But now, more new details may have come to light about the device, thanks to a video uploaded by known and generally credible Nintendo insider NateDrake (via ResetEra), who claims that what was originally in the works as Switch Pro has transformed mid-production and is now being internally looked at as a Switch 2, or a full-fledged successor to the current console.

According to NateDrake, the console will support 4K via DLSS (which is something that Switch Pro reports have been claiming for months), and that development kits were sent out to various major developers at the end of 2020, with smaller teams getting kits this year. Various games for the console are allegedly already in development, including some exclusives and some ports of PlayStation and Xbox titles.

The insider goes on to claim that some of these in-development games are hoping to be done with production by late 2022. As for the console itself, Nintendo is allegedly targeting a late 2022/early 2023 launch. Where the console’s launch falls within that six month period will depend on supply and production constraints.

Interestingly enough, this Switch successor supposedly doesn’t support backward compatibility with the Switch yet, owing to the fact that it has some key hardware differences with the original console, but it’s been claimed that Nintendo is looking at other options to ensure that backward compatibility makes it in.

This is all unverified information, of course, and especially when it comes to a company as notoriously secretive and unpredictable as Nintendo, it’s best to take any and all leaks with a grain of salt. Back in early 2020, Nintendo suggested that the Switch was at the halfway point in its life cycle, so it’ll be interesting to see how long the company waits before releasing a full-fledged successor to the platform. Traditionally, Nintendo’s consoles have had 5-6 year-long cycles, though there’s no guarantees that the Switch will follow that pattern.

The Switch OLED’s recent launch has certainly provided a boost to Nintendo’s hybrid device, especially where sales are concerned, with the device enjoying quite a successful launch in the UK last week. Read more on that through here. Recently, reports have also brought to light the fact that the Switch OLED’s dock contains new hardware that makes it capable of 4K/60 FPS output, even though the device itself, of course, is not capable of the same.

According to patents filed as far back as March 2020, the company is looking into, “A computer system is provided for converting images through use of a trained neural network. A source image is divided into blocks and context data is added to each pixel block. The context blocks are split into channels and each channel from the same context block is added to the same activation matrix. The action matrix is then executed against a trained neural network to produce a changed activation matrix. The changed activation matrix is then used to generate a converted image.” It also follows by stating that “while the example shown in FIGS. 3-7 relates to transforming a 540p image to a 1080p image, the techniques herein may be applied to other image sizes (e.g., 720p to 1080p; 480p to 1080p, 1080p to 1440p, 1080p to 4k/3840×2160, 720p to 4k, etc.).”

If this sounds a lot like Nvidia’s DLSS technology, then you’d be correct. To top if off, Nvidia’s Tensor Cores are also mentioned. “In certain example embodiments, the techniques herein may advantageously take advantage of NVIDIA’s tensor cores (or other similar hardware). A tensor core may be a hardware unit that multiplies two 16×16 FP16 matrices (or other sized matrices depending on the nature of the hardware), and then adds a third FP16 matrix to the result by using fused multiply – add operations, and obtains an FP16 result.” It’s worth noting that the current Switch utilizes a Tegra X1 SoC developed in partnership with Nvidia.

But that’s not all. Another patent filed in November 2020 seems to indicate that Nintendo is looking into a Quick Resume-like function where players can suspend a game, switch to another, and when switching back to the first game, resume playing from the same point. This is different from the current system where a game is kept suspended, even when going into Sleep mode, but closes when opening a different game.

As the patent’s abstract states, it’s looking to be used “In a game apparatus in which game programs for a plurality of games each including a title scene and a play scene are stored in a storage medium, a game to be executed is switched in a predetermined order by a user operating a first input device. At a time of the switching, in the case where a currently executed game is in the play scene, the game is interrupted and switching is performed to another game, and, when the game is executed again later, the game is restarted from the time of the interruption of the play scene, and a first image showing the game is displayed on a display. Meanwhile, in the case where the currently executed game is in the title scene, switching is performed to another game, and then when the game is executed again, the game is restarted from the title scene without displaying the first image.”

While this doesn’t really indicate that Nintendo has a Switch Pro currently ready to release, it at least points to the company exploring avenues for newer technologies and advancements. Whether these manifest in the next Switch or whatever new console the company releases in the coming years remains to be seen. Or there really could be an upgraded Switch possibly coming next year and Nintendo bamboozled us. Time will tell.

In the meantime, the Nintendo Switch (OLED) is slated to release on October 8th for $350.

The report in question comes from Bloomberg which noted that “at least” 11 game companies were working on titles with a 4K Nintendo Switch kit. This includes both big and small studios, who were reportedly surprised when the Switch (OLED) had been announced. In response to questions, Nintendo called Bloomberg’s reporting “inaccurate.”

The Nintendo Switch (OLED) is out on October 8th and costs $350. It features a larger dock with a dedicated LAN port, an OLED screen and is slightly heavier. In terms of hardware and even the Joy-Cons, it’s identical to the current Switch model. We likely haven’t heard the last of the rumored Nintendo Switch Pro so stay tuned for more details in the coming months.

A news report on Sept. 30, 2021(JST) falsely claims that Nintendo is supplying tools to drive game development for a Nintendo Switch with 4K support. To ensure correct understanding among our investors and customers, we want to clarify that this report is not true. (1/2)

— 任天堂株式会社（企業広報・IR） (@NintendoCoLtd) September 30, 2021

We also want to restate that, as we announced in July, we have no plans for any new model other than Nintendo Switch – OLED Model, which will launch on October 8, 2021. (2/2)

— 任天堂株式会社（企業広報・IR） (@NintendoCoLtd) September 30, 2021

So, where did it all go wrong? Now that we’ve had time to reflect on the new Switch revision coming this year – which isn’t a Switch Pro or anything even resembling that, and is instead just a very minor refresh, more along the lines of a PS4 Slim than a PS4 Pro, an Xbox One S than an Xbox One X – we’ve more or less made our peace with the Switch OLED being what it is. In isolation, it’s an inoffensive and innocuous refresh, addressing some common complaints with the system – the kickstand quality, the lack of the ethernet port, increasing screen size and quality – but doing very little beyond the bare minimum. But within the context of the years of reporting on the impending Switch Pro, which this decidedly isn’t, we have to ask – what the hell happened here? How was there so much smoke with barely any fire?

A lot of people, in the aftermath of the Switch OLED announcement, have pointed out that the Switch Pro rumours never made sense, that it went against Nintendo’s modus operandi. But that… isn’t really true? One of the key points I’ve reiterated in all my discussions of the Switch Pro is that it is right in keeping with Nintendo’s trajectory for its portable systems. The Gameboy got Gameboy Color, the DS got DSi, the 3DS got New 3DS. Nintendo has been doing these mid-cycle bumps for their handhelds since before Sony or Microsoft seized upon the concept, the Switch Pro – had it been real – would merely have been the latest example of that.

Now, there is something to be said about the degree of updates that were rumoured. Perhaps one can say the rumour mill got carried away – 4K, DLSS, and a spec bump that would put the system at or beyond the level of an Xbox One S was a far more significant jump than the Gameboy Color or New 3DS were. But at the same time, Nintendo’s partnership with Nvidia, the latter having developed and iterated on their mobile Tegra SoCs, did indicate that Nintendo would be able to do something on the level of the rumoured Switch Pro, and do it fairly cheaply. In the past, where Nintendo has developed its own hardware from the silicon up, it’s made sense that it’s stuck to cheaper and outdated off-the-shelf technology. But with Nvidia as its partner, Nintendo does have the capability to bring a more sophisticated SoC to the Switch, while not having to deal with costs to the same extent as before. And Nvidia’s technology, such as DLSS 2.0, also gives the Switch an extremely easy “cheat” to be able to meet the graphical standards of the other modern platforms, without having to splurge on silicon as power hungry as the other consoles use.

What I am trying to say here is, the Switch Pro rumours were not even remotely as unreasonable or pie in the sky style pipe dreams as many have tried to make them out to be. They were fairly reasonable, grounded in credible and sourced reporting, and backed by an understanding of mobile tech advancements in the last few years, and particularly mobile tech that Nintendo has access to thanks to its partnership with Nvidia. 

And that “credible and sourced reporting” is what I want to come back to for a moment – because the reports came from Bloomberg, and Bloomberg isn’t a hobbyist video game blog that makes things up to get hits, it’s one of the biggest and most respected trade publications in the entire world, and it has an uncanny track record for accuracy, including specifically with Nintendo and the Switch. Bloomberg’s reports were citing assembly line and manufacturing processes, as well as game developers, as sources for its knowledge on this Switch Pro.

So we’re back to the question of, what happened? There was far too much smoke – credible smoke – for this thing to have fizzled out. What’s going on with the Switch Pro?

Obviously, everything from here on is theory and speculation. I don’t have an inside track at Nintendo, and the inscrutable company is famously unpredictable at the best of times, so it’s best to treat this as educated guesswork. But I think what happened here is a case of crossed wires. Put simply, I think that what people assumed is the Switch Pro, is in fact an early version of the next generation Switch – and that reporting got mixed up with the reports from manufacturing of a new Switch model coming this year (which turned out to be this minor OLED refresh), and caused many to assume that the more powerful Switch was coming this year – which, obviously since it’s too early for a Switch successor right now, would have to be a Switch Pro.

In fact, it’s even possible it was intended to be released as a Switch Pro at some point. Maybe Nintendo had originally intended on launching it this year as a Pro, but then after the Switch became on track to be the bestselling system of all time early last year, they decided that it didn’t need that kind of help – and decided to retool that into the successor, launching a modest OLED screen refresh this year instead. Of course third parties would be aware of this upcoming system (whether it was ever planned as a Pro or not) – Nintendo would be sending out early dev kits, getting their feedback on what improvements they should make, probably be letting them know about the kind of new functionality and capability they should expect from this new system. So those early reports, when they first started leaking? Those were probably all well sourced and accurate. Third parties presumably do have a significantly more capable Switch they’re working with right now. The trouble started when someone made the – again, not really unreasonable – assumption that this more powerful Switch is the Switch model that’s getting introduced this year.

So what does this mean, then? It means one of two things. Either the Switch Pro never existed, not in the sense of the hardware in question is literally not a thing, but in the sense of, the thing people thought was a Switch Pro is actually a Switch 2, and always was; or it means that the Switch Pro existed at one point in time, but got shelved once it was clear the Switch doesn’t need help, and rolled into the Switch 2.

In either case, I think we can and should put the expectation that the Switch Pro does exist, and will probably come next year or so, to rest. I think it’s safe to conclude at this point that won’t happen, because the Switch is now four and a half years old. The point of these mid-cycle revisions is to reinvigorate the platform mid-cycle, and the Switch is now decidedly entering the last leg of its life. Even if a Switch Pro were to release next March, it would be at a point where the Switch is five years old – for comparison, the New 3DS came three and a half years after launch (in Japan), and four years after launch (everywhere else). The PS4 Pro came less than three years after the PS4 launched. The Xbox One X came four years after the Xbox One launched. There’s a very defined window for when something like this can be released and expected to do well – that window has closed for the Switch now.

So what does that mean, then? I think it means the Switch successor is on the horizon. It’s probably a bit shocking to think about it, but again, the Switch is nearing five years old now. I think next year, we’ll start to hear rumblings of a Switch 2, explicitly identified as such, for certain, and I think we can expect to see a release in 2023, or maybe early 2024 at the latest. This Switch 2 will presumably not match the just announced Steam Deck in specs, to be honest – but I think it having DLSS 2.0 and more an ARM SoC that games are directly optimized for, will help it remain competitive with the visuals it manages to push out regardless. I think this Switch 2 will end up being approximately comparable to it – which will, in turn, represent a full generational leap over the current Switch, and a much bigger leap than we would have expected from a Pro style revision.

But as for the Switch Pro? It doesn’t exist. If it once did, it doesn’t anymore. It’s not happening. It’s not getting released. It’s time to give it up and move on. On the Nintendo side of things, even though fans don’t have any exciting new hardware to look forward to, at the very least there is still a cavalcade of some fantastic looking games launching within the next year and a half – hopefully to lead directly into a running start for that inevitable Switch 2.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

So when the Switch OLED was finally revealed with its built-in LAN report, new wide and adjustable back-stand, 64 GB internal storage and 7 inch screen, the lack of mention for any performance improvements was sobering. Nintendo further confirmed that the console didn’t have a new CPU or more RAM, remaining pretty much the same as its predecessor.

A more powerful Switch has been one of the bigger demands from fans over the years. It was obvious before the console’s launch that it was nowhere near as powerful as the Xbox One or PS4, let-alone their upgraded counterparts. The games were and continue to be top-notch and Nintendo still has plenty of exciting projects on the way, be it Metroid Dread or The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s sequel. One could compare this upgrade to Apple’s latest iteration of the iPhone or iPad, except more than four years later and with nowhere near the amount of substantial changes.

That being said, it makes perfect sense why Nintendo went this route. Take a quick peek at the Switch hardware sales – it’s sold over 84.5 million units worldwide as of May 2021 and regularly tops hardware sales in the United States, Europe and Japan. It’s still receiving strong software support and Nintendo has only just hit its stride with regards to indie offerings. A refresh, no matter how minor, is easy money for the company.

Nevertheless, it leaves a bad taste for multiple reasons. When Super Mario 3D All-Stars was released and touted to be available for a limited time to purchase, the ensuing FOMO helped it sell 9.01 million copies as of March 31^st 2021. Given the minimal changes made to the ports, it was a great way for Nintendo to artificially push demand and earn heaps of revenue. Titles like Metroid Dread and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD have accompanying amiibos which grant actual in-game benefits. Both titles are likely going to sell well so why not earn a little more on the side from amiibo sales? It makes sense, even if it is kind of shady.

The Nintendo Switch OLED is in the same boat especially when since the base Switch model isn’t getting a price reduction. It’s a pretty ingenuous strategy – the question isn’t whether the OLED model is worth $50 more or not but why you’d continue to pay for the same hardware when you could get it with a few new bells and whistles for a little extra. It’s the embodiment of The Simpsons’ “But she’s got a new hat!” moment.

Some fans may argue that this is par for the course for Nintendo which released several iterations of its handhelds over the years. Back in the day, there was the Game Boy Advance SP with a rechargeable battery and back-lit display…and then Nintendo released the AGS-101 model, which was the exact same but offered two brightness settings. And who can forget the lack of a headphone jack in the GBA SP, which necessitated purchasing special headphones or an adapter for extra? The Game Boy Advance sold 81.48 million units worldwide as of June 30^th 2009 and the GBA SP made up more than half that number so again, great business sense from Nintendo.

Of course, it’s worth noting that the Nintendo DSi was a significant improvement over the regular DS and released four years after the base model. It had a better processor, four times as much RAM and more storage. The New Nintendo 3DS followed roughly the same pattern, releasing more than four years later in the US after the base version and having a significantly better processor and more RAM. We’ll come back to this in a bit but both handheld lines were very successful, selling tens of millions of units.

As for the Switch OLED, things get even more intriguing when you consider the rumored Switch Pro. It’s apparently still a thing, completely separate from the Switch OLED. VentureBeat’s Jeff Grubb has been hearing that it will release in 2022 and have a more “efficient chip.” Dr. Serkan Toto believes that the new model appears more like “an interim model” than a proper upgrade. “This might just be a dummy upgrade until Breath Of The Wild 2 is ready and the component shortage is over next year,” he said on Twitter. One may dismiss any rumors about the Switch Pro at this point but this does make the most sense given how recent events have impacted the world over the past year.

You could argue that expectations for the Switch OLED are mismanaged because of the rumors – Nintendo never said it was working on a more powerful Switch so why should people be upset? It’s never been one to compete with the likes of Sony and Microsoft in terms of power. But if you look back on the history of the Nintendo DS and 3DS, it absolutely has offered more powerful hardware with its refreshes. Given the number of different models for both handhelds, whether its Lite versions, XL version, “New” versions, the Switch’s release pattern becomes a bit familiar.

Granted, Nintendo hasn’t released a major hardware refresh only one year after a minor one – even the New Nintendo 3DS launched three years after the 3DS XL and two years after the 2DS in the US. Maybe it wanted to launch the Switch Pro alongside the Switch OLED this year itself but component shortages forced a delay.

Taking all this into account, the Switch OLED will release this year, make a lot of money – both off of current Switch owners and new ones – and then Nintendo could roll out the Switch Pro next year for even more returns. One could also see the older Switch slowly being phased out while $350 becomes the new entry – a price reduction could happen but looks very unlikely at this point. Again, it’s the best scenario business-wise but from a consumer point-of-view, charging for a new Switch model this year and then again next year for the Switch Pro feels kind of scummy.

At any rate, even if a proper Switch Pro isn’t in the works, the Switch OLED indicates that Nintendo is more than happy for fans to pay for the same performance they’ve been experiencing since 2017. It’s also satisfied with the current status quo where some titles struggle to maintain a solid frame rate or offer resolutions higher than 900p (and in some cases, 720p). When it’s worked out so well in terms of sales, you have to just ask: Why not? Nevertheless, looking at the heated discussions about cross-gen titles and when games on the Xbox Series X and PS5 will start having those “next-gen visuals”, it’s funny to see Nintendo firmly planted in the previous generation, proudly boasting about its new hat.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

“We are constantly developing hardware, software, and dedicated peripherals, but we will refrain from commenting on specific products under development,” Furukawa added, declining to comment on the company’s internal plans for its platforms.

Nintendo Switch Pro rumors have been picking up pace lately, with many alleging previously that it could be revealed before E3 2021. Multiple reports of listings of the console across various retailers and a lengthy report from Bloomberg further fan the flames of these rumors. With the ongoing global chip shortage and Nintendo’s failure to keep up with the demand for the Switch, it seems unlikely that a reveal is due for at least a couple of months. Then again, you never know with Nintendo.

But, as Bowser puts it, it isn’t “technology for technology’s sake.” Bowser says that for Nintendo, the primary consideration is whether new technology can be applied to implementing new and interesting gameplay systems and features.

“It’s how specifically can technology enhance a gameplay experience,” Bowser said. “And then where do you apply that technology? Do you want to apply it on current existing hardware or platforms, or do you want to wait for the next platform? And then what’s the right gameplay experience with that? There’s a host of factors that goes into it, and it’s something we’re always looking at.”

Recent reports have suggested that the new Switch model, which is apparently going to be called the New Nintendo Switch Pro, is targeting a late 2021 launch, and is in line for a reveal soon. With Nintendo, it’s hard to be entirely sure about anything, but here’s hoping we do get official word on any Switch hardware revisions in the not-too-distant-future.

This time, it’s more retailer listings. Centro Leaks recently reported on Twitter that they had received and verified a screenshot of an internal listing at a retailer showing a new Switch hardware listing that is set to go live on June 4. While information here is scant, they added in a subsequent tweet that the screenshot shows a non-US listing for a US retailer- which may very well point to Amazon Mexico. After all, they did recently go live with a listing for the New Nintendo Switch Pro before they were supposed to.

But that’s not all. As spotted by @nintendalerts, French retailer Boulanger also has the new Nintendo Switch model listed in its database. Though the listing is not available on their website yet, an image of their internal listings database shows that the console is going to be priced at €399, which falls in line with the price range mentioned by several previous reports.

It’s been recently claimed that the Switch Pro is going to launch later this year and get an announcement very soon– perhaps even before E3. Whether that ends up happening remains to be seen. Reports have claimed that the console will be 4K capable, have an OLED screen, feature support for DLSS, and sport various improvements to its dock, such as ethernet and USB 3.0 ports and a Surface-style back-flap for tabletop gaming.

Also worth noting that this specific listing is a non-US listing from an US retailer.

That should give you a hint what retailer it is lol

— Centro LEAKS (@CentroLeaks) June 2, 2021

Info Nintend'Alerts ! La console #NintendoSwitchPro listée dans la base de données Boulanger au prix de 399€ ! Pas encore visible sur le site ! pic.twitter.com/2ll7tyumrg

— Alert&Go (@AlertEtGo) June 2, 2021

As spotted by @Alphabeat_g on Twitter, a listing for the “New Nintendo Switch Pro” was recently spotted on Amazon Mexico. Retailer listings can be made erroneously, of course, but Amazon Mexico in particular has leaked things accurately in the past (inadvertently, of course), while there’s also the context of months upon months of incessant leaks to consider in this particular case.

Of course, the product being called the New Nintendo Switch Pro is interesting, to say the least, and makes one wonder whether there are two “New Nintendo Switch” models coming up, one regular and one of the “Pro” variety. It’s been claimed in reports that the current default Switch model is going to be replaced, so this would definitely fall in line with that.

Of course, right now, it’s all just speculation, and all we can do is wait for official word from Nintendo. Meanwhile, another recent report revealed some more potential new details on the console, including the inclusion of an ethernet port, USB 3.0, a Surface-style back flap for tabletop usage, and more. Read more on that through here.

https://twitter.com/Alphabeat_g/status/1398117563335426049

These Nintendo Switch Pro rumours are refusing to quit. We’ve been hearing about an upgraded version of Nintendo’s hybrid system (colloquially dubbed the “Switch Pro” by fans) for a long time now, and new information has possibly come to light now as well.

Spanish site Vandal states in a newly published report that it has received new details on the upcoming Switch revision from an Asian peripherals manufacturer, and there’s some interesting stuff to dive into. Allegedly, the Switch Pro (or whatever Nintendo ends up calling it) is going to have a flap on its back to replace the kickstand of the current Switch model for tabletop gameplay, similar to Microsoft’s Surface tablets.

The dock is also going to be thicker, owing to some additions and changes. The current Switch’s USB 2.0 is being replaced by USB 3.0, while the dock is also going to have an ethernet port. Meanwhile, the report claims that while the tablet itself is going to be approximately similar in size to the current Switch model, the screen is going to be OLED, and going to be bigger (which might suggest that the bezels are being removed).

We’ve previously seen reports of the Switch Pro having a 7-inch OLED screen, and this definitely falls in line with that. Meanwhile, Vandal’s report also states that the console will support 4K output through the dock, which is something else we’ve heard more than a few times in previous reports and leaks.

Finally, the report states that the console will launch in Europe at the end of November (and might launch in other regions a little later), and that supply will be very limited at launch.

Recent reports have suggested that the Switch Pro is going to be announced soon, possibly even before E3, so stay tuned for more updates.