Details of the Switch Pro - the name given to the new Switch console by many Nintendo fans - have begun to surface.
Thanks to a Bloomberg article and earlier reporting by Eurogamer, we now know several key features of the Switch Pro ahead of a reveal from Nintendo itself.
With the console soon to enter production and a Switch Pro release window pencilled in for 2021, it's likely we'll hear an official announcement sooner than later - but until then, here's everything we know - and don't know - about the Switch Pro so far.
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While you wait for the Switch Pro, you can read up on the best Switch games to play this year.
Switch Pro features, including screen size and specs difference, explained
Let's go over the big details from the Bloomberg report, which reveal the features of the new Nintendo Switch console, dubbed the Switch Pro:
- A larger 7-inch, 720p resolution OLED screen, which offers higher contrast than the current model, and a considerable size increase, from 6.2 inches on the standard Switch model and 5.5 inches on the Switch Lite. The report adds that, assuming the size of the system remains the same, we can also expect a thinner bezel (the area between the screen and the edge of the system) as a result.
- 4K visuals in TV mode, up from the existing 1080p output when docked. According to another Bloomberg report in late March, this will be through Nvidia's Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) technology which upscales visuals to higher resolutions without needing the specs required to do so natively.
- A mid-generation specs increase, positioning a jump in system performance in-line with the New 3DS and the original 3DS rather than a fully fledged new console generation, according to Eurogamer's Tom Phillips.
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The screen improvements should be a major draw for the system, especially for those who prefer to play in handheld mode, with an OLED screen in particular offering improvements to battery life and colour contrasting over what's featured in existing Switch systems.
As for an increase in screen size without a resolution bump in handheld mode to go alongside it, there's no need to worry - the difference is likely to be unnoticeable, and keeping performance at the same resolution will help maintain battery life - as VentureBeat's Jeff Grubb discusses below - and will likely see the (modest) increased specs of the Switch Pro be put to better use elsewhere:
I'm begging you. Before you give your Switch Pro takes. Please look at the pixel density of 720p at 7 inches. It's 209 pixels per inch, which is equivalent to a Retina display if you hold it 16 inches away from your face, which you almost certainly do if you are an adult. pic.twitter.com/Cy2fV3663o
— Jeff Grubb (@JeffGrubb) March 4, 2021New Switch Console 2021
Reported Switch Pro release plans - when will the new Switch launch?
There's still no official word on the Switch Pro from Nintendo - or even confirmation that Switch Pro will actually be what it's called. But according to the Bloomberg report, we can expect it later this year.
The new Switch console's displays, manufactured by Samsung, will enter production in June ahead of a launch 'in time for the holidays' - which means Nintendo is targeting an end of 2021 release.
Of course, things could slip, especially as the pandemic has hit supply lines for consoles and hardware for all manufacturers, so don't see this release window set in stone.
What we don't know about the Switch Pro so far
The above is everything we know about the Switch Pro from reliable reporting. Of course, there has been renewed interest for the next Switch model now the PS5 and Xbox Series X are here - and lots of rumours and speculation to go with it, some stretching back several years - so until more trusted sources or official word from Nintendo itself arrives, take what you read with a pinch of salt.
Until then, here's a selection of things we don't know about the Switch Pro so far:
- Exact specs difference between the current Switch and Switch Pro - Right now, there is no word on how much more powerful the Switch Pro will be. Though the Bloomberg article says Nintendo 'aims to propel Switch against the Xbox and PS5' with the console refresh, don't read this as offering similar specs; Nintendo stopped going toe-to-toe on hardware ever since the Wii. Eurogamer's own reporting suggests more of a modest specs bump - see it as a mid-generation upgrade as seen with the New Nintendo 3DS - which offered additional features such as faster loading and smoother performance in some titles, which is something the Switch Pro could also offer. That said, it's possible the improved Switch Pro specs will primarily go towards new 4K upscaling capabilities when docked with a TV.
- Backwards compatibility with existing Switch hardware and software - Regardless of whether this is a mid-generation refresh (in the same way the 3DS to New 3DS were) or a full new system (as with the DS and 3DS), it's almost certain to have full backwards compatibility with existing Switch games. Whether full hardware compatibility with existing peripherals is unknown, especially with the larger screen, but it's possible that if the only impact the increase has is a smaller bezel, then the hardware itself could be the same size - allowing Joy-Cons and other available peripherals to still be connected.
- Exclusive Switch Pro games - Though the specs will almost certainly be put towards the 4K upscaling tech, it's also possible to benefit current and future games to make them run smoother. Whether some games will only run on the Switch Pro is unknown, but it's a concept not unheard of for Nintendo - after all, there were a number of New 3DS exclusives that couldn't run on a standard 3DS, such as Xenoblade Chronicles 3D.
- Switch Pro price - Again, until an official announcement arrives, pricing is up in the air, but we can expect it to retail at a similar price to the current Switch now, which makes sense as it continues to sell like hotcakes.
- The Switch Pro name - Despite everyone calling it the Switch Pro (likely after the PS4 Pro, a similar mid-generation console refresh which introduced 4K capability) Nintendo has yet to officially name the system. Security researcher Mike Heskin has explained how Switch firmware references 'Aula' as the internal codename for the model - though this won't be final, in the same way the Switch Lite was originally named 'Hoag'. It's possible it could adopt a name similar to previous hardware refreshes, such as the New Switch, or our dream naming scheme from the 16-bit era, the Super Switch. We can only hope.
The Nintendo Switch has offered much of what fans have come to expect from the Japanese console company, Nintendo Co. The unique means of play, brought from outside-the-box thinking, has long been a hallmark of Nintendo, even if that comes at admittedly less power than its console brethren. However, that may be about to change with the rumored Nintendo Switch Pro, according to industry insiders.
The Nintendo Switch has had a profitable shelf-life thus far. Switching immediately from handheld mode to television via a docking station, allows users to experience the fantastical worlds of Nintendo IP ranging from Super Mario Odyssey to Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild no matter where they are in the world. This untethering comes with a few caveats, however: 720p resolution (that some titles struggle to maintain) at occasionally iffy framerates turns the unique console into one avoided by the more demanding gamers. Yet the new version of the Nintendo Switch, unofficially dubbed the Nintendo Switch Pro, could be changing this.
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Industry insiders have stated that the upcoming new Nintendo Switch model will hold Nvidia tech, allowing it to use DLSS to offer upscaled resolutions. The console will be able to reproduce 4K resolution when plugged into the docking station. The technology adoption also brings a stronger chipset and further memory, yet there is a caveat that Nintendo is eyeing when making the upgrade. The new technology means that the platform is fundamentally changing; titles released prior to the console will not be able to take advantage of the new tech unless patched by developers.
This implies that many titles will maintain a 720p resolution, even on the advanced console, unless developers are willing to update the title specifically for the new iteration of the console. This could coincide with the sudden dearth of titles in the latter half of 2021, displayed on Nintendo's website. It is plausible that developers are awaiting the newer console, rumored to release in holiday 2021, to limit the number of patches necessary. DLSS remains an Nvidia-exclusive feature, using AI to upscale renders beyond what would be possible. This change, rumored to arrive with a seven-inch screen for the Nintendo Switch, could show a fundamental shift in how Nintendo is looking at its console production.
Where Nintendo has consistently looked at its consoles as a means to bring about unique ways of play, it's difficult to deny that the console is consistently underpowered in comparison to other consoles of the same generation. Yet it seems implausible that Nintendo is willing to forgo the same mentality that brought Nintendo Labo and the Wii nunchucks. Perhaps, Nintendo is looking at having its cake and eating it too, with creative means of play being offered in modern resolutions and framerates. Fans will need to wait for the company to make an official announcement regarding the specs of the hardware, however.
MORE: Nintendo Switch Pro Rumors Are Super Good For Zelda: Breath Of The Wild 2
Source: Bloomberg
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