Boasting a 21 per cent larger and higher resolution 4K display, new Joy-Con controllers, and a better stand, the next-gen Nintendo Switch Pro console shown off in this video ticks many of the boxes that passionate fans of the BigN would love to see.
And especially because this Nintendo Switch Pro doesn't just come with one cartridge slot but four. Yes, that's right, unlike the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite where every time you want to play another game off cartridge you have to swap one out and one in, on this system four cartridges can be loaded into the system all at once.
- Super Nintendo Switch Pro console leaked by verified insider
- The hidden Sony PSP 5G clue that hints at a Nintendo Switch Pro ambush
- Doom II running on CARDBOARD is insane!
Check the Nintendo Switch Pro concept video out below to see the system from every angle.
The console here, which is dubbed the Nintendo Switch XL, is the brainchild of German computing publication Computer Bild, and is one of two concept designs for next-gen Nintendo Switch consoles shown off in this video.
T3 covered these consoles back in December last year, but in light of fresh rumors about a Nintendo Switch Pro console, this XL variant has resurfaced in terms of interest online due to the fact that, objectively considered, it is likely to be far closer to the real Nintendo Switch Pro than the other design shown off in this video.
The Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite are going gangbusters right now, and that shows that Nintendo has got it just right with their current console offering. As such, it seems very unlikely that a Nintendo Switch Pro would boast a significantly different design. After all, when something is working so well why try and fix it?
Would you buy a Nintendo Switch Pro that looked like this?
However, it is also true that the PS5 and Xbox Series X are now out (if very, very hard to get hold of presently) and that has left a gargantuan gap in terms of technical capability between the Sony and Microsoft flagships and the Nintendo Switch. And, while Nintendo doesn't compete in the teraflop wars anymore, there's no doubting that developers will start to be held back by the Switch's low power, if they haven't been already.
Indeed, Nintendo's brand new game release, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury has been shown to struggle on the now four-year-old hardware. And that is a reboot of a Nintendo Wii U game, not a brand new AAA title like Cyberpunk 2077. As such, despite Nintendo top brass consistently denying a new Switch is coming, it seems inevitable that new hardware is coming, and most likely in the next financial year.
Four game cartridge slots would be incredible, but we can't see the real Nintendo Switch Pro having them.
And, while not everything about the Nintendo Switch XL seems likely to appear on the Nintendo Switch Pro, such as its incredible four game cartridge slots, other things like redesigned Joy-Cons (mandatory after the Joy-Con drift scandal), upgraded internals and a larger, higher-resolution screen seem bang on the money.
Here at T3 we're huge fans of Nintendo and are desperate to see what the future of the Nintendo Switch range of consoles is like. And, with March this year marking the fourth anniversary of the original Switch hitting the market, and console generations estimated at most as 8 years now, it seems the perfect time for a Nintendo Switch Pro.
Here's hoping the BigN has something very special tucked up its sleeve. 🤞
Elsewhere in Nintendo Switch news, it has been revealed that with a large dose of tinkering you can install an Android 10 operating system on the console. The discovery came courtesy of the switchroot team, who dropped the software downloads and method on the XDA forum.
Once installed the Android 10 ROM allows gamers to access all Android games on the Nintendo Switch, as well as multimedia and software packages, too. In addition, the Android platform also opens up the Switch cloud gaming platforms like GeForce Now and Steam Link.
Here at T3 we think this is a really cool accomplishment, and really whets our appetite for the sort of possibilities handheld gaming consoles could deliver in the future. We've already seen courtesy of the Win3 Windows-based portable console that the appetite is there for these sorts of advanced gaming capabilities, and the idea of being able to play Cyberpunk 2077 on a Switch via cloud streaming is mouth watering.
Here's hoping the switchroot team continue their great work and that Nintendo (or Sony with it rumored PSP 5G) are watching.
- Best Nintendo Switch games to play while waiting for the Switch Pro
