Nintendo saved a dying handheld console market back in 2017 when it launched the Nintendo Switch. But almost as long as that system has existed, rumours have abounded that Ninty has a more expensive and powerful version of the Switch in the pipeline.
It’s known to many as the Switch Pro, and a few renegades as the Super Switch. We thought we were going to get it in 2021, but it turned out to be the Nintendo Switch OLED.
For all this chatter, the Nintendo Switch is still the definitive new-gen handheld console. It makes up for its lack of firepower (compared to full fat systems like the PlayStation 5, at least) with a combination of killer games, portability and that all-important dash of Ninty magic. Nintendo seems to be continuing to bet that high-profile new exclusives will keep the Switch selling. But for how long?
We need, nay, deserve an upgrade to the Switch. Now, we pretty much have proof that a Switch successor is in the hands of developers. But when will it reach ours? Let’s delve in to all the rumours.
Switch 2 or Switch Pro: which is it?
There’s a million and one rumours we could analyse to find out whether the Switch successor will be a brand new console, or mostly an upgrade. In all honesty though, we won’t know whether the new console will be called the Switch 2, or Switch Pro.
We’ve heard reporting from Digital Foundry that Nintendo planned on releasing a mid-gen Switch that everyone, including us, called the Switch Pro. However, says Digital Foundry, these plans have been scrapped. Jeff Grubb said in a podcast appearance that the Switch could indeed be getting an upgrade, but it’s not a Switch 2. The update could, with emphasis on the ‘could’, look to announce a “super Switch” that is “more significant than they’ve done since the Game Boy Color.”
These murmurs have all seemingly been debunked, and it comes straight from the horses mouth. As reported by Bloomberg, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said to investors during a presentation that the Japanese company isn’t considering new hardware in the 2023/24 financial year. That would be late April 2024 at the very earliest.
Switch 2 or Switch Pro: is it here?
Finally, we can say that a new Switch is here. Well, sort of.
A major hint was discovered by Windows Central Managing Editor Jez Corden at Gamescom 2023, held in Cologne, Germany. Cordon heard talk that Nintendo may have shown and/or discussed a new Switch “behind closed doors”.
Since then, we’ve had close to solid proof that some folks have got their hands on the Switch 2, or at least they’ve started to build games for it. This came via the 2024 GDC State of the Game Industry survey. The survey found that when asked the question “which platform are you developing your current project for?”, around 8% of the 3,000 developers surveyed replied that they are working on titles for the “Nintendo Switch successor”.
Switch 2 or Switch Pro: Power, Nvidia leaks and more
Five years is a long time in terms of gaming hardware, especially for a console that wasn’t at the cutting edge of performance even when new. Nintendo has never been one to make outright power a priority. That said, we’d expect to see it ship with a beefed up chip. And if Ninty wants to add 4K TV gaming to its repertoire, then it’ll need to.
Rumours indicate that the Tegra X1+ chip is soon to be discontinued by Nvidia altogether, which would leave Nintendo in need of new silicone. Some believe Nvidia’s meatier Tegra Xavier chip could be put to use by the Switch Pro, together with 64GB of solid-state storage.
As above, much of this is pure conjecture. The widespread belief – and hope – is that the Switch Pro will deliver boosted CPU and graphics performance.
To do this, some sources suggest Nintendo will rely on a version of Nvidia’s Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) smarts. This basically means it will utilise AI to turbocharge its graphics, increasing frame rate and resolution beyond what would otherwise be possible. Given that it’s currently limited to specific games and hardware, meaningful implementation on the Switch platform would represent a significant – and perhaps unrealistic – expansion of its use.
Reports since Gamescom have also suggested that the Switch 2 was running Zelda: BOTW at 4K 60FPS. Nintendo insider, Nate The Hate, also described in a YouTube video how the new Switch has virtually no load times. That makes for exciting news, should the rumours be true.
Switch 2 or Switch Pro: Will the Nintendo Switch Pro play games in 4K?
Before the arrival of the Nintendo Switch OLED, many reports indicated that superior screen tech would be one of the key features of the premium handheld. But since Ninty went ahead and strapped a shiny new display to the existing Switch, that prediction’s been blown out of the water.
With the display already upsized from 6.2in to 7in with the OLED edition, there’s not too much room left for Ninty to tweak it further. Of course, the resolution remains very low by modern standards at 720p. Yet that’s also a perfect pixel density for most games played on the Switch. Sure, a bump to 1080p might deal with a few of the jagged edges. The resulting reduction in battery life, though, would have a far bigger impact on the handheld gaming experience. That’s doubly true if Ninty pushed the pixels to 4K.
Instead, most speculation centres around the ability to play games in 4K on a TV when the new Switch is docked. This would make more sense than 4K gaming on the go and significantly improve the living room Switch experience. The Switch OLED’s upgraded dock already ships with a chipset and cable. These are believed to support 4K (even though the OLED itself doesn’t), so there’s a good chance that an upgraded console could be dropped straight onto the existing dock for gaming in UltraHD.
Switch 2 or Switch Pro: when will it release?
In short, we imagine not many folks outside of Nintendo knows for certain. Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa admitted in a May 2023 earnings call that the first-gen Switch was unlikely to sustain the company coffers into 2024, but didn’t elaborate any further.
The biggest release clue yet might’ve come from an unlikely source. Video games reporter Benji Sales noted how Activision CEO Bobby Kotick shared some interesting information about Nintendo during an ongoing case between the FTC and Microsoft. At the hearing, Kotick stated how the next Nintendo console will perform similarly to the PS4 and Xbox One.
Kotick’s testimony came after Ubisoft CEO, Yves Guillemot, added more fuel to the fire. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Guillemot shared how Nintendo told Ubisoft to hold off releasing Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope until a new Switch had been released. Would Nintendo have asked this unless a new console was imminent? Maybe, but maybe not.
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Switch 2 or Switch Pro: how much will it cost?
It’s a tricky task, placing a price tag on a console that may or may not exist. Especially when Nintendo doesn’t have a long history of shipping premium versions of its games consoles. Most analyst reports aren’t too helpful either, with one simply suggesting that it will be “priced higher than the original”.
The first Nintendo Switch cost $300/£280 when it launched in 2017. Even as it has aged, its enduring popularity means the Switch has pretty much maintained that price tag since. The Nintendo Switch Lite came in at $200/£200, while the Switch OLED will set you back $350/£310.
We expect it to slot in at around the same price as the Nintendo Switch OLED, if not slightly above. By what margin can only be a matter of guesswork, but there are suggestions that the new Switch will cost $399, or around £320. That would largely put it on par with the Switch OLED, and considerably more than the vanilla Switch.
