Nintendo Switch Pro next-gen upgrade CONFIRMED 😲

Nintendo has asked developers to prepare for its more powerful console

Nintendo Switch
(Image credit: Future)

Nintendo has been rumoured to be working on a Pro version of its Switch console to sit alongside the hand-held only Switch Lite, making a trio of consoles for every gamer's needs.

The Switch Pro could plug the gap between the Switch and Nintendo's next new console, and with whispers of the revamped hardware being able to support 4K gaming, the Pro could happily get ports of PS5 and Xbox Series X titles. 

While Nintendo still hasn't made anything official, it's actions behind the scenes this week have given away more than it bargained for.   

Bloomberg reports (via VGC) that Nintendo has been reaching out to third-party developers to ask them to make their titles 4K-ready, indicating a new piece of hardware is on the way.

Neither of the current iterations of the Switch are 4K capable, so it's clear that another console is in the works, and as we're only three years into the Switch's life-cycle, it's doubtful that Nintendo has its next-gen machine coming out any time soon.  

The Switch Pro could utilise Nvidia’s DLSS AI upscaling to hit 4K resolution according to the outlet, meaning it won't be as taxing on the system as native 4K.

We were also tipped off on the Switch Pro's design earlier this week, when a patent for a new Joy-Con was spotted

The revised controller isn't designed to form part of the console's form factor; instead, it's a completely separate and independent device, suggesting the Pro could be a fully-fledged home console, rather than a hybrid-handheld.

A 2021 launch has been speculated for the device, so no doubt we'll hear more about it as development and production ramp up.

Source: VGC

Shabana Arif

Shabana worked at T3.com as News Editor covering tech and gaming, and has been writing about video games for almost a decade (and playing them since forever). She's had bylines at major gaming sites during her freelance career before settling down here at T3, and has podcasts, streaming, and video content under her belt to boot. Outside of work, she also plays video games and should really think about expanding her hobbies. If you have any tech or gaming tips, shoot over an email or DM her on social media.