Will there be a new Switch in 2022? There've been Switch Pro rumours for a number of years now. Even so, I'm doubtful that there will be a sudden Nintendo hardware launch – after all, we're still waiting for Breath of the Wild 2 to drop in 2023.
That doesn't stop a good dash of imagination, though. So if the original Switch and its OLED variant follow-ups haven't been enough to sate your appetite, then here are the features I'd love to find in the Switch 2 – whenever it arrived.
1. More power!
Interestingly, a recent Nvidia GPU job advert suggests that a new Nintendo Switch could be coming sooner than thought. Why jump to such a conclusion? Well, the current Switch uses an Nvidia GPU. Other consoles do not.
But to the point of it: a new Nintendo Switch would need new internal hardware for more power, wouldn't it? I'm sure you, like me, have played and loved the remake Link's Awakening, but errmagaad some of the low frame-rate sections are way too choppy. Even Kirby doesn't look ultra-smooth all of the time.
And in the world of Xbox Series X and Sony PlayStation 5, Nintendo needs to deliver more. Not necessarily outpace its rivals, as it's always been fairly poor at doing that (the N64 was the last time I really recall that being the case), but just deliver the degree of processing prowess that'll feel like a true generation step-change for its games.
No, I don't need to see Mario with hyper-realistic moustache hairs individually rendered. But I do want to see him bounce around in even more fluid form to make the joy all the more when playing such games.
2. More resolution!
This one's a bit of a no-brainer, really: I think the Nintendo Switch as it stands is a bit too low resolution (games run at 720p on its built-in screen). The Switch Lite, in particular, with its smaller screen, can make reading some text a bit of a bother.
I could be convinced to buy a 'Switch Pro' with an even bigger screen, too. But I don't mean an absolutely mammoth handheld, as that would destroy part of the ease of owning a Switch and carting it about. A little bigger, sure, there's scope for that, but I don't want a laptop-like thing in my bag that I'd just never use in public.
Beyond the built-in screen resolution, however, I want more TV screen resolution too. Loads of Nintendo Switch games look a bit too 'blocky' by today's standards. Lots of people own 4K panels, so for Nintendo to feel really up to the minute the Japanese giant needs to be able to deliver up to that resolution.
3. Backward compatibility!
Back in the day when a new console launched that was it: you had to buy one or you couldn't play the latest and greatest games. That's changed somewhat in more recent years: if you've been unable to buy a PS5, for example, you can still grab a PS4 version of the latest titles.
With the Nintendo Switch I'd anticipate the same: because, let's face it, if a graphically superior Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 appears in tandem with a new-launch Switch 2 hardware in 2023 – I really can't see that happening though – then I, for one, am going to have to buy into that. But having the choice would be a good thing for all: and I'm kind of bored of remastered titles asking me for £50 each time they drop.
4. Better controllers!
Yes, I know, the Joy Cons controllers – which clip onto the side of the Switch console itself or can be clipped onto controller frames or used individually – are genius. Truly. But I'm not the only person who's had issues with their drift, sometimes disconnects, and limited battery life.
If a Switch Pro appeared with a slightly larger screen then also coming with slightly larger controllers is something I would personally prefer. Better joysticks and button spacing, that'd be a bit of a dream. Or I could just suck it up and go buy a Pro Controller instead, really.
5. More battery life!
I know I'm probably stating the obvious here: but the Switch needs more battery life. Even as it stands the current console – whether normal, OLED or Lite – could really do with a bit of extra time on the clock. So the Pro is going to have to bite the bullet and be a bit chunkier in order to squeeze in more battery capacity.
I once plugged a Switch into an aeroplane's USB power output and it totally bricked the whole thing. That's how keen I was to get some extra hours of play in while in the air. And how that backfired. But if the Switch already had better battery then it wouldn't have been an issue in the first place.
The compromise, of course, is that more battery equals more bulk. And that could be a bit of an issue in design terms. Get the balance right, though, and I'd take it.
So there we have it: more power, more resolution, more screen, more battery and better controllers. That's my ideal Nintendo Switch Pro. Or Switch 2. Or whatever you want to call it (just not Wii 3, eh?).
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