Nintendo’s next-gen Switch console has popped up in rumors for a few years now, but the Japanese giant has always shot them down. Switch sales have been spectacular thus far, and sales have continued to soar during the pandemic. A hardware refresh didn’t seem imminent, even though Sony and Microsoft were hyping their next-gen PS5 and Xbox Series X devices that were released in late 2020. Nintendo did give the Switch a small refresh and launched a cheaper handheld-only Switch Lite version to go along with the regular one, but it never confirmed plans to make a Switch Pro.
That’s about to change soon, as a report a few days ago said that Nintendo is eying mid-June for a Switch Pro announcement, with the event expected to precede the E3 gaming conference. The Switch Pro should be released in the fall, and it is expected to be slightly more expensive than its predecessor. Since then, we also learned more details about the Switch Pro’s purported specs, with that report also suggesting a launch is imminent. Now, a purported Switch Pro listing in a French retailer’s internal inventory system may have just revealed the new console’s price.
As seen in the following tweet, the Switch Pro will supposedly cost €399 in France, if these Boulanger inventory screenshots are genuine. The leaker says the console isn’t available on the site, so buyers can’t order the device just yet.
Info Nintend'Alerts ! La console #NintendoSwitchPro listée dans la base de données Boulanger au prix de 399€ ! Pas encore visible sur le site ! pic.twitter.com/2ll7tyumrg
— Nintend'Alerts (@nintendalerts) June 2, 2021
The listing doesn’t reveal any additional details about the Switch Pro other than the fact that it’s going to be more expensive than the regular Switch. The first-gen console launched in March 2017 priced at $299.99 (USA) and €329.99 (Europe).
If the leak is genuine, we’re looking at a price hike of about €70 for the European Union region. We’ll remind you that EU prices have VAT factored in, so converting the €399 price tag to dollars will not give us the US price. A $349 Switch Pro price would make the most sense if this leak is genuine.
Bloomberg’s report from a few days ago said that the Pro’s costlier parts and rising labor costs in China will force Nintendo to hike the new console’s price. The report said Nintendo plans to sell the more expensive Switch Pro version alongside the $199 Switch Lite. The regular Switch will apparently be discontinued once the Pro model is released.
The Switch Pro is expected to feature the same overall design and size as the original. But the console will see a few notable upgrades, including a 7-inch OLED display with smaller bezels, a faster Nvidia GPU that supports 4K gaming in docked mode, and a redesigned dock that will include additional USB 3.0 and Ethernet ports.
Nothing is confirmed at this time and it’s unclear when Nintendo plans to unveil the Switch Pro. The company has scheduled a Nintendo Direct event for June 15th as part of E3 2021, but that press conference should be all about games. Given that most tech events are still virtual, Nintendo could always surprise fans with a hardware event that’s separate from the E3 press conference.
