Like everyone else, we’re really looking forward to the Nintendo Switch Pro. We were also thrilled when the new hardware made headlines earlier this week when a source spilled the beans that Nintendo will release the console later this year, and that it comes with a 720p OLED screen, and the ability to broadcast in 4K when it is docked.
While specifications are starting to emerge from the airwaves, the name of the console has been the subject of debate, with some in the industry calling it the Nintendo Switch Pro, while others have popularly called it the Nintendo Switch 2.
On Twitter, some have claimed that the console will be called the New Nintendo Switch, while here at TechRadar we have liked the Super Nintendo Switch, a tribute to the Super Nintendo System (SNES).
Admittedly, the Nintendo Switch 2 will probably succeed with whatever name Nintendo decides to give it ̵
The case for and against Nintendo Switch Pro
It seems very likely at this point that Nintendo will call the system Nintendo Switch Pro. This name refers to the purpose of the new hardware that acts as a suppressed version of the Nintendo Switch, and follows in the footsteps of Apple, Samsung, Sony PlayStation and other major technology companies.
The best argument for going with the Nintendo Switch Pro is that it sounds good, powerful – and most people are willing to upgrade for better specifications. If sales data is any indication, they are also willing to play a game console with Pro in the title (see: PS4 Pro which was launched at $ 399 / £ 399 years after the original PS4, and still sold extremely well).
The only argument against calling it the Nintendo Switch Pro is that the name feels a little too tight for Nintendo’s broad audience. Behind the scenes, Nintendo always gives the consoles cool, groundbreaking code names – like Nintendo Revolution or NX – but always turns into something a little more luminous and easily accessible before launch. The point? Although Nintendo has taken to calling it the Nintendo Switch Pro internally, that does not mean that it is the name it will choose when the console is announced later this year.
I’ve never heard “Super Nintendo Switch” before, but can we all agree that it’s significantly more fun and more Nintendo to call it that? “Switch Pro” turns me off because I’m bored to tears. pic.twitter.com/FH6gzFHPyP March 4, 2021
The case for and against Nintendo Switch To (2)
The case of the Nintendo Switch To (Switch 2) will probably come down to how much different the hardware is from the original. It’s hard to see Nintendo calling it the Nintendo Switch 2 if the only thing that changes is the screen material and the 4K output, but if it plays a different set of games than the original, it’s the name that makes the most sense.
There is also something playful about Switch 2. It is the console you can switch to when you are on the go, or switch to it when you get home at the end of the day. It’s a bit corny, but considering that this is the company that came up with Wii Play, Wii Fit and Wii Party, we do not put any puns past them.
The obvious case against Nintendo Switch 2? It’s probably a little too early for a sequel to a console that just came out two years ago. Put this in the category possible, but not likely.
The case for and against the New Nintendo Switch
It’s not as likely as the others, but you can easily make a strong argument for calling the system New Nintendo Switch. Nintendo used that naming convention with the new Nintendo 3DS back in 2014/2015, and it helped differentiate between new hardware from the old hardware.
It seems likely that the naming convention actually helped increase sales for Nintendo (the 3DS family’s sales ranged from 42 million units sold in 2014 to 58 million by the end of 2015), although it is likely that the release of Super Smash Bros. on the 3DS helped someone.
Calling it the new Nintendo Switch probably won’t move the needle as much as a name like Nintendo Switch Pro or Nintendo Switch 2 can, but it’s a strong challenger and a logical choice if Nintendo wants to keep the distinction simple and price point the same.
Bet on then, what stupid name will Nintendo give its new Switch model? Other terrible but completely plausible guesses in the comments please. March 4, 2021
The case for the Super Nintendo Switch
So there has been no indication that Nintendo has even considered calling the system Super Nintendo Switch, but it is – far on the way – the best name Nintendo could choose. The point here is self-explanatory: the Super Nintendo Switch is both a tribute to the Super Nintendo and a way of describing the console itself.
It’s the switch, but better.
It’s really a stretch to think that there may be some relationship here, but we come to the 30th anniversary of Super Nintendo reaching US and British shores (it was launched on August 23, 1991 and April 11, 1992, respectively) which may be the earliest we will probably see the new Switch console.
That’s probably not going to happen, but nothing will make us pull out our wallets faster than a completely gray console with an OLED screen, purple and pink controllers and the ability to deliver in up to 4K resolution when docked.
2017: Nintendo Switch2022: Super Nintendo Switch2028: Nintendo Switch 642033: Nintendo SwitchCube2038: SwiiMarch 4, 2021
The case against Nintendo Switch U
There is a chance that Nintendo will blow our minds with something completely different. If you had asked us two decades ago if we would ever buy a console called the Nintendo Wii, we would look at you as if you were out of your mind. But just a decade ago, that was exactly what happened.
The only real mistake Nintendo could make here is to call it the Nintendo Switch U, or something like that. Nintendo made that mistake last generation, and that made the Wii U one of the best-selling systems Nintendo has ever made (despite Virtual Boy).
The problem with calling it something similar to the original title with an ambiguous ending is that people who buy the system did not know what to do with it: Is it a proper sequel? Is it a supplement? What will a console called Switch U even do for you? The name would raise more questions than it would answer, so Nintendo would want to stick to something clear and simple like the Switch Pro or Super Nintendo Switch.
One thing is for sure: no matter what Nintendo decides to call the new Nintendo Switch, we’ll be there to cover it.
