Perhaps fed up with the various rumors and speculation, Nintendo has killed off the Nintendo Switch Pro rumor. At least, rumors of such a console coming soon.

Nintendo officially stated that "there are no plans to release any other models (of the Switch) at this time." This puts to rest months of claimed insider information and other rumors that Nintendo is working on an upgraded Switch console that will be more powerful and offer 4K resolution output, especially when docked.

However, E3 2021 ended with the Nintendo Direct, and the Switch Pro was never even hinted at. The Japanese gaming giant then announced the Nintendo Switch OLED. This is essentially the original Switch with a 7-inch OLED display and a few added extras, including an improved stand.

The awkwardly named Switch (OLED model) seemed to put the kibosh on the Switch Pro rumors from Nintendo. As my colleague Marshall Honorof pointed out, Nintendo has essentially been pouring water on the smoldering Switch Pro rumors for over a year. But even so, the excitement and speculation surrounding the Switch Pro has grown, and I am as guilty of that as the rest of the gaming and media industries.

And even when the Switch's OLED was revealed, there was still speculation that the Switch Pro was still in development. While contentious, the rumors that have been boiling over about an upgraded Switch from a reliable informant have added credence to the idea that a Switch Pro is in development.

Perhaps Nintendo was working on a so-called Switch Pro, but the semiconductor shortage that made the PS5 and Xbox Series X so ridiculously hard to buy may have caused the company to abandon its plans and opt for a Switch OLED instead. Or perhaps Nintendo is indeed working on an upgraded Switch, but it will be the Nintendo Switch 2 and won't appear until 2023 at the earliest.

Either way, Nintendo has pretty much sunk the Switch Pro rumor for the time being. And that's a little disappointing.

I was initially of two minds when the Nintendo Switch Pro rumors started to accelerate. I own the original Switch and didn't think it was missing anything drastically.

Sure the kickstand was flimsy, but I never really used it. The display could have been larger, but 720p on a 6.2" screen is fine. The LCD panel was similar, reproducing fairly impressive colors and was reasonably bright.

The Switch's performance did not wow like Sony's or Microsoft's new consoles, but that is not the Switch's raison d'etre. Rather, it is to offer optimized and exclusive games, which it has done and continues to do. Also, since I use the Switch mostly in handheld mode, I wasn't too bothered by the fact that it only outputs 1080p or even lower resolution on my 4K TV.

However, as more and more games appeared or were ported to the Switch, I began to notice its technical limitations. While "The Witcher 3" was a great portable game, it was far from its best. Likewise, games like "Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity" really chug on the Switch when it gets busy.

Also, "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" is a bit blurry at 900p when docked. So the ability to enjoy one of the Nintendo Switch's best games in 4K was certainly appealing to me, as I often spend hours exploring the ruins of Hyrule.

As such, the idea of a mid-generation refresh with more power and co-processors in an upgraded dock to facilitate form 4K output, if not native 4K, began to appeal to me. Then I saw the large screen of the Switch OLED and began to wish for a Switch with a 7" display, but with a more powerful chipset for higher display resolution.

The problem was compounded with the release of the Steam Deck, which revealed that some pretty impressive gaming power could actually be packed into a relatively compact portable device.

However, Nintendo simply announced the Switch OLED, adding a prettier display, an improved kickstand, and 64GB of onboard storage, but nothing more. Of course, if you don't own a Switch, you should probably buy the OLED model, which will be available on October 8. But for current Switch owners, the upgrade is not compelling enough. Also, since the Switch Pro is not coming anytime soon, many will likely have to make do with the original Switch.

I am not suggesting that I would throw the Switch in the cupboard and ignore it. But I can't help but feel disappointed that the Switch Pro is, for all intents and purposes, dead at this point.

Nintendo said "at this time," which leaves the door just a bit open for rumors that the Switch Pro could appear further down the road. Nintendo also has a history of releasing more powerful versions of its consoles as they mature, the 3DS XL being one example.

Likewise, this could be good news. Perhaps Nintendo's efforts might be better focused on creating an entirely new and innovative console that captures our attention, rather than simply making a better Switch.