Nintendo Switch Pro could be the Switch 2 — and that may be worth waiting for

Nintendo Switch Pro could be the Switch two — and that may be worth waiting for

(Image credit: Tom'southward Guide)

Rumors of a 4K Nintendo Switch Pro accept refused to die, fifty-fifty with Nintendo finally releasing its start major upgrade to the hybrid gaming system in the grade of the Nintendo Switch OLED.

While some speculate that the Switch OLED may be a scaled back version of the original planned Switch Pro due to the ongoing flake shortages, some other theory has emerged. Possibly the 4K Switch dev kits reportedly distributed to developers (though denied by Nintendo) were real, but that they were actually for the panel's successor, the Nintendo Switch 2, rather than a souped up enhanced model.

Nintendo Switch OLED vs. Original Switch: What should you lot purchase?
The all-time Nintendo Switch games in 2021
Plus: Samsung Galaxy S21 Iron now tipped for a January launch — but is that also late?

This is the theory posited past Nintendo insider NateDrake — previously correct about the imminent N64 games for Switch.

In his latest video, the tipster states that the new generation will arrive Holiday 2022 to early 2023, and that it will indeed run games in 4K using Nvidia's AI-powered DLSS technology. The video claims that sectional titles are in the works, alongside some ports from PlayStation/Xbox platforms.

One possible consequence: the new upgrade will require processing changes that could make backwards compatibility hard, but NateDrake believes Nintendo will observe a workaround. Mayhap that's why this is billed as a successor rather than a hardware iteration though: if compatibility with all Switch software is proving a struggle, then past definition it can't be a Switch.

According to the video, big developers received their dev kits late last year, while smaller ones started to receive them this twelvemonth, which does tie in with the earlier written report. And it's worth going dorsum to the wording of Nintendo's denial at the time:

We also want to recapitulate that, equally we appear in July, we accept no plans for whatever new model other than Nintendo Switch – OLED Model, which will launch on Oct eight, 2021. (two/2)September 30, 2021

When analyzing the wording previously, I emphasized that the tenses used were possibly suspicious — the company denies working on it now, but doesn't claim it never has.

But looking again through the lens of NateDrake's intel, information technology's possibly revealing for some other reason: it rules out "supplying tools to drive game development for a Nintendo Switch with 4K support" — but it doesn't deny supplying tools to game developers for a possible successor.

If this proves to be right, then it feels similar the right call. The Switch is approaching 5 years old, and while the form factor was revolutionary it meant the internals had to exist weak compared to the Xbox One and PS4 — let alone the PS5 and Xbox Series Ten. While a 4K Switch Pro would take papered over the cracks, a true successor could allow cantankerous-platform titles to truly polish on Nintendo hardware, even in that game-changing handheld way.

Does this mean you should hold burn down getting a Nintendo Switch right now? Well nit exactly. The electric current Switch models, including the Nintendo Switch Lite, are excellent portable gaming machines with a whole suite of great games.

Merely if you take a Switch that's in practiced order, we'd suggest you might desire to hold fire getting the OLED model, unless y'all'll really do good from a bigger and better display, equally potentially a year subsequently a better Switch could be released.

More: Where to buy Nintendo Switch OLED

Freelance contributor Alan has been writing about tech for over a decade, covering phones, drones and everything in between. Previously Deputy Editor of tech site Alphr, his words are found all over the web and in the occasional magazine too. When non weighing upwardly the pros and cons of the latest smartwatch, you lot'll probably find him tackling his ever-growing games backlog. Or, more likely, playing Spelunky for the millionth time.