Nintendo Switch OLED gamers will be thrilled to discover this hidden upgrade

A Nintendo Switch OLED dock discovery points to something very, very exciting

Nintendo Switch OLED
(Image credit: Nintendo)

Regular readers of T3 will recall that back in July 2021 I wrote about how I didn't believe for one second that there wasn't going to be a Nintendo Switch Pro console launched to complement the new Nintendo Switch OLED.

At that time Nintendo had just released an official statement saying that it had "no plans for launching any other model at this time" and, as I said back then, that was exactly what I would of expected the venerable gaming firm to have said.

Since then we've had even more leaks, though, pointing towards a 4K resolution capable Switch console, with just last week respected US news site Forbes reporting that "Developers are making games for a Nintendo 4K console that doesn't exist".

The Forbes report was immediately denied by Nintendo.

However, a YouTuber who has managed to bag a Nintendo Switch OLED early, has just discovered something that points to a 4K Switch Pro console not being so far fetched after all, and documented it in a new video.

The discovery? Only that the Nintendo Switch OLED dock's port and cable are "at least HDMI 2.0 compliant". And this is potentially really exciting news as it means that if Nintendo was to announce a 4K Switch Pro console in the future, then this dock would be theoretically capable of being used with it and delivering a 4K resolution at 60fps.

This is because both the Nintendo Switch OLED dock's port and supplied cable are HDMI 2.0 compliant, which is a necessity for 4K 60fps functionality.

There's no knowing of course if Nintendo is going to launch a 4K-capable Nintendo Switch console, but this discovery points to a scenario where, if it did, then gamers who had bought a Switch OLED would be covered in terms of dock and would not need a new one. This is surely a boon for gamers who are planning on picking up Switch OLED.

In essence, what Nintendo appears to have done here is future-proof the OLED's dock for the potential for an even more powerful console. With this discovery Switch OLED gamers have just learned that their dock is even more advanced than first thought, and that it could have them covered in the event of a Switch Pro.

Could we be building up to a Nintendo Switch Pro release in, say, October 2022 where the console is sold without a dock or power cable to save money on the package delivered to gamers, a bit like the Big N did before with the New Nintendo 3DS XL?

Only time will tell, but right now I've been left more enthused about the Switch OLED thanks to this discovery, as I imagine a lot of other gamers will be, too.

Robert Jones

Rob has been writing about computing, gaming, mobile, home entertainment technology, toys (specifically Lego and board games), smart home and more for over 15 years. As the editor of PC Gamer, and former Deputy Editor for T3.com, you can find Rob's work in magazines, bookazines and online, as well as on podcasts and videos, too. Outside of his work Rob is passionate about motorbikes, skiing/snowboarding and team sports, with football and cricket his two favourites.