In a one-two punch for my wallet, rumor has it Sony's PS5 Pro and a revamped Nintendo Switch console will share a similar launch window.
Noted leaker segamega99 claims in a rather cryptic tweet that both consoles will release "soon" without specifying exactly when that may be. That's apparently based on intel from a wholesale retailer source, who said Sony and Nintendo are manufacturing large quantities of both consoles for wholesalers, presumably to reach the market around the same time.
These claims emerge shortly after a leak from Insider Gaming revealed Sony is actively developing a PS5 Pro for a 2024 release window. The Pro would be a mid-life-cycle refresh of the base PS5 with boosted visuals and performance. As for the Switch, a previous leak suggested a new Switch model will launch alongside the upcoming Pokémon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet DLCs, currently on the calendar for Winter 2023.
Rumors about both the PS5 Pro and a new Switch console have circulated for years now, so it's important to take all this with a grain of salt.
Interestingly, segamega99 refers to the Nintendo Switch Pro as opposed to the rumored Nintendo Switch 2. This adds fuel to rumors that the Mario maker's next console may also be a mid-life-cycle refresh running upgraded tech in the same vein as the Nintendo Switch OLED rather than a true successor. Rumors that, it's important to note, Nintendo has repeatedly denied.
Nintendo's six-year console is showing its age — and has been for a while. I'm with my colleague in feeling that it's too late in the Nintendo Switch's life cycle for a piecemeal Switch Pro upgrade. So I'm still holding out for a true successor like the Nintendo Switch 2 instead, hopefully packing improved battery life and a fix for that dreaded Joy-Con drift.
The same leaker posted back in April that the next Nintendo console will have The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario, and Splatoon games "at launch." Whether that would be new releases or existing titles upgraded for the new hardware wasn't clear. Our guess is the latter for obvious reasons. Splatoon 3 launched less than a year ago, and the highly anticipated The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom releases in just a few weeks. Both series typically have years-long development cycles, so it'll be a while yet before a new entry comes out.
