For a while now, there have been ongoing rumours about a Switch 'Pro' model. While we're yet to hear anything official from Nintendo, in recent times reports about the system resurfaced – with claims from DigiTimes an enhanced model would be released as early as mid-2020.
Now, the latest rumour from "unspecified sources" (via Wccftech.com) suggests the system will not adopt the new TegraX1+ chip. It would instead make use of new "custom" Nvidia processors – with the GPU supposedly based on Volta architecture.
Despite this change, any serious performance improvements and other extras like 4K support are also not expected. Adding to this, production is not believed to have been started yet, either – meaning a release before the end of this year is "unlikely" at this point in time.
The individual who shared this apparently has a "good reputation" and has previously revealed correct information about mobile phone products in the past. For more details about the rumoured Switch 'Pro' model, be sure to check out our guide.
What do you make of all these Switch Pro rumours? Real or fake? Comment down below.
[source wccftech.com]
Comments 169
I mean, who the hell expects 4K support? And what for? It would already be enough if all games render at 1080p, at least when using a screen and even about that I am not entirely sure whether the HW can pull this off. It is not as easy as people think, especially in such a small device.
i'd rather have better battery support and more build in storage.
@NINtendo242 I don’t believe anyone expects 4K game support but more so 4K streaming capabilities.
Why call it pro then?
Hope they use the Turing architecture instead. We will see. If they upgrade it would be good for keeping the third parties on board in the furure.
I just want 60fps in astral chain.
Switch Semi-Pro
@N8tiveT3ch Why call it pro then?
One doesn't follow chats correctly that was users calling nothing in NIN said it was a Pro. People need to differentiate what gamers call it to what it will really be called when NIN releases it.
Can we stoo asking for 4K support on switch please. I'd rather have a 1080p steady 60FPS over 4k @30fps.
A 4K Switch isn't happening regardless.
However, using the Volta architecture almost automatically guarantees a substantial hardware performance boost by default; Nintendo would have to try to make the Switch Pro not be a great deal more powerful than the current Switch.
This rumor seems a bit suspect in that regard.
@N8tiveT3ch lol, Nintendo hasn't even announced this, the "pro" moniker is totally floated by outsiders.
I would be happy with more steady 1080p (docked)/720p (handheld) resolution and steadier framerates across all games, and maybe more storage and battery capacity. Probably one or two out of these will happen. Fingers crossed.
No performance improvement = not pro
I wonder what the attraction will be, then? A new functionality? Thinner, lighter?
I think Switch Pro rumors have worn out their welcom.
Redesigned model with better specs maybe.
Like from NDS fat into NDS lite.
@poudigne
Completely agree
As long switch sells well it wont be a switch pro or switch 2.
The only thing they should do is a stand alone tv model.
Their last pro models where 100% waste.
I'm not expecting anything, as these are just rumours.
@N8tiveT3ch Why should Nintendo call something they haven't even announced anything?
@poudigne
Definitely agree, who cares for 4k? I play mine on handheld and 1080p would be awesome. Better, more reliable joycons or modifiable ones with a real d pad would be cool
Both of these rumors contradict each other so best to wait til an official announcement anyway
I wouldn’t expect 4K until the Switch 2, which is still a few years away at least.
Doing 4K on the Switch Pro would be silly and create tons of fragmentation in their product line, resulting in a lot of consumer confusion.
@NINtendo242
You know the OG Switch(not even the upgraded version) is based on the same hardware as the shield tv and that supports native 4k rendering in games (not demanding games, but still). 4K is simply disabled in software on the current Switch OS. Well, how the HDMI output hardware works might not allow for it on current hardware, but the Tegra X1 absolutely can and does output 3d games at 4k resolution.
Nintendo haven't directly challenged Sony and Microsoft in years, so why would they do so this year? The Switch isn't even 3 years old. It'll be 2021 at the earliest.
Maybe the pro will have 512gig or more internal storage. i am ok with the switch's power - don't need higher specs to fragment the player base / games. but metal body and 512gigs for a decent price and i will buy it
i mean c'mon nintendo, it's 2020 and only 32gig interal space? thats not even enough for some downloadable games. i know sd cards are cheap, but the switch should have at least 256gb
@Jaalsky which last pro models? I only know the pro controller
Wasn't expecting 4K, but want better dock performance to be more consistent 1080p/60fps and to even have a 1080p screen on pro switch to have 900p to 1080p undocked as well.
More and faster Ram to cut down loading times, and at least 64gb to 128gb internal storage, would be nice to have 2 micro sd card slots for expandable storage
And lastly, better joy cons
I'd be happy with a 720p screen that has a really good battery life and consistent 1080p docked. If I ask myself what I really want, I want less plastic in important parts of the machine like those parts of joy cons that wear out and drift.
People want/expect too much. With 4k and boosted performance the battery would not last long. Or the device would need to be bigger for a better battery.
@SwitchForce yeah there are no games that are 4K on Pro or X 🙄
Rumours about rumours. My favorite.
Hey, at least this one opted out of "predicting" 4K. Credit where it's due.
@Snakesglowcaps huh, for all the power of fans' "Switch Pro" imagination, I don't recall seeing many comments painting a picture of 4K streams either. Perhaps because benefitting from it outside Far East (or coffee breaks at NASA) sounds unlikely to many people in itself.😅
No upgraded graphics performance then why even bother with it ? Something is off here
Nintendo is seeing major success with both the base Switch and the Switch Lite so why would they need another one. Unlike Sony and Microsoft, Nintendo brings innovation to gaming instead of relying on power but they will eventually get those power once its affordable to them and their consumer base. We won't see a 4K let alone a 1080p Switch system until maybe around 2021 or 2022.
4K Switch will not happen. 4K is still not feasible for current gen
mid-range mobile hardware You'd have to go to high-end hardware to get 4K, which will most likely add 100s of dollars to the price.
The next gen Nintendo system (which won't be the Switch) might be 4K. But that system will be a different system.
@Anti-Matter You mean like the Switch lite. Which is basically NDS -> NDS Lite
So they are going to release an unimproved better bversion???
@retro_player_22 Maybe because developers are at the limit of what they can do with the system with respect of ports. No one can doubt the systems success, but in order for that success to continue you obviously need more games and that isn't going to be satisfied by continually porting Wiiu and xbox 360 games.
@nhSnork Nintendo would never call it a “Pro” anyway. It’ll be more efficiency/cost improvements if they’re working on another Switch model. The model these people are after would be better off called the Switch Neckbeard Pacifier™️.
Lol then what is the point ?? 4k who cares but performance increase should be a must... Yes the new apu would be smaller and generate less heat but there are no issues because of overheating with the current Switch. Battery life could increase slightly yes but who in their right mind would sell their current Switch and buy a new one for extra 10-20 minutes in battery ?
If Switch pro cant offer stable 30 fps and fix 720p resolution and slightly better graphics for Wolfenstein, Doom and Witcher in portable and dynamic 720-1080p in docked due to a better CPU and GPU then dont even bother.
I would be happy to buy the new Switch if it could run Witcher and Doom with stable 30 fps 720p res in portable. Sharp image and stable framerate would worth me the upgrade because the current blurry graphics and 24-30 fps is really annoying.
People who play other games then Mario want a Switch whith better performance and Nvidia has the tech for Nintendo to build one but Nintendo is playing the bullsh1t card again....
@N8tiveT3ch
Nintendo hasn't called this currently non-existent product anything.
I think there will be a new switch every year here on out just like cell phones with minor upgrades. Maybe every 5 years an advanced model with lots of more then acceptable upgrades. But by putting out updated ones yearly we will buy them because there will be special editions or just because ours our getting old from wear and people without a switch will jump on because slowly even more amazing 3rd party AAA games will be ported because the minor upgrades yearly make it more capable. I think this recipe is much like the DS updates but will be more successful and bigger jumps because it is a home and portable system in one appealing to every gammer. I think the life cycle for the switch will be as long as Nintendo wants it to be and eventually it will have the capabilities of a PS5 or whatever the new Xbox is called.... more then likely at the end of the ps5 and new Xbox cycle... hence we won’t be happy because it will never catch up as quickly as some would like... but we will have Zelda botw2 and Super Mario’s Super Sunshineing Odd Galaxy 3 eventually and 100’s of backlogged games anyways. I’d plan on these rumors to happen yearly and pan out yearly and never end keeping the hype train rolling till Nintendo perfects the next great thing we didn’t know we wanted in like 10 years
If enough people throw enough ideas at the wall, I have no doubt a few people guess right slightly more often than others.
That doesn't mean I'll believe this until we get something official or some kind of hard evidence.
For me, a switch pro would need a guerilla glass screen, more sturdy built in control sticks, better battery life, smaller dock or just usb-c for streaming, less or no bezel, aluminium rather than plastic. Ideally, yes enough processing power to run botw and links awakening without slowdown but for me a more premium model would not need a significant boost in processing performance. I just ask that it runs Nintendo's games without slowdown, which should be the case with the original switch.
Like most things with Nintendo, the best thing is to believe it when you see it. There's significantly more rumours that turn out to be total b******s than true. The most interesting thing about Nintendo for me at the moment is Link's Awakening, which just arrived yesterday and is delightful!
As long as they don't start developing games for the allegedly improved version that run badly on the old one, I'm fine with my Switch.
But I've seen it already and it hurts: New Nintendo 3DS, Xbox One X... They started making games with the pro versions in mind, and the OG users saw perfomance issues. That's not what I call caring about veteran customers.
I know nothing official has been announced yet but if it didn't do any of those things (i.e improve performance) it hardly seems worth upgrading.
It'd be great for anyone yet to buy one but otherwise seems pretty pointless to me
@Mjoen I think your predictions are absolutely wrong. Updating the machine every year, would cause widespread confusion and kill the system.
Am I am the only one who also wants a better screen?
I would love to see the IPS screen to be changed to a 720p AMOLED panel for better colors and better blacks.
New Hw that can push Doom and Witcher to run at fix 720p on a built in AMOLED screen would be enough for me to upgrade.
Who needs this “Pro” that bad? I’d rather some significant upgrades that raise the bar considerably. Not just a better screen, slightly better battery, etc... Nintendo needs to wait for the technology to mature. It’s another 299- 399 buck machine after all.
@NINtendo242
Amen to that 👍
@Moistnado ... but they already are... specially if this pans out and is nothing more then minor upgrades. All around there seems to be switch shortages. I mean it’s not hard to get one but there are definitely less on the shelf but all the boxes are solid red (aka... the new and improved better battery switch). If this pans out the new and improved better battery will not be on the shelves and it will be the super better battery with little better visual capabilities and of course stability improvements haha.
This could go on yearly easily and I think absolutely will. Most people don’t care about what we discuss on here... they just want a switch and when they buy one they will get the most advanced version at the time although to us the same old with minor tweaks. Nintendo will continue to improve and prefect it and every maybe 4-5 years will drop a switch with significant upgrades but it will still just be a switch capable of playing everything prior but will be Necessary for new and improved ports. Oh well we’ll see... I won’t buy a new one till my day 1 switch craps out and if when that happens I’ll get a new one. If one comes out that is necessary though to play newer games then I would upgrade.
@NotTelevision
Spot on..... unless we're talking major upgrades and improvements it seems pretty pointless
Well I would love 4K support. I think the Resolution on Nintendo's own titles is good (Mario Kart, Odyssey, Smash etc.) but when you see a PS4 Pro game running I can't help wishing for a Zelda with 4K and HDR support. I Play mostly on the tv for those Kind of games. For handheld I would want 1080p.
So let me get this right... we should not expect a major performance Switch pro upgrade, from the Switch pro rumor that has not been announced in the first place, click bait article of a click bate rumor.
@Mjoen,
This comment is spot on, it' only the internet minorities that want a Switch pro, and would even think of buying one, even the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X are hardly flying of store shelves in relation to their lesser powered consoles.
@eRaz0r I understand your point, but like yuu said: sd cards are quute reasonable priced and the switch can take up to 2tb cards theoretically. So I'd rather stick with the current specs and Nintendo saves on the storage instead of increasing the base products price. Higher storage will not come for free and I'm afraid it will cost more to get higher ibternal storage than buying a sd card...
I bought a 200gb sd card shirtly after the switch released and I'm fine with that, mainly because I try to get as many games as possible physical. Therefor I'm not complaining about 32gb. For the gamers who preferre digital it sucks, but I'm happy Nintendo choose the cheaper option in production for the majority.
Look the fact of the matter is simple. If Nintendo leave switch as it is against PS5 and xSX it will no longer get get any top games ported. No developer will want to port from the power of the new console to switch at that point. The gap will just be too large so whatever and whenever a new switch comes it needs to be new and more powerful. If it’s not then there is simply no point in making it or releasing it. Nintendo have surely learnt from the Wii U that after the huge success of a console, you have to make sure the follow is a proper upgrade, backward compatible and recognisable a sequel.
This rumour is probably tripe - if it’s true then Nintendo will be committing exactly the same huge error with the Wii U. Switch pro or 2 or whatever has to make sure the hybrid keeps the gap between it and the new consoles close enough to allow the ports to continue at a good level.
To not do that will be commercial suicide.
@Johnny44 don't worry, sometime the next 20 years their might be a Nintendo console capable of that and then they will make a 4k remaster or something. I'm serious!
What the hell is the point in a Pro if there aren't any real performance enhancements?
We don't need 4K support but we do need a 1080p handheld screen, 60fps solid performance docked and undocked, bluetooth headset compatibility without the need for dongles, a premium enclosure and a more sturdy kickstand.
What would be good is a scalable architecture. Perhaps Nintendo could release something like a 4K dock, which would boost performamce to allow 4K when docked?
I agree with jarvis, if they don't upgrade substantially then the gap with the new PS5 is going to be huge and developers will have less interest in trying to make games fit on the Switch.
The Switch is in its third year now so surely their next console must support 4K but whether that will be an upgraded Switch or a completely new console I don't know. All I know is come December and the release of the new PS and Xbox the Switch is going to start looking VERY outdated.
@retro_player_22 the only reason that power isn't "affordable" is because it's a handheld. Comparing it to a console is silly.
Exactly, 4K when docked and 1080P handheld is my idea of a proper Pro.
@ROBLOGNICK always remember, the internet nade this rumor, not Nintendo! No one knows if Nintendo will even release a real uodate or just an iteration. Anf if they do, who knows what they call it?
@Johnny44 I only agree partly. The hardware gap is already big now, so I don't think this is an valid argument. If a developer choose the switch as a platform, they don't do it for the pure performance, but because of the hardware itself (handheld plus docked) and the install base. If developers would only choose platforms based on hardware performance, they should all choose PC and consoles are dead.
This does not bode well for Nintendo when the next gen is out. Pretty sure it will have some upgrades in performance or else they're fuc***.
@Mjoen
If you mean the Switch light, yes 2.5 years later, the light version of the console required an infomercial to explain the difference and was also a downgrade in functionality. It has not fragmented the market because it plays exactly the same games, but may impact on the amount of 3rd party developer support for joy-con specific features such as Labo or ring fit. It also has not prevented people with an original Switch from playing new games.
The 3ds had an improved 'new' version about 4 years after the original. When the 'new' one could play SNES games but the original could not, people felt cheated. (I waited for the new one and remember shopkeepers struggling to try to sell me the old one and failing)
Imagine the outcry if Nintendo released Gamecube virtual console but claimed it only worked on the Switch light. The internet would be on fire.
Many people will refuse to buy a console if it is not properly supported for around 5 years. Sega died because it kept releasing consoles without giving them a proper life-cycle. They lost their audience's trust.
The PS4 and PS4 pro had a three year gap and all games that run on the pro model run on the original.
Developers are attracted to a large install base, by fragmenting it with machines of different capability the system becomes less appealing to develop for. There were very, very few (like 2, first party) games that ran solely on the 'new' 3ds.
The marginally improved Switch with a better battery life was released as the same console, a stealth update, as to not cause confusion and these two models run identical games.
If an updated console released each year, that prevented early adopters from playing new games, or caused performance problems on older hardware, the system would be impossible to sell. Average consumers would buy something more reliable, transparently supported and easy to understand like a PS5. Remember the target audience for NIntendo is parents and smaller kids; people who couldn't tell the difference between the Wii and Wii U. Imagine being told at a shop that there are 5 versions of the Switch, and only one works properly with new games, one works with 80% of games but you'll have to check each individual case and another runs with 70% of games...etc. Imagine shopkeepers passing off the old stock as the new machine. Sounds like the death of a system.
I think a pro version 3/4 years in, that adds cosmetic features and maybe HD in handheld, and then the next console, perhaps a Switch 2 (ideally, hopefully with backwards compatibility) after 5/6. That's my opinion anyway.
the very little 3rd party support gap will widen even further
True, but the gap will be a lot bigger by the end of the year.
Surely handheld technology for Switch could display 1080p and 60fps by the end of 2020/early 2021?!
I'm not saying the current switch has to have it but they could surely create a 4K dock or something that at least upscales to 4K while docked. Or they should just release a new powerful 'Pro' just like we have the PS4 Pro. You can still play the games on the normal PS4 and the Pro games simply Benefit from the extra power. Why can't we have the same Scenario with Switch?
1080p & stable 60fps. You really don't need anything more...
oh... and good games to go along with that
Really though there will be only a handful of games the first few years of next gen anyways that people would want on the switch and honestly we alllllllll can admit that they will not be possible anytime soon so we need to stop that hype train right in its tracks.
I look to red dead 2 and GTA5... those I feel would be the games that could potentially come with some minor upgrades yet still function one the OG switch. I mean rockstar dropped L.A and it’s amazing. It’s just not the kind of game that appeals to the gta people as it is so much slower paced. With that said they dropped off the planet for the switch but must see the success of the system. Drop GTA and they sell 20 mil. more copies. It takes years for these guys to make games and port them. It doesn’t happen over night. I’m guessing there are tons of current gen games in development they just need that little extra kick to get them functioning optimally... that’s what we will get (Eventually) if there are any minor upgrades.
@mazzel I agree.
I don't think that a "pro" model will make a huge difference for the Switch in terms of performance and graphics.
All I want are more and more games NEW and PORTS on the Switch.
To get more games and ports the Switch will have to get more powerful and run better graphics. Otherwise it will just be a handheld only and console ports will just stop altogether. That’s surely not what Nintendo want and I don’t want another 3DS - I love the 3DS but switch needs to still get the top games. Once PS5 and XsX hit, the ports just wont happen on the OG Switch. That’s just a simple reality.
Seems realistic. I don’t see Nintendo being up-to-dat with resolution, so 4k seems a bit far.
@Zuljaras I agree, but maybe they could fix a few niggles like bluetooth and flimsy joy-con instead of updating the performance. I get the impression that, given time, because of the way they are manufactured, it is easy and cheap to update/swap the processors a little bit.
@Snakesglowcaps
It doesn't even have Netflix. And I doubt they'll go for 4K streaming support just so we can use it for some YouTube videos.
If a Pro comes, I'm expecting it to be a more stable 1080p device.
Been saying it repeatedly, but people prefer to believe what they want to hear rather than the truth.
A "pro" is not Nintendo's schtick. Never has been. You're confusing Microsoft and Sony with Nintendo. At best, we might see a few fps gained but thats about it. I wouldn't even count on that.
The new generation, that is when the significant jump in power occurs.
The problems with the switch aren't it's resolution or frame rate capabilities. They are the missing features.
A Switch Pro/Home would ideally add in support for Optical audio, external HDD (because the internal sd options are far too expensive in comparison), Bluetooth headsets, 3.5mm on controller, video capture on all software, maybe even backwards compatibility support.
This coupled with vast improvements to the Swicth OS. Folders, on system chat and messages, proper friend feeds, proper accounts management. A "home" console, and digital/family fame sharing.
Things that are just standard on every other platform.
I really wonder which PS5 or XBSX game is so interesting that we should need that 'next Switch' so soon.
@N8tiveT3ch 'Why call it pro then?'
No one officially has – ever.
It's all just farts in the wind.
bluetooth headsets, audio jack on controllers, better storage, folders, spotify while gaming, netflix
this is the switch pro we need
Fanboys always chasing that power dragon with Nintendo. Remember when that subset of fans was totally expecting the AMD PS4-eating superbox when it was NX? They’re at it again with Switch Pro chatter.
@Moroboshi876 they made like 2 games targeting the NN3DS
@Caterplease More than enough discrimination, but there were also some games that couldn't show 3D effect on old 3DS or ran very badly (Hyrule Warriors IIRC), the SNES Virtual Console games were exclusive to New 3DS, and so on. I'm not saying this happens a lot, but enough to make early adopters feel abandoned or mistreated.
It will.be like a PS4 pro. Small boost in performance.
@sanderev I can’t see Nintendo now creating a totally different platform and definitely not a home console only.
Switch like PS and Xbox will now be the future for Nintendo.
To move away from Switch would be madness.
@jarvismp They won't even happen on a pro. The switch isn't even close to ps4. A pro won't come close to a ps5 (maybe even ps4). It stil is a handheld, there is no way it wil get ps5 ports.
Volta? You mean Titan V's Volta? WOW. That's quiet performence. I mean, It's way over 1080Ti! Jesus.
If you are playing the switch for the graphics you are playing it wrong. I want a full new system not a minor upgrade.
I’ll take a switch lite form factor with:
Tv support no dock
Bluetooth
More storage
better speakers
That’s it.
@FoxMcCloud if that’s the case then the Switch will die within the next 2 years
So what exactly would the Pro upgrade entail? I guess maybe just larger storage, longer battery life and possibly a bigger or better screen? Sounds more like a “XL” than a “Pro” model if that’s the case. Nintendo has gone this route before with the 3DS so we could see a similar strategy here.
Switch Lite = 2DS
Switch = 3DS
Switch Pro = 3DS XL
I wasn’t expecting 4K, but I at least want 1080p @ 60 FPS.
Whew, at least their source has a "good reputation". I was worried for a bit there.
@FoxMcCloud I agree, PS5 ports will be very rare on Switch, if they exist at all. People who want to play PS5 games should really get a PS5.
@Supadav03 Or 'New' 3DS?
@Sculptor I never said I thought this would be a thing. I was just saying when people were mentioning I’m certain that’s what they were expecting.
@N8tiveT3ch because it’s a rumor??
@Moistnado or get a pc, most of them will get PC releases
RUMOR PEOPLE. Not real news. And this one, is the one that makes more sense, actually. The very next iteration of the Switch will probably come out in two years, at minimum. And will add just that. People say “we want 4K” and don’t even notice the difference.
Volta...? If they're upgrading architecture I'd hope it would be Ampere or Turing, Volta was parallel to Pascal. Ah well... Still, guarantees less heat production, so either you have better battery life or more power.
If I can't play BOTW2 in 4K/60fps, it's not worth it! Says the guy who bought a new 3DS for a slightly better experience than the 3DS.
I'd like Nintendo to fix their crappy surround on their future console. For some reason it is not possible to have 5.1 sound through ARC
Couldn't care less about 4k output because I don't have a 4k TV to output it to. I am curious if whatever the alleged custom is so they can take VR a little more seriously. Niche as VR is, Switch was always in a great position to adopt it.
@Moistnado True, but I kinda thought more 3DS XL than New 3DS because the New 3DS did have a performance upgrade over the original and they are saying this won’t.
Another day, another rumor. I suppose we'll find out soon enough. An upgraded Switch or successor will undoubtedly happen at some point, but I think it's highly unlikely that we'll see new hardware this year.
Hoesntly I have no idea what a supposedly Switch Pro could bring to the table except for a better screen and more raw power, something that's definitely not happening.
@Supadav03
Switch = 3DS
Switch Lite = 2DS
Switch Pro = New 3DS
Switch Lite Pro = New 2DS
@jarvismp pretty much, Nintendo will forever make hybrid consoles until the end of times.
@eRaz0r 500GB of solid state memory would easily jack up the price by $50-$100 or more though. The only reason PS4 and Xbox have that kind of storage for cheap is because they use hard drives, which are about half the size of the switch, have moving parts and require lots of power. Not exactly ideal for a portable system.
@Supadav03 It might have a slight boost, as it will be a different processor. The "new" 3DS only had a small boost. I'm talking faster load times, not 4K. The selling point of the "new" 3DS was better 3D through face tracking and an extra thumb stick.
This is sounding less like a switch pro and more like a switch 2. New chip means new performance targets. This isn't a beefed up jaguar on xb1x and ps4 pro. If this isn't a release for 2020 it means Nintendo is expecting an impact from the next gen hardware releases and needs to keep shareholders calm. This would fall in line with my predictions that Nintendo will see a decline in releases over the next year as games reach for performance targets that the switch can't downscale. Like it or not many games do struggle on switch even after being tailored backports for the system. Any further pushes would break the camels back. Then we will be stuck with a system that only gets indie titles and Nintendo titles.
The upside is that we could see companies like square be more enthusiastic about releasing things like a tomb raider survivor trilogy or the actual fimal fantasy 15 to switch 2. Given that plus the possibility of forward compatibility with upgrade pack downloads could see the witcher 3 out performing its ps4 counter part. So I'm ok with this possibility.
"And don't expect major performance improvements"
ok, then tell me a point of Switch Pro
@Johnny44 Actually, the improved dock sounds like the most reasonable idea! Like a pro Dock that gets the performance boost done. This way, early adopters would have the chance to upgrade without buying a new iteration and no-one would feel cheated. Not sure if this is technically even possible with the current hardware...
@MuhBael a docked only switch with current specs would be the cheapest model making it the 2DS of Nintendo's new hardware
@TeslaChippie You can get 1TB SSDs for $100 retail. So 500GB should be a lot cheaper.
The real problem here is nintendo focuses on cheap over everything else.
@StevenG Even if it was only $1 extra to add 500GB of storage, Nintendo would have lost millions. And it'd be way more than $1 per unit.
You say Nintendo focuses on cheap, but from where I'm standing, they have the best value on the market when it comes to hybrid platforms. Sony and Microsoft aren't even trying in the arena, and competitors like Alienware's UFO will likely be way more expensive relative to performance. You can't say Nintendo is being cheap for not cramming everything found on modern home consoles into a portable device; the rules, restrictions and costs are different.
@TeslaChippie Crazy idea, add $1 to the cost of the device.
They are being cheap. Check out how much a switch case flexes. Look at the crap display. An OLED panel or even IPS would have added mere dollars to the cost, but the OLED would have improved battery life and the IPS would have improved viewing angles. Adding $5 to the price of the device would cost no sales.
@NINtendo242 The Shield can handle 4K. Upscaled 4K that is. It's impossible for it to render graphics real-time in native 4K IMO. But hey, who knows.
I think it should have some Power improvements to make it more useful for more powerful games. I say it would be cool to have the switch (portable) to have 1080p, and then put something in the Nintendo switch Doc to Run it up to 4K that would be interesting to see how they do it if they release a new switch.
By the way were talking about the Nintendo switch system just because its not powerful to the extent of having 4K and super powerful like the next Gen consoles, It already somewhat out plays next Gen with just being portable and its still has the properties to have great games. We are even getting newer games like Doom Eternal, and Outer Worlds, like how on a portable console in this matter. I think the portable side is what cuts it off from being super powerful. But Boosting things would just make it a bit more powerful but not enough to fully Enjoy the Next Gen games since its a portable.
HDR-support is crucial, 4K is not and not realistic on top of that. If the Switch "Pro" continues being a hybrid, I'd also really appreciate a screen upgrade and y'know some QoL stuff like support for BT headphonesa nd stuff.
@KitsuneNight Storage for the Switch is dirt cheap and most games are relatively tiny.
@link3710 Those aren't SoCs. Those are PCI GPU parts.
If it’s not going to have a major performance upgrade then there is no point
@StevenG Volta isn't an SoC either, it's an architecture. The SoC will still be a modified Tegra regardless I'm sure.
I'd rather see 4k support built into the dock.
@Ralek85
I am aware i have a 256 GIG SD card in mine.
But more then 32 gig out of the box would be nice
32 GIG these days is tiny and i doubt it would cost Nintendo much to double or quadruple it to at least 128 GIG.
@poudigne Why not 4K @ 60fps?
I don't understand why is 4K a issue.
Xbox One X have it, PS4 Pro Have it. Why can't nintendo do something market standard once in it's life?!
@Moistnado @Edu23XWiiU Sure. But Nintendo had two consoles. A desktop (Wii U) and 3DS (portable). Despite of what Nintendo says they treat switch as a portable device (just look at switch lite), so they can claim switch is a 3ds successor and the new desktop more powerful console the real wii u successor. By the way, Wii U was released 1 year before Xbox One and PS4, they could start a next gen easily at holiday 2020 without any issue. Switch was released 2017, that's 6 years after 3DS release, it's the general console generation, 6 to 7 years.
@NINtendo242 I was expecting a desktop only 4K capable game console. They have a Hybrid, a portable, they can release a desktop only switch version. Most people I know that have or had a switch (including me) just play switch one way! Or they played 99% of time on portable or 99% of time on TV. I used switch portable funcionality only in the month of release, after that was TV + Pro controller Only. I would be more than satisfied with a desktop only powerful switch console that could play BOTW in 4K 60 fps.
@duhsoares21 Where to start? Cause it's Nintendo and they don't need it to be successful.
Cause Nintendo never competed against Xbox and PlayStation and they don't care about them.
Cause it's a portable device and battery life, weight and size are a huge factor.
Cause ATM the console can't even output steady 1080p@60fps without massive graphics drop.
Cause Nintendo don't and won't sell their console at a lost, i'm not sure how successful it would be to buy a Switch at 800$.
Pretty sure other people can add other reasons.
I won’t bother with a Switch Pro if Nintendo is just going to half @$$ it. I’m willing to pay a higher price for a greatly improved Switch, but if this is the case then it looks like I’ll be holding out for the Switch 2...err...1.5. 😒
I hope that Nintendo does come out with a switch pro. I love the switch and want it to keep climbing
@duhsoares21 I think most people see the Switch as a successor to the Wii U, not the 3ds. If they start a new gen in 2020, half the games announced for switch wont even be out yet. I can see lots of people taking issue with starting a new gen at this time. Nintendo would definitely have a problem with it as it would kill the sales of their successful hybrid. They haven't even got virtual console or a properly set up eshop yet; it is very early days for the Switch. I can see the switch being relegated to their handheld, and a non-portable console coming out in about about 3-4 years at the earliest.
@poudigne
"Where to start? Cause it's Nintendo and they don't need it to be successful."
They need a good hardware to keep third party support, you know what happens with console without third party support?! Wii U is what happens.
"Cause Nintendo never competed against Xbox and PlayStation and they don't care about them."
Not because they don't want but because they can't currently. Nintendo competed strongly with Sega in the past and with Playstation through N64 and Game Cube era. Lot's of switch owners also have a PS or Xbox, because unless you don't like third party games you can't be a nintendo only owner.
"Cause it's a portable device and battery life, weight and size are a huge factor."
As I said in other comments, I expected the 'pro' to be a desktop only console, not a portable or hybrid.
Cause ATM the console can't even output steady 1080p@60fps without massive graphics drop.
"That problem is solved with a desktop only powerful console"
Cause Nintendo don't and won't sell their console at a lost, i'm not sure how successful it would be to buy a Switch at 800$.
"Last I remember sony said they profit of every PS and Phil Spencer said that Xbox One X doesn't it's neutral(doesn't give profit or loss). But even considering a console sold at a loss, hardware don't make the big money for companies, the games do"
It's simple:
1 - Nintendo makes more powerful console
2 - Third party go all in with the powerful console
3 - People who have Nintendo for exclusives and PS or Xbox for the sake of multiplatform would be a nintendo only owner and spend their money on eshop instead of PS or XB store maximizing nintendo profit.
Nintendo needs a console where the fans doesn't need to beg developers for game ports.
@TeslaChippie depends on the storage system they're using. for example - smartphones are more expensive to produce and even my 180bucks motorola one action does have 128GB UFS+ storage! (way better than emmc) - so at least 128GB with the 200bucks switch lite price-point should be easy makeable for nintendo
Does it matter what Pro means? Slap the name on the box. Do the bare minimum upgrade. It will sell the same.
@link3710 Sure, but they don't tend to use their higher power GPU cores on Tegra parts.
@StevenG Yeah, well, if the Switch Pro launches in 2022 as I expect, Ampere will be older than Pascal was when the Switch launched.
@link3710 I sure hope they don't wait that long to update it.
It is already underpowered after the next gen consoles come out that will be the end of all ports.
I wish sony would make a switch. I would gladly pay $800 for the same thing, but with modern guts, a decent display and a metal shell or at least decent quality engineering plastic shell.
@poudigne
1000% agree but I am an FPS over resolution guy any day. I was wishing the same thing that we get an upgraded model and then get patches for games like Zelda that give us 1080p @ 60fps. Its hard to say what they have cooked up but my guess is slightly more power (which still would be useful), better bus speeds and likely more NAND space (like 64 or 128GB). I am an evil modder and can tell you even running Switch @ max clocks when docked helps performance in a good number of games, especially those that use dynamic resolution. So just a fully clocked up X1 in a pro would help for a lot of games when on the big screen.
@QuickSilver88 Yeah, rumors now are that they are working with Nvidia for a custom chip, which is good. that chip is supposed to have 12nm instead of 20nm. I'd also like to have a better USB chip and better WiFi antenna. :finger_crossed:
Gimme that zelda switch pro edition plez.
@StevenG Switch was ahead of it's time when it launched. Define "modern" beyond "up to the minute annual new hardware like phones do with whatever the bleeding edge offers today, so I can throw out a $1000 device every 13 months and buy a new one?"
And it won't be "under-powered when next gen consoles come out." Scalability is the watchword in modern gaming, it's not 2003 anymore. MS has already stated that the next gen is at least for a few years getting rid of generations - the games will run on the old platforms AND then new ones, they'll just run prettier on the new ones with potentially some more features. If new games are to be scalable between OG X1 and Series X, then certainly scaling a Switch port of Doom 2024 is no more difficult than Doom 2016 which was also a game designed around substantially more powerful PCs.
@KitsuneNight Sure, it would be nice, but I really feel that is hardly the thing we ought to want most from a new Switch modell. Doesn't even feel like a Top10 kind of issue to me to be honest. As long as it supports additional memory and as long as that memory is as cheap and readily available as it is at least.
@Moroboshi876 As far as I'm aware, they only made 1 or 2 games that required the N3DS, and one of those was Xenoblade. As for the X1X, they haven't made a single game for it, they make every game for the 2013 model and allow the box to upscale it as it was designed to. There is no Xbox game, either first party or otherwise, that does it X first, older boxes second. Keep in mind the 2013 box will be sharing all titles for the next two years with Series X (as per Phil Spencer's interviews) so there's no point in upgrading the Xbox either.
As for the 'Switch Pro', Nintendo has long confirmed that there isn't one. Someone tried to claim they said the same thing about the Lite... No they didn't. They said no models to announce at this time. They have specifically stated there is no upgraded model (like the Pro/X) coming. Most likely there will be a revised model, as EVERY console gets one with little to no fanfare, but there won't be a Pro model. Nintendo is working on the successor, there's no need to split resources on a console that'll only be viable for a year or two.
@NEStalgia The SoC was over 3 years old when the switch launched. $1000 would be fine by me, I want a premium device.
Scalability only goes so far. An OG X1 beats the heck out of switch. 2016 doom looks not great on the switch, the 2024 will look worse. This is because something's don't scale. Physics engines for example. I hope by 2024 they aren't using the same old 2016 engine.
@StevenG No doubt Razer and Alienware have the device for you. Not even Sony is insane enough to try selling $1k portable gaming devices.
Tegra X1 was the best thing around that fits in a mobile platform when Switch launched, and still needs a fan. And mass market isn't going to support entertainment-only devices that can't be justified as business/life like a phone for phone prices. That's enthusiast pricing, and that pretty much means PC and only PC, and it's bespoke mobile devices like GPD and Razer provide.
For mass market pricing, that still isn't happening any time soon.
Just bring BOTW 2 and worry about a new model afterward
@poudigne Which you would have. I mean those two aren't mutually exclusive. If you have 4k 30, you also have be default 1080 60.
Given that Nintendo has NEVER released a "pro" version of any console, perhaps this rumor regards only another Switch revision, like @Nintyfan says.
@bluedogrulez What was the "NEW" 3DS then ?
@Xansies I'm a FPS person, I'd prefer having 60fps/144fps over any 4k or 8k
@NEStalgia Tegra X1 was not unless you want the SoC to be dirt cheap. There were better choices available. When you are the size of Nintendo and buying in those volumes custom SoCs are a real possibility.
Even adding $100 would have allowed for major improvements. Heck $10 would have bought a better case.
The Switch is a fantastic platform held back by being so cheap. Not inexpensive, just cheap. A tiny price increase would have brought huge improvements.
So far Razer and Alienware don't have any such device for me.
@poudigne : A handheld.
@poudigne Sure, I'm just saying that if a system can run anything at 4k it can also run anything at 1080 at a higher framerate
@bluedogrulez Doesn't matter. The iterative thing is only since 2017. No one has released pro versions until this gen
@StevenG What SoCs were they supposed to use at that time for any reasonable price point, not to mention with an actual production capacity that met requirements? People were pointing to X2 at the time. That thing NEVER was produced in sufficient quantity. It couldn't be. The yields were atrocious, and it was limited to automotive and aviation sectors at obscene prices where the costs could easily be burred in $40,000 price tags.
I don't see much "cheap" about Switch, and it was something of a marvel at launch time for the tech in the price tag. $100 would have killed it at launch, and it would have required much more than $100 to have a significantly different SoC, with sufficient battery life, thermal dissipation, and weight distribution.
But even though we can argue forever on opinions on performance, battery and cost, I don't see what the issue is with the case. The case is more than fine. It's thin, light, durable - what else do you want from it? Premium brushed aluminum and Alacantara accents?
Anybody else think there's a chance we may see a cpu/gpu powered seperate switch Dock anytime soon? (ever) ..not very likely i'll grant you, but let's not forget this is Nintendo here.
And tbqh I really don't care that I'm most likely the only person on the face of the planet Earth, I just KNOW it would be goddam sublime, for a whole host of different reasons.
My body is ready for the Switch U
@Nintyfan Again, I didn't say that. It's not a matter of exclusive games, that in 3DS's case do exist, counting SNES VC ones. Xbox One X doesn't have any. The problem, as I said, is when they make games that take full advantage of superior models' features and run worse on original models, which happened in both cases. I hope this time I explained my point better.
@NEStalgia The Qualcomm 8XX series with a better GPU would have been the obvious choice.
The panel is a joke, IPS or OLED would be so much better. The case is total crap. $100 isn't that much money, it wouldn't have killed it. Swapping just the panel and the case wouldn't have cost near that.
The case isn't durable, it's creaky and flexes with the lightest touch. I would be happy with just brushed aluminum.
Nvidia Xavier SOC: CPU: Nvidia custom Carmel ARMv8.2-A (64-bit), 8 cores 10-wide superscalar and GPU: Volta-based, 512 CUDA cores with 1.4 TFLOPS.
@NEStalgia There's no room for logic in these parts. The minority have spoken. Nintendo should produce a machine that does what a pocket of nerds on the internet want and sell it at a massive loss. Because graphics etc.
@WiltonRoots nah, Sony already learned powerful premium handhelds are a doomed market and MA knew well enough to not even try . It surreal at times....
@StevenG The screen is not ideal in outdoor lighting, which is a disappointment for me as well, however oled is a no go. Samsung has a monopoly on the good ones and everyone else's has reliability issues. IPS is nice, but it also isn't known for great refresh rates at least until you get way out of this products price class. They no longer guzzle power and throw heat like a radiator, but they do need bigger power sources, and more important they are harder and now expensive to source in custom sizes and often come bundled with the glass front that was a no go here. Suppliers would be a long term problem.
The case is, again, more than fine. Brushed aluminum would be a serious downgrade. That's a "premium" aesthetic material, not a structural enhancement. Poly bodies are immensely more robust and drop resistant than aluminum. It may be a"designer lifestyle"finish, but nothing ruins a products actual durability quite like any kind of aluminum short of thick cast aluminum, or the reinforced stuff used in aircraft which isn't actually pure aluminum, there's other stronger metals in the alloy.
The current case is highly durable. It's secured to a STEEL frame. It can't flex without undue force on the welds. Plastic can creak, so can aluminum. That's just flex at the attachment points. Flex is good if your goal is drop resistance instead of rigidity at all costs such as with tooling. And switch is very proven in drop resistance.
@NEStalgia Samsung sells OLED panels widely and the LG ones are still better than the TN panel in the switch. Leagues better.
Glass front is a must. The plastic fantastic switch feels cheap without it. The panel will scratch from nothing without some glass.
Aluminum would be a massive upgrade in aesthetics and performance. Airplanes use 6061, same as many consumer devices. I have no idea where you get these silly ideas, but the switch body is not drop resistant. Go get a sheet of plastic and a sheet of 6061 and get back to me.
The current case is creaky garbage, with just enough steel to keep it together. It flexes as you use the thing.
Go drop a switch, the case will crack, the vent ribs do this at the slighted provocation and the screen will be scratched.
@StevenG Samsung retains the high quality yield for internal use. There have been issues with the ones they've been selling out, and they've had supply issues (they hold back inventory for own use when doing a big product launch.) LG OLED is junk. LG IPS is excellent, but the refresh rate on the low cost and low power/heat variants is "ok but not great" - meanwhile TN has come a long, long way in quality, ad remains both cheaper, more available, AND retains the fastest refresh rates....kind of an important feature when you're an MFR known for twitch platformers.... Viewing angles on the Switch are a non-issue for its screen size, so there's not much of a valid argument against TN beyond color trueness (a secondary factor on a handheld gaming system vs a phone that's also a photography device, though in that case OLED is an utter disaster for color trueness.) It wins on refresh, power draw, heat output, supply availability, cost - viewing angles aren't an issue for the product, and color trueness is a secondary concern. If there's one place I'd say TN still has a really valid use as the desirable result, it's gaming and any kind of real-time monitoring.
The one place I would agree with you though is brightness - I do believe Nintendo needs to up their game in terms of display brightness for outdoor play. That's been a problem for Sony and Nintendo handhelds, but that creates a real world usage limitation and I'd love to see that improved substantially. The problem though is, bright screens draw a lot of power and generate a fair bit of heat. Even bulking up the battery to handle that means bulking up the weight and balance....that's a difficult problem to solve even with "sky's the limit' pricing.
Glass is nice, but it's also less drop friendly. Yes, my phone has wolderfully drop resistant, smudge resistant, scratch resistant (spoiler, it has two scratches) - it also cost $1000 and I get an inch closer to my grave every time it drops. My Surface has wonderful glass. It's scratch free. I don't want to test dropping it. It's heavy. And that's with a magnesium alloy case instead of comparatively heavy aluminum. I don't think I'd want to hold it up to game on it. Even the surface Go cost $400 and isn't as powerful. Sure, glass is nice. But it comes with down sides. Cost, weight, brittleness. I'd have been happy to see glass on it as well, but I did not expect it. Sony's precious Vita didn't have glass either. GPD Win 2 DOES have glass. It costs $800....
Nintendo's not going to sell a $500+ device. Not ever, unless their business model is forced to fundamentally change. That's not their market. It never was their market. They won't make it their market unless the environment forces such a change.
Aluminum is all about aesthetics in these devices. Aircraft use aluminum because they need the mix of lightness, thinness, rigidity, chemical resistance to deicers, thermal resistance/dissipation/shock tolerance, etc. They also use CURVED aluminum surfaces for the structural reinforcement of an arch. A plastic aircraft would not withstand the thermals it must endure, provides too much flex for the airframe, and the sustained forces, as opposed to momentary drop forces, require metal alloys - polymers break down under that continuous stress.
On the other hand, look at the number of polycarbanate and ABS components on industrial applications requiring impact protection. Car bumpers are not made of aluminum - they are poly. Safetey helmets of all types are poly or ABS, not aluminum, because they are designed to absorb impacts without deforming. Mil-spec flashlights are, with some exceptions, poly, not aluminum so they can withstand drops, and crushing forces.
Yes, metals "feel" premium, but they are not necessarily a superior material for a task.
I'm not sure what kind of drop test you're hoping to achieve with a flat sheet of an aluminum alloy and a polymer. That's a very different application than a either material secured to a steel frame with curved edges. I have, on the other hand, dropped a Switch. The poly joycon broke free under impact sacrificially. it sheered tip of the latching pin so that it still functioned but no longer firmly latched. The impact transferred reliably into the steel frame, as the machine smartly has it's weight at the corners - it would be difficult to drop the machine in such a way that the impact transferred directly onto the planar surfaces due to the way it is balanced, and any uneven surface that would impact it in such a way would be more likely to crack the plastic which would bounce, as a sacrificial shell, as opposed to aluminum which would intent and likely allow the internals to crush.
The shell on the switch does not flex. The back panel flexes - so would aluminum, possibly moreso - it's a user-removable panel fastened by 4 corner screws. Phones and tablets avoid the flex/creak of a screw-mounted panel by permanently affixing the panel with clips and adhesives. It gives people their premium "feel" at the cost of serviceability. It's a prime example of form over function and the disposable society defeated only by the emergence of a popup industry for repairing them as a dedicated field. Switch is designed to be serviced instead of sealing the internals behind glue. +1 Nintendo. Aircraft creak, too.
The joycons flex. They are mounted in modular rails. Tactical flashlights on gun rails flex too. That's how rails work. If there was no room for flex you wouldn't be able to remove them without a vice grip.
But as for your drop scenario, that's simply not the case. The case does not crack upon drop, and any drop that does cause it to crack means it was an uneven pressure against the weak points - aluminum would do much worse than sacrificially crack with such an impact. The vent ribs do not crack upon drop, nor does the weight balance of the machine permit it to drop on that side of the machine at all. Dropping and overhead/side impacts are separate issues. I'm familiar with the vent crack controversy, and while that might be a materials issue, that seems to be a thermal issue more than a stress fracture issue. I presume the heat exposure at the vent is potentially weakening the materials, making them brittle over time, or the materials at their mold thickness not enduring some rapid expansion/cooling conditions well, possibly due to the materials choice for that particular part. Not a fault of using plastic, but possibly the wrong plastic, or a mold not thick enough. That's a part you would not want aluminum on - it would get remarkably hot.
It's one thing to say "I like paying a lot of money to be stylish with aesthetically and texturally premium materials." There's a ton of products that cater to you right now. But none of them are mass market oriented gaming systems with price points suited to that market. Switch's design is robust, durable, with sacrificing parts in the right places to protect the internals, including your save data, above all else - which is what a good frame and shell out to be designed to do. Other materials may feel premium. There is room for upgrades in screen output, and possibly scratch resistance that are worthwhile improvements. But more "premium" and "appealing". Switch is not marketed or priced as a premium device. Expectation of premium device materials that do not impact, or worse, negatively impact the product's actual durability and drop resistance is nonsensical.
But you don't have to take my word for it in random theory. Hypothesize, experiment, analyze! Fortunately there's already some videographic experimentation on this very topic to evaluate:
Here's a fun extreme of just how durable a durable device might be:
https://youtu.be/y8QCFNAgPDo
Or for something a little bit more....down to earth, there's this:
https://youtu.be/kqMgv9hHmrY
Alternately, if you're not one to trust random YT videos, there's of course my own experience of a drop test as well, just a single drop, yielding similar durable results.
You might "feel" better with certain materials, but you might want to stow any biases about drop tests until you've actually observed some drop tests...
@NEStalgia What utter drivel.
I haven't observed drop test, I have done them. Try some, it can be fun. With laptops, we found that aluminum dented and plastic shattered. Dented and functional is far better than cracked and useless. Product evaluation 101.
LG Oleds are the best TVs on the market. The POLED they sell for mobile devices isn't great, but it is massively better than the cheap crap panel on the switch.
Bumpers are plastic because of cost and angles. They are not designed to survive a drop or any impact. They crack at the lightest touch. The whole car is designed to be as few FRUs as possible at as high a price as possible for the consumer.
Safety helmets are designed to flex. Get a highspeed camera video of one in an impact!!!
The whole shell flexes, try it out. Grab your switch and try it! The thing is not rigid at all. Glue doesn't prevent flexing, what nonsense. The midframes prevent flexing in phones.
Mil-spec is code for cheap crap at expensive prices. Decent flashlights all use metal tubes. A metal tube is incredibly strong.
No one uses TN for gaming. That's laughable. No high end monitor is TN.
Aluminum is quite durable at vent temperatures, it would even help cool the device.
I get it, you think you are a value engineer. The bean counters love you, no one else does.
@duhsoares21 the Switch came to replace the Wii U, and it’s hybrid nature makes it cover both fronts (home console and handheld console), and Nintendo will most likely keep that approach for the successor of the Switch. The Lite is for those people who only want to play on portable mode, and that’s fine, but the Switch is still selling better than the Lite, so it’s obvious people prefer the hybrid nature of the system
@Edu23XWiiU We can't say people prefer hybrid because they are buying regular switch instead of lite. Those people could be buying the regular switch to play on tv-mode only, since lite doesn't offer this feature. I don't think a tv only switch option would negatively affect switch.
@duhsoares21 people keep buying the normal Switch, and sales are growing every year, so that means the product is as good as it is, regardless of how people use it
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