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The Nintendo Switch Pro has been rumoured to hit stores for a number of years now. The fabled console was said to be a more powerful version of the existing Switch, capable of running games in 4K.
Nintendo has constantly shot down such rumours, most recently in September 2021. The Japanese company tweeted the following: “As we announced in July, we have no plans for any new model other than Nintendo Switch – OLED Model.”
But despite Nintendo’s statement, Bloomberg insists that a 4K-capable Nintendo Switch was in the works. One of the publication’s sources cited the ongoing component shortage as the reason why Nintendo shelved plans for a more powerful 4K-capable chip, although Nintendo has not verified this information.
So it remains unclear whether a Switch Pro will ever see the light of day. It’s entirely possible that it will take the form of a Switch 2 instead, although that won’t be arriving anytime soon since Nintendo recently suggested that the existing Switch is barely midway though its life cycle.
Keep reading on for everything we know about the rumoured Nintendo Switch Pro.
Release date
The Nintendo Switch Pro was initially expected to launch in late 2021, but that release failed to materialise. Nintendo instead launched the Switch OLED, which features new screen technology but lacks any sort of performance upgrade.
Bloomberg suggests that Nintendo may still launch a 4K-capable Switch, but it won’t arrive until late 2022 at the absolute earliest. So don’t expect it to arrive anytime soon, if ever.
Specs
Reports suggest that the Nintendo Switch Pro will be capable of a running games at a 4K resolution when plugged into the TV via the dock. Bloomberg reports that an upgraded chip from Nvidia would make this possible.
The new Nvidia chip would not only feature more graphics power, but also a faster CPU and increased memory to improve the overall performance.
Bloomberg also suggests that the Nvidia chip would allow the Switch Pro to make use of DLSS. This technology can improve the frame rate of a game via artificial intelligence, potentially making it possible for the portable to run high-demanding games without a connection to the cloud.
Developers would need to add DLSS support to each game individually in order for it to work, but there are plenty of third-party games that currently support the technology on PC, including Cyberpunk 2077, Doom Eternal and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy.
It’s unclear how the Nintendo Switch Pro’s upgraded chip would impact portable play. It’s unlikely that Nintendo would add a 4K screen to the Switch, as that would significantly impact battery life. Even a 1080p resolution would be a stretch.
That said, improving the chip inside the Nintendo Switch Pro would potentially allow the portable to play games that the standard Switch is currently too weak to handle. Hitman 3, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy and Kingdom Hearts can currently only be played on the Switch via the cloud, so it would be great to see a souped-up Switch that can support these games natively.
Nintendo would likely retain the OLED screen for the Switch Pro, although that would mean that it would become the most expensive option in the Switch line-up. Nintendo increased the internal storage to 64GB for the Switch OLED, so we expect that to remain the same for the Switch Pro too.
Games
If the Nintendo Switch Pro does ever see the light of day, it’s expected to share the same game library as the standard Switch. That means you’ll be able to play existing Switch games such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey and Metroid Dread.
However, with the extra power of a new Nvidia chip, it may be possible for the Switch Pro to run games such as Hitman 3, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy and Kingdom Hearts natively. These games are available on the vanilla Switch, but only while connected to the cloud, which is inconvenient for those who like to play on a train or plane.
Keep this page bookmarked for more updates on the rumoured Nintendo Switch Pro.
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