When Will Nintendo Release A New Console

Nintendo Switch Pro: everything we know almost the long-rumored 4K Switch

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Even though a Nintendo Switch Pro never materialized, rumors of a 4K Switch pass up to go away. The Japanese company launched the Nintendo Switch OLED last October, a pleasing upgrade over the original console that comes with a bigger screen, redesigned kickstand, more internal storage, better speakers, and a hit OLED display.

But when it comes to power, the Nintendo Switch OLED is exactly the aforementioned as the original Nintendo Switch, released in March 2017. The console displays at 1080p when docked, and 720p in handheld way.

That news came as a thwarting to many, as the release of the PS5 and Xbox Series X highlighted the performance gap between Nintendo's panel, which is approaching its fifth anniversary, and the state of the industry. 4K TVs are at present the standard in many homes, likewise, which makes the Switch's 1080p output look noticeably soft on most modern displays.

Demand for a Nintendo Switch Pro is certainly there, but volition nosotros ever run across a 4K Switch? Could existing hardware hold hints of what's to come? Hither's everything you lot need to know well-nigh Nintendo's elusive 4K console.

Best Nintendo Switch games: the most essential Switch releases

Nintendo Switch Pro: cut to the chase

What is it? A souped-upwardly Nintendo Switch capable of outputting at 4K
How much will it price? TBA
When will it release? TBA

Nintendo Switch Pro: release date

Nintendo Switch Lite — Epitome credit: Nintendo

The Nintendo Switch Pro was rumored to launch instead of the Nintendo Switch OLED, which landed on October viii, 2021. Now, though, the existence of a Pro panel has come into question, equally the Nintendo Switch OLED includes many of the leaked specs that were said to be included in the Switch Pro.

Bloomberg predicted a Nintendo Switch Pro console would release effectually September or October in 2021, which surprised many at the time. Instead, that release engagement belongs to the OLED model. A release date of March 2022 was hinted at likewise, though this has since come and gone.

Nintendo Switch Pro: price

Information technology goes without saying that redesigns cost money, doubly then when it involves improved hardware. The Nintendo Switch Pro, with its updated and more powerful hardware, will almost definitely cost more the current Switch's £279 / $299 / AU$449 pricing.

The Nintendo Switch OLED is already a more premium model and launched at $349.99 / £309 / AU$539. Thankfully this isn't a huge step up from the original Switch'due south asking price and is less than the $399 price tag that was predicted by some. For comparing, the PS4 Pro was $100 more than than the PS4.

Every bit a family unit-focused visitor, nosotros'd exist surprised if the Nintendo Switch Pro came in at the same toll as PS5 and Xbox Serial 10, $499 / £449 / $AU749, but information technology'll be more expensive than the Nintendo Switch OLED, nonetheless.

Switch Pro: developers tell us what they want from the rumored Switch upgrade

Nintendo Switch Pro: news and rumors

Nintendo Switch OLED holds 4K secrets

With the Switch OLED's launch, some of the changes from previous consoles accept started up speculation that 4K adequacy could exist hidden right under our noses. For 1, the console ships with an HDMI two.0 cable – instead of the 1.iv standard used by the regular Switch – which should enable 4K passthrough from the dock, or even HDR.

The Switch OLED dock, contains a Realtek scrap that could be 4K capable, which is new to this console – though it could be tied to other features like improved audio or Ethernet capability instead. While this isn't a 4K console just yet, it's possible that the dock could be used in some minimal upscaling capacity down the line, or for a 4K Switch Pro when it eventually launches.

Nintendo denies the being of Nintendo Switch Pro after new reports
Bloomberg (opens in new tab) has once over again reported that a Nintendo Switch Pro is indeed real, and has claimed that xi different game studios had access to an official evolution kit that featured 4K support.

The panel was apparently shelved due to supply problems caused by the ongoing global semiconductor shortage, though it could still be released.

Nintendo, however, has moved swiftly to deny these claims. In a post on Twitter (opens in new tab), Nintendo said that Bloomberg'due south report "falsely claims that Nintendo is supply tools to drive game developers for a Nintendo Switch with 4K support", the visitor went on to say "we have no plans for any new model other than Nintendo Switch OLED Model".

A Nintendo Switch Pro could still exist in the works
According to Tokyo-based analyst Serkan Toto, a Nintendo Switch Pro could notwithstanding happen. Toto has suggested that the Switch OLED might be a "dummy upgrade" before a real upgrade arrives next year.

Speaking to Bloomberg (opens in new tab), Toto said: "This new Switch looks more like an interim model than a real upgrade to me," Toto told Bloomberg. "This might simply be a dummy upgrade until Breath Of The Wild two is gear up and the component shortage is over next yr."

The Nintendo Switch OLED has been announced
The Nintendo Switch OLED (which was supposed to be the Nintendo Switch Pro) has been announced by Nintendo. In an declaration trailer posted to the official Nintendo YouTube channel, we got our first glimpse of the hardware improvements that are coming.

Manifestly, the brandish will be enhanced and have advantage of OLED engineering science to deliver an astonishing moving-picture show with vivid colors and impressive contrast. The Switch OLED's screen volition besides be slightly bigger (7-inches equally opposed to half-dozen.two-inches) and the internal sound system is getting a boost. If you similar downloading games you'll be able to accept advantage of 64GB of internal storage, and those who like gaming online can use the new Nintendo Switch dock's Ethernet port which is built in.

The Nintendo Switch OLED does not support 4K gaming while docked as was expected of the rumored Nintendo Switch Pro, and outputs at 720p in handheld manner.

Dataminer strikes gilt?
A data miner known as SciresM has claimed (via Wccftech (opens in new tab)) that they have found reference to a new Nintendo Switch model within the Switch'south latest firmware update, codenamed 'Aula'.

Reportedly, this hardware uses the same scrap as the Nintendo Switch Light and 2019 Switch model, the Mariko (Tegra X1+) SoC. Yet, SciresM also claims that at that place are references to support for a Realtek fleck which is a "4K UHD multimedia SoC".

Rather than being within the Switch tablet, they think that it "might be within a new dock and not within the tablet, though, there's no way to tell from the firmware code yet." They besides say that the tablet itself will accept an improved OLED screen, though what resolution information technology'll offer is however unclear. The claims of some kind of 4K back up do line upward with the many other reports from the by yr which claim that an upgraded Switch capable of 4K is on the horizon.

Of course, there'south been no confirmation from Nintendo itself that a new Switch is on the cards and, in fact, Doug Bowser has made comments very recently that suggest there might not exist for some time. With that in mind, we're however taking this with a pinch of salt.

Nintendo Switch outsells PS5 and Xbox Series 10
Perhaps Nintendo was right not to worry about the launch of the next-generation consoles from Sony and Microsoft. It has been revealed that in the launch calendar month of the PS5 and Xbox Series X, Nintendo's Switch family unit of consoles has stayed on superlative in the US in terms of console sales.

According to analytics film NPD Grouping the Switch and Switch Lite garnered a total 1.35 million sales in the US lonely throughout November. In fact, the report likewise says that Nintendo'due south hardware is selling fifty-fifty more than in 2020 than the previous year – around half a 1000000 units more, to a full of 6.92 million – despite now being three years into its lifecycle. We don't actually have firm numbers for sales of the PS5 and Xbox Series X yet, just the former console is estimated to accept sold around two million units worldwide across its two November launch dates, with stock drying up soon after.

The story isn't the same across the world – it's worth noting that the PS5 did outsell the Switch in the Britain. Regardless, it shows that the Switch's momentum does non seem to be slowing even in the face up of new and more powerful 4K consoles. What this ways for a prospective more powerful Nintendo Switch Pro remains to be seen. Nintendo clearly doesn't really demand a new console correct now with those sales but launched at the correct fourth dimension it could propel the Switch to even greater heights.

Close-up of Joy-Con controller — (Image credit: Nintendo)

Standalone Joy-Con patent
A newly discovered patent (via VGC) suggests that some standalone Joy-Con controllers accept been considered by Nintendo.

A newly-discovered Nintendo patent suggests that the company may be planning to release a new course of Joy-Con way controller.

Originally filed in May 2018 and registered in April 2020, the patent shows a controller that's highly like in shape and layout to the existing Joy-Con plant on the original Switch. Yet, it is slightly updated and rather than being designed to slide onto a screen like the current Joy-Con, this controller appears to exist a standalone device, with no rails for sliding in sight.

While there isn't much need for standalone Joy-Con on the original Switch, they could be useful with the more recent Nintendo Switch Lite, which has its controls permanently fastened, as information technology would allow for easier multiplayer gaming. Given the recent rumors around the Nintendo Switch Pro, though, it'south also worth considering that the standalone Joy-Con has been designed with this new panel in mind.

Rumors of a mini-LED brandish
Something slightly different from the 4K rumors we've been used to when it comes to the Nintendo Switch Pro; nosotros may come across a mini-LED display supplant the electric current LCD screen. Co-ordinate to a study from Taiwan's Economic Daily News (opens in new tab), the still-rumored Switch Pro model could sport mini-LED screens supplied by Innolux, a well-known manufacturer in the field.

The current Switch and Switch Calorie-free consoles use an Hard disk drive (720p) LCD screen. If a new Switch panel did have 4K capability, we imagine it'd be in docked mode, with handheld mode offering a slightly-boosted Total Hard disk (1080p) display. Upgrading to a mini-LED display would make all of those pixels look better than before equally mini-LED displays utilise thousands of tiny individually-controlled backlights in the glass substrate of the panel to offer a wider contrast ratio, better brightness command, deeper blacks and richer colors. It could even hateful thinner and lighter product designs. There are rumors that 2021 will bring an iPad Pro 12.9 which utilizes mini-LED engineering science, too, so information technology could exist a applied science that's on the rising.

Devs are reportedly being told to get 4K-ready
A recent study by Bloomberg (opens in new tab) has alleged that Nintendo is asking developers to make their Nintendo Switch games 4K-ready, calculation weight to previous rumors that Nintendo has a resolution upgrade up its sleeve with a 4K-ready upgraded Switch console.

Bloomberg's report most notably corresponds with a contempo reports from the Economic Daily News, which cited various hardware manufacturers responsible for the Switch's flash storage and Joy-Con controllers, and claimed that a more powerful Nintendo Switch console with upgraded interactivity and improved display quality could go into production in 2021.

Utilizing Nintendo Switch features
In the 80th Almanac General Coming together of Shareholders (via VideoGamer (opens in new tab)), Nintendo stated that future consoles will harness the the Switch's unique elements and experience.

"Our current generation game arrangement, Nintendo Switch, has entered its fourth year since launch, but its momentum is increasing," Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said. "Nosotros believe at that place are two factors behind this. Starting time is the existence of two hardware configurations with different characteristics, in Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Low-cal. The 2nd gene is that Nintendo's development resource are full-bodied on developing content for a unmarried platform, Nintendo Switch. Nosotros want to extend the life cycle of Nintendo Switch while maximising such advantages.

"From the perspective of playing with the image displayed on a TV, we believe that because consumers tin play Nintendo Switch on a TV or the game console screen itself, it has greatly increased the opportunities for gameplay in diverse scenes in their lives, compared to previous consoles," Furukawa connected. "Through Nintendo Switch, nosotros've made many discoveries about where a dedicated video game platform tin fit into a consumer's daily life. Nosotros come across scenes on social media of children and their families sitting around a game console to play, which gives us a renewed sense of the value of our defended video game platform. We will utilise these experiences in carefully because the form our future game consoles will take."

Codenames
Dataminers have been coursing through Nintendo's firmware version 10.0.0 for data on new Switch consoles and have apparently identified codenames for the upcoming devices.

According to JershJopstin on Resetera (opens in new tab), at that place are five identified codenames for Nintendo Switch models: Icosa, Copper, Hoag, Iowa, and Calcio. Here's a breakup of what we know most their codenames so far (thanks TweakTown (opens in new tab)):

Icosa - Switch released at launch - nx-abca2 - 20nm Tegra X1 -
Iowa - revised Switch - nx-abca2 - 16nm Tegra X1 and 'Mariko' chip
Hoag - the Switch Low-cal - nx-abcc - 16nm Tegra X1 and Mariko bit
Copper - unconfirmed- nx-abcb
Calcio - unconfirmed - nx-abcb - 16nm Tegra X1 and Mariko chip

While Iow, Hoag and Icosa take already released, Copper and Calcio have not been confirmed to be in development.

Co-ordinate to JershJopstin, Copper appears to be a non-mobile device due to its lack of battery and charging services, and the HDMI services it appears to have which would typically be handled past a Switch docking station.

Meanwhile, co-ordinate to some other rumor, Calcio will apparently be a docked-only, more traditional console.

Nah, and official devs don't know anything yet (at least indies). Nintendo has these archives that comprise a bunch of settings for specific hardware types + in that location's some configuration in various sysmodules. Nintendo often adds some or all of that before the hardware releases heh.March 2, 2020

In add-on, JershJopstin has suggested that this Calcio console could be digital-only due to its apparent lack of support for game cards and new naming form cistron.

However these rumors should be treated with a good for you dose of skepticism until we get confirmation from Nintendo.

Possible dual-screen
A dataminer has dug into the new Nintendo Switch version 10.00 firmware and found hints that it adds preliminary support for a new Switch model, - nx-abcd -, one with a secondary display, possibly a dual-screen like the Nintendo DS. This is the aforementioned dataminer who previously uncovered that Nintendo was working on a revised model – which turned out to be longer battery-life Switch – from firmware version ix.0.0. However, this should still be treated with skepticism.

This is a different class factor from the Switch codenames nosotros've seen before, with Resetera user suggesting we may see a different type of Switch device altogether – not handheld or docked.

Firmware 10.0.0 adds preliminary support for a new hardware model: "nx-abcd".3 of the v new DRAM profiles are for this new hardware blazon and at that place's show of a secondary display of sorts being added exclusively on this model. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)Apr fourteen, 2020

Nintendo isn't worried about the adjacent console generation
2020 wasn't the yr of a new Nintendo Switch console, just information technology was the twelvemonth that Sony and Microsoft launch the next generation of consoles: the PS5 and Xbox Serial X. Nintendo, withal, isn't worried about catching up.

Talking to investors during a Japanese Q&A (via VGC), Nintendo's president Shuntaro Furukawa said that while the gaming landscape will modify, the visitor doesn't think the release of these adjacent-gen consoles volition have a big bear on on its own fortunes.

"We do non believe that the business trends of other companies will have a significant impact on our business," Furukawa told investors, explaining that the reason Nintendo is and then confident that the PS5 and Xbox Series X won't pose huge competition is because the Nintendo Switch targets a different audience.

While this doesn't tell u.s.a. a whole lot about any specific new console plans Nintendo has, it does suggest that the visitor isn't feeling any great hurry or pressure from its supposed competitors to release, or even denote, a Nintendo Switch Pro in the immediate future.

AR and VR support
VR and AR support for the Switch never looked likely, with the Md of Nintendo France citing a lack of mainstream entreatment for the technology back in 2018, but the Labo VR Kit shows Nintendo has changed its mind about the viability of VR.

The Switch doesn't accept the high resolution of most VR gaming rigs, so nosotros could see an advanced model with 2K or 4K resolution to ameliorate those close-up VR experiences. However, given the VR Kit is still focused mainly on children, we'd be surprised to encounter a visual overhaul merely for this one peripheral.

What nigh 3D?
Another Nintendo patent came to light in early 2019: this time for a 3D sensor array that sits above your television, and creates a stereoscopic paradigm in a similar manner to the 3DS, meaning yous wouldn't even demand glasses.

3D visuals felt like a passing gimmick even with Nintendo'south handheld consoles – and the defunct Microsoft Kinect camera will no dubiety keep information technology wary of unnecessary TV peripherals. Merely getting convincing 3D imaging on standard 2D TVs may the pace needed to bring 3D gaming mainstream.

Could it support 4K?
While Sony and Microsoft push at the 4K market place, there isn't actually any big reason for Nintendo, the company that staunchly sets itself apart from other hardware producers, to follow accommodate.

In the aforementioned interview (opens in new tab) where he dismissed VR, Nintendo French republic General Manager Philippe Lavoué also brushed off 4K maxim that the technology has "non been adopted past the majority" and it would, therefore, exist likewise early on for Nintendo to leap in.

Nintendo didn't enter the Hard disk drive console market until 2012 when it released the Wii U. This was around four years later Sony and Microsoft and at the bespeak when more than 75% of US households really had HD displays in their abode.

Miyamoto withal has said he wished Nintendo had washed the jump to Hard disk sooner than this, saying that the display engineering became pop around three years before Nintendo expected information technology to. It's expected that by 2020, 50% of US households will have adopted 4K technology and information technology might be at this point that Nintendo decides to bring together the 4K fray, rather than waiting until the 75% market saturation of earlier.

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Vic is TechRadar Gaming's Associate Editor. An award-winning games journalist, Vic brings feel from IGN, Eurogamer and more than to the TechRadar table. You may have even heard her on the radio or speaking on a console. Non simply is Vic passionate most games, just she's as well an avid mental health abet who has appeared on both panels and podcasts to discuss mental health awareness. Make sure to follow her on Twitter for more.