch ‘pro’. Many have voiced their discontent regarding the OLED model’s limited new features: it doesn’t boast any real hardware upgrade. The choice of words indicates that it is possible for Nintendo to eventually announce a new Switch model. ‘Big N’ does tend to communicate very little about its upcoming plans. In February 2021, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa mentioned there were no plans for a new Switch model – a mere few months before the OLED model was being announced.
Keeping this in mind, players can be hopeful over the prospect of a Switch ‘pro’ being announced. For now, it looks like we’ll have to keep ourselves satisfied with the Steam Deck. Perhaps Valve’s new endeavor will prove to be the wake-up call Nintendo needs.
