The Development of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond — Interview

[firebush03]

Leynos said:

It might have been Sakamoto but during the Wii U era he talked about a new Prime game but said if they were to make one it would be the next platform (Switch) I think that interview was 2014 or 2015?

Development for Prime 4 didn’t start until 2016 at the earliest. Its reveal in 2017 was solely intended to respond to distraught fans who were overwhelmingly opposed to the 3DS spinoff entry.