Evidence is mounting that Nintendo has a special edition Nintendo Switch console for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
As reported by Video Games Chronicle, Twitter account Nintendeals shared old pictures of a supposedly leaked The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Nintendo Switch console. He then compared it to the pin case that Nintendo is bundling with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s Collector’s Edition. As you can see below, the logo on the pin case is the same as that on the Joy-Con part of the console.
Nintendo has done very well with their special edition Nintendo Switch consoles. They have an incredible seventeen different Nintendo Switch special editions, with all but two having a game tied to them:
- Pokemon Scarlet and Violet (OLED)
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons
- Splatoon 2
- Splatoon 3 (OLED)
- Monster Hunter Rise
- Mario Red+Blue
- Super Mario Odyssey
- Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee
- Super Smash Bros Ultimate
- Diablo 3 Eternal Collection
- Dragon Quest XI
- Disney Tsum Tsum Festival
- Jack Jeanne (Lite)
- Zacian and Zamacenta (Lite)
- Fortnite
- Monster Hunter XX
- Pokemon Dialga & Palkia (Lite)
Nintendo’s success in selling the Nintendo Switch extends to more than growing their userbase. As the company revealed in their latest financial report, they have actually been selling multiple units of the console to the same players. The Switch OLED and the Switch Lite have successfully sold themselves to gamers who already own an original Nintendo Switch.
So that makes it very likely that not only new Switch players, but existing Nintendo Switch owners, are likely to buy this special edition Nintendo Switch.
While it would sound astounding for someone to have both the discless and disc version of the PlayStation 5, or have both an Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, it is different for the Nintendo Switch.
In this regard, it would be better to think of the Nintendo Switch to be a portable handheld more than a home console. Nintendo has also seen tons of success reselling multiple units of the Game Boy and Nintendo DS lines to their players.
When we talk about Nintendo’s handheld portables, Nintendo takes the special effort to make new versions of those consoles worth buying. Each iteration of the Game Boy and DS saw an improvement in hardware, additional colors, or more. The Game Boy Advance saw a radical change in form factor, as did the 3DS/2DS line. Their comparative cheap price also makes them easy, even fun, to collect.
It certainly seems like a no-brainer for Nintendo to make a The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Nintendo Switch console. They are likely anticipating high demand as well. But they might not have as many consoles made as they think will meet that demand, and so they’re holding onto this reveal as long as possible. I think this console could even release months after the game itself. We’re all certainly looking forward to when they make that reveal.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom releases exclusively to the Nintendo Switch on May 12, 2023.
