A more horsepower Nintendo Switch Pro could be a pain for developers. That's the word from Engine Software, the team behind the Switch ports of No More Heroes and No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle.
In an interview with Nintendo Everything, co-founder and vice president Ruud van de Moosdijk explained that the Switch Pro has more than additional power for 4K gaming.
"We are not big subscribers to the 'Pro' model," van de Moosdijk said. 'Sure, it's nice to have more RAM and faster GPU/CPUs than before, but if it's still considered the same platform, we have to be able to run games on all models.'
With over 65 million Switch users today, developers have an obligation to ensure that their games run well on both the standard Switch and possible Pro models. While Nintendo did allow exclusive games on the more powerful New Nintendo 3DS, such as "Xenoblade Chronicles" and "Fire Emblem Warriors," it is unlikely that any developer would want to share the currently huge Switch install base.
"In the previous "upgrade system", additional power was not well utilized for this reason," says van de Moosdijk.
Here van de Moosdijk is referring to the previous generation PS4 Pro and Xbox One X. Still, much of the hardware optimization was done on the base model of the console, while more linear upscaling was done by the added horsepower of the Pro model. For example, if games like "God of War" and "The Last of Us: Part II" had been built from the ground up for the PS4 Pro, they likely would have looked even better.
Be that as it may, the Switch Pro probably won't be a game-changing experience. Instead, it will bring a higher fidelity gaming experience to those willing to pay the price.
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