New Nintendo Switch Pro console with bigger screen and 4K due out this year claims report

A new, more powerful version of the Nintendo Switch is planned for this year and it sounds very much like the mythical Switch Pro.

For years now people have been predicting the release of a new model of the Nintendo Switch, especially a more powerful version nicknamed by fans as the Switch Pro, but other than the Switch Lite there’s been nothing – but that may be set to change this year.

According to a Bloomberg report – so not some rando on Reddit – a new version of the console will enter production this June with a 7-inch, 720p resolution OLED screen.

That’s bigger than the current 6.2-inch version (or the 5.5-inch Switch Lite) but the same resolution, with the Samsung OLED display being less advanced than those used in modern smartphones. And yet allegedly the new console will run at 4K when docked.

The rumour is believable for various reasons, including the fact that Nintendo has to organise the parts necessary with outside companies, and they can be much more prone to leaks than Nintendo themselves.

The lack of a 1080p display might seem a disappointment but that would have a huge strain on the battery life. On the other hand, the new 7-inch OLED screen will reduce battery consumption, have higher contrast options, and likely faster response times than the current LCD screen.

The report offers no detail on how the 4K visuals will be enabled when docked, but it’s been rumoured for some time that Nintendo has instructed developers to create games with 4K textures in mind.

The option likely involves some form of DLSS (deep learning super sampling) but even if it’s not native 4K the improvement in resolution will still be considerable.

If the new model is going into production in June then that means Nintendo is aiming for a pre-Christmas release, probably somewhere around September or October.

The official line is that there are no plans for a new console ‘anytime soon’ but then Nintendo isn’t the sort of company that drops hints and will likely only announce the new console, if it exists, shortly before launch.

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