August 10, 2022
Updated August 18, 2022
Updated August 18, 2022
As we're headed towards the end of 2022 and into early 2023 in the coming months, Nintendo is expected to announce a fourth Switch model that may finally compete with other high-end console in raw performance. And Nintendo may also be hinting that a new Switch model is underway after some analysts have seen that some game trailers may look "too good" for Switch.
Evidence That a 4K Switch Model is On the Way
The first piece of evidence that Nintendo could be developing the Switch Pro goes back to the release the Switch OLED model. Some people reported that the Switch OLED dock is capable of outputting 4K: the Switch OLED comes with a HDMI 2.0 cable, which can carry over 4K 60fps to a TV, and the HDMI controller inside the Switch OLED dock can also output 4K onto a TV; moreover, the Switch OLED dock is capable of receiving firmware updates. One issue with this theory is that the Switch OLED itself does not support 4K, but technically the NVIDIA Tegra X1 chip inside the Switch models can do native 4K output, but those systems weren't designed to do so. This means that Nintendo could be future-proofing the dock for a potential 4K system that can handle 4K output. Another theory that seems unlikely is that the Switch OLED may, later in the future, get a performance boost to 1440p, while the future Switch Pro will support 4K, utilizing the 4K controller inside the docks to support these features.
A second piece of evidence comes from the delay of Breath of the Wild 2 in March from 2022 to Spring 2023. Digital Foundry reported that the footage shown in March showed that the game was running smooth without any frame drops or breaking in the volumetric clouds used in the trailer, stating that the game trailer looked "too good" to run on current Switch hardware. This does support the fact that Breath of the Wild 2 will be a cross-gen game, releasing on Switch and the rumored Switch Pro. But one recent finding back in April may deny this theory: Nintendo Switch Sports was found to be using AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution, AMD's upscaling technology similar to NVIDIA DLSS. And most games running on Switch seem to not be running at their full potential due to it's aging hardware, and AI upscaling may be a solution to play games without needed brand new hardware. For example, if Breath of the Wild used AMD FSR, it could theoretically run at 1080p at 60fps instead of its 900p at 30fps. And AMD FSR is open-source compared to NVIDIA DLSS, where you need a NVIDIA graphics card use it.
A second piece of evidence comes from the delay of Breath of the Wild 2 in March from 2022 to Spring 2023. Digital Foundry reported that the footage shown in March showed that the game was running smooth without any frame drops or breaking in the volumetric clouds used in the trailer, stating that the game trailer looked "too good" to run on current Switch hardware. This does support the fact that Breath of the Wild 2 will be a cross-gen game, releasing on Switch and the rumored Switch Pro. But one recent finding back in April may deny this theory: Nintendo Switch Sports was found to be using AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution, AMD's upscaling technology similar to NVIDIA DLSS. And most games running on Switch seem to not be running at their full potential due to it's aging hardware, and AI upscaling may be a solution to play games without needed brand new hardware. For example, if Breath of the Wild used AMD FSR, it could theoretically run at 1080p at 60fps instead of its 900p at 30fps. And AMD FSR is open-source compared to NVIDIA DLSS, where you need a NVIDIA graphics card use it.
Possible Nintendo Switch Pro Specs
CPU/GPU |
Custom NVIDIA SoC (based from GTX architecture) |
RAM |
8 GB LPDDR5X |
Memory |
128 GB SSD, expandable using microSD up to 2TB |
Resolution |
Handheld: 900p 60fps Docked: native 1440p at 60fps, upscaling to 4K using AMD FSR |
Battery Life |
6 - 11.5 hours |
Screen Size |
7.2 inch OLED, 1280 x 900 |
Performance |
5 Teraflops - 2.5 Ghz |
Note that there might be some parts with minimal upgrades. Nintendo might decide to go with a 900p or even a 1080p OLED screen on their console, make the jump to 512 GB SSD, and/or 3.5 Ghz in performance. The table above seems more accurate because Nintendo often doesn't upgrade every single thing on their spec sheets when they do a mid-cycle upgrade or next-gen upgrade. And the Switch Pro might actually natively support 1440p at 60fps even though they might invest in a custom NVIDIA CPU/GPU that can natively support 4K; since the Switch Pro might remain as a hybrid console, AI upscaling may have to help the system achieve 4K without straining the system too much. Nintendo might be saving full native 4K 120hz experience for their next-gen system to compete with the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. Right now, it's only fair if we compare the Nintendo Switch to the Xbox One and PS4, for they are all both in the same generation line. Only then when the Switch Pro or next-gen console comes out is when people can complain about the "lacking" Switch system.