Over five years after the release of the Nintendo Switch, fans are salivating for news about a new console, whether that be a rumored Switch Pro or Switch 2.
Last night, it seemed almost certain that a new console was on its way. As Twitch streamer Shokio wrote on Twitter, Nintendo had just made YouTube videos about the Nintendo Switch Lite and the OLED model private, which made it appear as though we might soon see a trailer announcing the newest hardware.
Instead, we got a Splatoon-themed OLED Nintendo Switch. To be fair, it’s a pretty cool-looking device (the gradient joy-cons!), but… talk about anti-climax. Debuting on August 26, this admittedly-very-cute Switch is intended to drum up hype for “Splatoon 3,” which comes out on September 9. It’s not uncommon for Nintendo to release themed consoles — franchises like Pokémon and Animal Crossing have earned the same treatment — but in a time when it really seemed like we were getting new hardware, stylish joy-cons can only cushion the blow so much.
But Nintendo putting videos on private is far from the only piece of evidence that got fans riled up. On this day last year, Nintendo released the first trailer for the OLED console. Plus, according to Nintendo’s public financial data, the company saw significant spending increases for hardware development and raw materials over the last year, which seems like a sign of a new console. But there could be a number of reasons why the company is increasing its spending in these arenas — remember at the start of the pandemic when a Nintendo Switch was harder to get your hands on than toilet paper and N95s? Perhaps stockpiling materials can help Nintendo avoid another bottleneck situation?
With the release of Valve’s Steam Deck, which lets you play PC games on the go, competition in the mobile gaming space is heating up. So, today’s disappointing announcement might not mean we will never get our Switch Pro/Switch 2/whatever they’ll call it — but in the meantime, we’re playing “Hades” for the millionth time on our original Switch, using our second set of controllers after we fell victim to joy-con drift.