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Where was the Switch Pro at Nintendo Direct E3 2021?

Nintendo Direct E3 2021 has come and gone with a whirlwind of announcements but where was the Switch Pro?

Bryan Lefler

June 15, 2021 9:43 AM

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There's nothing quite like a full-fat Nintendo Direct, there's a certain magic to them that could only have been started by the late and great Satoru Iwata. Now that E3 2021 is winding down to a close, gamers everywhere are wondering one thing. Where was the Switch Pro at Nintendo Direct E3 2021?

Where was the Switch Pro at Nintendo Direct E3 2021?

Go ahead, take another look at the presentation with the embedded viewer above. You won't find nary a word about a Nintendo Switch Pro. Don't believe me? That's ok, I can wait for you to finish the video again.

Now that we've settled back down and accepted the truth, let's face it. We knew this was going to happen all along. We were told that this highly-anticipated E3 2021 Direct would be focused exclusively on Nintendo Switch software, mostly releasing in 2021. Oh, the hubris of it all, or maybe it's just the unwillingness of the public to read disclaimers. Whatever the case may be, we saw this coming from a mile away.

Perhaps it's the desire for a shiny new thing, or the call of hardcore Nintendo fans desperate for something with a little more juice, but the demand for the Switch Pro is absolutely peaking right now. The problem is that demand for the current Nintendo Switch hasn't slumped enough for Nintendo to need to announce a hardware refresh to get customers interested again. In fact, it hasn't slumped at all. The Switch continues to keep sales pace with consoles a full generation ahead, perhaps in no small part to its availability. At least you can walk into a store and buy a Nintendo Switch.

As the public continues to snatch up the Switch, Nintendo is in no hurry to reveal the rumored Pro upgrade or Super Nintendo Switch or New Switch or Nintendo Switch U (you get the point). I'm not a captain of business or anything, but I think it would be bad to cannibalize current stellar sales numbers by introducing a better version that would cause a lot of potential purchases to wait when they would inevitably upgrade anyways. A Switch Pro is undoubtedly coming, but it wasn't announced at E3 2021. How long will we need to wait? Stick around with Shacknews and we'll keep you updated. To see all the reveals that actually did come out of Nintendo Direct E3 2021, we got you covered.

Bryan Lefler

Contributing Editor

From the test launch of the NES in New York to 4K gaming in his living room, Bryan Lefler has been immersed in video games his entire life. Battle tested in the arena shooters of the turn of the century yet kind to all animals that may cross him, Bryan enjoys a breadth of games but strives to be the best in any contest of digital skill. He is a former esports competitor and has been part of the Shacknews community for over 15 years. You can also catch him on skankcore64 streams on the Shacknews Twitch channel where he plays through the N64 library and follow him on Twitter @skankcore.