Who Needs Switch Pro? New Dongle Promises To "Instantly Upgrade Switch To 4K"

I like the normal softer looking 1080

60 fps is more important for me than 4K.
I'm already content with 720p + 60 fps like PS3 games era.

Not sure how this helps the precieved quality as I believe the resolution is much less important than facters such as the models used, the art style, lighting and shadow effects, etc..

Mostly sub-HD resolution images up-rezzed a second time? No thanks.

And you can get the same results by enabling a denoise/sharpening filter on your TV. I hate them with a passion and find them incredibly distracting, particularly as they typically create artefacts of their own.

Whether it's a game or a film, I want to preserve the integrity of the image as much as possible.

I would be happy if the next console promised us true rock-solid 1080p/60fps performance instead of prematurely pursuing the UHD arms race.

……..and bricking your console in 3,2,1…..

Pretty sure that the screenshot on the right is emulated, looks like AutoHDR was accidentally left on.

@Anti-Matter
That's nice for you, but for me (and I'm guessing many others) 720p is borderline unacceptable. It just looks nasty and gross on any standard TV nowadays (meaning a 4K one) when the Switch is docked, unless it's a very simplistic art style with good anti-aliasing. You can negate the blurry/jagged image somewhat by tuning TV settings a certain way, but it'll still take hours upon hours to get used to. And you'll have to get used to it again every time you go back to it after experiencing some real, native 4K content through a PC or other console.

Here's hoping that this product will actually be worthwhile, because it sounds like a perfect fix until a more powerful Switch or a successor arrives. Not to even mention the framerate side though, because 30fps with drops basically being the baseline on Switch is a whole other problem on its own. It's cool that it can run stuff like Witcher 3, Dying Light and so on, especially handheld. But the performance itself, especially docked, is in dire need of improvement, any way you look at it.

@Anti-Matter Yeah I couldn’t even say what resolution a game is running at at a guess (other than “low” when something is especially blurry). Seen plenty of games at 720p that look great, can barely tell a difference between 1080p and 4k personally. Maybe when they’re side by side but 1080p always looks great to me. Always take the 60fps performance mode at lower resolution on whenever the option is available.

@Sculptor
Well, because I played kids games by mostly with simplistic cartoonish graphic and already content with minimum graphic specs 720p + 30 or 60 fps.

This is a silly product that I would not advise spending money on.

The Switch now being my most often played console I am very happy to hold on to my 10+ years old 1080p 55 inch TV until the official Switch Pro comes out in probably a couple more years

The mCable rarely ever works for me and when it does the improvement is mediocre. I wonder if this will be better or more of the same.

As an mClassic owner I have to it is a godsend for SD-output consoles, like my Wii, but it barely changes the Switch's visuals as it can't actually do a 4K@60 signal and only agrees to output 4K@30 if the input is 1080@30 which no home console puts out.
It DOES kinda sorta let you get FPS boosts by doing a roundabout DLSS equivalent: set your Switch to 720 to get faster rates, the mClassic uprates it to 1080p. But it mainly is useful because it does a better job of upsampling 720p native games to FullHD than the Switch does.

But this? I will wait until Digital Foundry crawls all over it.

Lol the original image still looks beter.

Yeah, but no..... I'd rather have a new iteration of the Switch that supports 4K upscaling with 60fps support.

@Damo Fair, I haven't tried it with my older consoles yet. Fingers crossed this new device is what I'm looking for for the Switch

Doesn't seem to be doing much that I couldn't do with an Xbox One X's HDMI pass-through.

Looking at the videos on their website. Their comparisons are super shady. The originals are a blurry mess and yet SOMEHOW they are pulling detail from it. Looks like they are sharpening the 1080p image for their "with 4K Gamer +" and then lowering the resolution to 480p if not worse on the "Original" side.

@RupeeClock
This is how i largely feel.

Given the choice i would take smoother framerates over 4k for better response time.

Really something that could play the likes of SMTV, MHstories 2 and Hyrule warriors Age of calamity at a stable framerate.

Your 4K tv does this for you as it has to fill the screen with pixels. It has to upscale to suit the 4K screen and size.
Now obviously the more higher end your tv the better job it does of this.
Your tv does the same for 1080p blu ray discs and tv programmes etc.

I think we just need to accept the Switch for what it is, a hybrid console that's pretty good considering it's size/age etc.

I run my OLED mostly docked and the image looks great on my LG OLED C1, the T.V's settings give you a lot of control over the image.

@Dezzy70 some TVs have terrible upscallers which this may be better than but you are correct

@Anti-Matter I'm happy with my Sega Master System so I don't care if they release it or not. I so enjoy the Switch the way it is! I guess I'm not part of that "oh my God! The frame rate dipped for a nano second! This System is terrible" group of gamers...but I agree with what your saying.

I'll wait until Bob Wulff makes a video on this

Rather have something that implements HDR but that's not going to happen

Does this make games actually LOOK better when they haven't originally been designed to be displayed at that resolution by the dev in the first place? Probably in some cases no?

I dont know how this will be but the mclassic is an absolute must for playing the switch. Cant believe its not more popular tbh.

@johnvboy same, I've got mine running on a Philips OLED and I have no complaints, image is crisp and clear and vibrant.

@Lordplops,

I also run an Xbox Series X at the best settings, and the Switch still looks pretty decent.

@Dezzy70
The best job it can do is the cheapest: integer scaling but unfortunately it’s
still common for some 4K TV brands to use blurry bilinear filtering when they can do full screen pixel perfect scaling of 720/1080.

I always thought the upgrade that is usually very negilible for these devices made them like a scam. I mean, there will be a difference in picture of the device is well built and configured well but I couldn't ever consider $100 for a device like this. Most of the before and after videos I have watched don't mention a huge difference. Just different improved smaller details. I guess this item could be consider a luxury item then for the people who can afford/justify the cost.

The amount of salt with which it needs to be taken is letal for a human being.

I want to know how crisp the blocks look on the 8bit virtual console games.

“Coming to Kickstarter”…let us know when it’s an actual product in an actual store, not just some people asking for money for something that doesn’t actually exist yet.

@Damo actually you can’t be 100% about that so it’s not a statement you should be making about hardware that isn’t tested.

I have this product. I’ve been using it for over a year and I can tell you without a doubt it makes a noticeable difference on a 4K TV. It legit makes the picture look better. Less jaggies. Some people aren’t bothered by that but I know I am. Also it makes my gamecube games look great! I highly recommend this.

I thought all 4k televisions upscale to 4k, dont get the point of this

I never needed a switch pro and quite frankly I don't need 4K either. Y'all are just trying to rush technology. You gotta have the absolute bleeding egde of gaming devices so you can be the cool kids on the block. I still don't have a PS5 after over a year and I'm doing just fine.

Can't wait until Nintendo finally does release their next system. You'll be wanting a pro version of that within the first six months.

Note that Nintendo has been telling developers to create for 4k. Anybody that truly understands how all this works would know that upscaling from a lower resolution to a higher resolution isn't going to make detail appear that wasn't there in the first place. It's just trying to add pixels based on what is around it. You don't suddenly get more detail out of nothing.

Until the game developers ship the games WITH the added detail in the texture to accompany a higher resolution, you aren't going to get that awesome detail on screen that you see in more capable consoles where the games are developed for it.

Just another snake oil salesman using kickstart to separate people from their hard earned money.

@HamatoYoshi the switch is not responsible for what happens after sending the image through hdmi. This device captures the image sent by the switch and works its own magic without the console ever noticing. It's like saying that capture cards brick consoles 🤦🏻‍♂️

Apparently I'm...REALLY in the minority when it comes to not caring about framerate unless it REALLY hinders gameplay (no, I can't even think of a good example right now), so count me as someone who's pretty excited for this! ^^

@Anti-Matter I agree. I think a game’s fps is the most important factor of all in terms of specs.

What a sleek, subtle design...

But in all seriousness, most Switch games don't bother me. Some are a little blurry but post processing can only do so much.

I somehow doubt it will deliver true 4K

That second image doesn't look anything like 4K, just more like a sharpening filter. 8ve seen such devices make a difference in 480p games but rarely if ever 1080p. The Switch looks fine on my 4K TV so I'll pass

@HamatoYoshi no he is right it cannot brick the switch. This device only receives data from the switch through the dock. It doesn’t attach directly to the switch. The only devices or actions that you should worry about bricking the switch are third party docks, modding the switch itself, or anything that directly attaches to the switch’s motherboard.

@Anti-Matter I say that too but people on here keep defending nintendo for releasing below minimum framerates saying that “30 is fine” or that I’m somehow an elitist for requiring literally the bare minimum.

@Damo not exactly true, there is a 5V connection through HDMI as the signal works both ways for the "handshake" to determine that either side are compatible and things like resolution and HDR. A scart is just the console sending out the signal regardless and the TV either reads it or not. Still I'd agree highly unlikely if at all possible to brick it that way.

The biggest issue is that image doesn't look anything like 4K

The main reason I want a Switch Pro is not 4k-even though 4k is very welcome. It's to have a more graphically-capable machine.

Honestly I'd be happy if the switch can hit a consistent 720p with 60fps in handheld and 1080 with 60fps im docked .. for every game on the platform... Frames over resolution any day....damn you PC gaming you've made me into a monster!

@larryisaman
Well, how obvious the difference between resolutions is depends on multiple factors.

On a smaller TV you won't notice it as easily.

It is also less obvious if you sit further away.

And then the quality of your TV also plays a big role as the TV also upscales the picture by itself. If your TV does this very well, a 1080p signal might look kinda close to 4k.

Some games may also profit more from it than others.

Combine these four factors and it could either be very obvious, barely visible, or anything in between...

@ShadowofTwilight22 Yeah you get neither on a Switch

@sixrings
True that why I mentioned the higher end your TV normally the better job it does.
I run my Switch docked on the top end 4K 65”Samsung tv and the up scalping is very good from 1080p to 4K. Less so from 720p to 4K. But that makes sense due to the poorer 720p starting point.

The only thing I want from a Switch pro is faster load times

Meh that upscale quality is still not good enough, if you play the game from far away you really see no differences. This is the same feel I had when I use the mClassics upscaler as well. While older games may look nicer with less jaggy, the new games really doesn't look any difference.

there's literally no difference between 1080p and 4k both are the same so who cares 🤷

I'd rather have games running better...
I couldn't bother finishing this game anyways, but even Legends Arceus, I swear it looks like a DS game sometimes with its resolution jumping around all over the place. Other games have performance issues and stuff...I don't care about 4K.

@stevenw45
Actually, every LCD/Plasma/OLED TV (Every TV type currently relevant...) upscales every image to whatever its native resolution is. Since they can't change how many pixel they physically have, they need to upscale in order for the image to fill the entire screen.

The question is only, how well your TV does it. Quality of upscaling can vary a lot from one TV to another.

Maybe it’s just me, but the I can barely tell the difference between the two screenshots.

Is it weird I don’t actually want to play switch games in 4K?

Interesting....but if it cost more then a Switch...then by all means forget even getting it. The one taken for ride would be the KS supporters. The youtube seem to show shines but look more clear. Only if the price is ball park right then I might take a gamble or buy two but it will have to wait to see the price. From the clarity I do like it-even it if doesn't do 4K justice for older Switch v1, v2 this might keep them alive longer. Only reason I can see this happening is that it has a Power Source this is what leads me to believe that it could do it. I have the Genki laptop adapter and this would change the game play if that works. And if they make it they should include the USBC power cable for it. Even if not true 4K or 4K/DLSS the YT does look clear and visual better.

Here's a link on YT of it showing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9E1mAIbzdg

A better dongle would add to processing power or RAM to shorten load times, like the Microsoft thumb drive boost system for older machines. Of course that's if you buy into the idea that it actually improved performance in Windows.

Lol no thanks. Traditional upscaling is not a new thing, if we wanted that, we could've used it a long time ago.
It only gets interesting with FSR 2.0 or DLSS 2.0, not only because the image quality is better than traditional upscaling but also because the performance is better too.

And with FSR 2.0 being backwards-compatible and not requiring dedicated AI cores (unlike DLSS), it would seem like a good fit for the Switch, except the Switch's GPU might not be strong enough (based on which are the oldest GPUs that are compatible with FSR 2.0).

Don't 4k tvs already convert 1080p signals to 2160p?

I play my switch games using a mClassic on a 1440p monitor and it looks great. The switch 1080p output is upscaled to 1440p, and also applies anti-aliasing (which most switch games don't have). I am currently playing Kirby & The Forgotten Land, and it looks GORGEOUS. The anti-aliasing makes it easier on the eyes too.

Honestly, this seems like a waste of money. The Switch's main issue is that it's underpowered. Even compaired to the original Xbox One, it's weak. And i don't get why either, isn't the Switch running off of Nvidia tech? Why wouldn't they use better chips, instead of one that was considered outdated at launch? And besides that, the Switch is selling like hotcakes? Why wouldn't they make a definitive Pro version, it would bring in people that were concerned about the hardware being mediocre at best, and middling at worst, and it would give games that struggle to run in the first place some actual breathing room.

@Sculptor 720p and even 1080p is extremely dated and looks terrible on most modern displays.
That being said, a decent art style and the devs knowing their limits really helps on the switch. BOTW and Mario Odyssey look fantastic, while games like Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Pokemon SWSH look awful, because the devs were a bit too ambitious (or lazy in the case of SWSH). 4K would be nice, but I'd rather get 60 fps and a use of art style/lighting that looks good regardless of resolution

@Anti-Matter what PS3 games ran at 60fps lol

@GuyProsciutto
Ratchet & Clank Trilogy, Tools of Destruction, Quest for Booty, A Crack in Time. Mini Ninjas, DDR, Tintin, Sly Cooper Trilogy, Sly Cooper Thieves in Time, Transformers Devastation, My Sims Sky Heroes.

Don’t TV already upscale if needed?
I wonder if someone would see this minimal difference when everything is in motion?

Aren't these devices basically copying the same effect as increasing the sharpness and colour saturation levels from your TV's picture settings, but with extra steps and less control of the end result?
I prioritize getting the image to look as much as possible as the original source and intent by the developer and don't like artificial (fake) improvements. Better spend that money towards a good TV calibration disc.

Jesus, nintendo has really worked their magic on a lot of you guys. 'We don't want 4k', 'there's no difference between 1080 & 4k', '720 is good enough for me', it's like the land that time forgot over here..🤣

The most 4K brick there ever was

Completely unnecessary. If you’ve got yourself a Switch for 4k graphics you’ve clearly not got the memo. Also, this isn’t really going to be 4k in the same way that PS5 and XBX are, is it? The games weren’t developed to utilise this.

Don't believe that there wil be no lag. Every enhancement would need some calculations and time. Even the enhancements from my tv results in lag. That's why i use game mode.

If this promises 4K60 with anti-aliasing, I'd be happy to back this on Kickstarter. It might be the perfect replacement for my mClassic dongle. Who knows?

I will say there are shiny visual but if they can clear up BOTW. This would be a game changer for v1, v2 Switch. Also considering if it has it's power source that should help eliminate lags since that kinda power requires a power to keep up with the resolutions scaling.

@HamatoYoshi yes, he can be 100% sure about that, educate yourself before commenting

@Bunkerneath why?

@GsPandem dude, you do realize how much less it costs to make a switch than it would a ps5 right?
The cheaper, more casual console always wins in sales.

@Suess dude, you do realize how much less it costs to make a switch than it would a ps5 right?
The cheaper, more casual console always wins in sales.
And you know this how???? Please enlighten us on this.

Someone has reviewed it...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xr8FRhbMrWM

2nd review but not really showing gameplay in BOTW and Witcher 3 so not sure what they are trying to show.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALnyNGCAMSg

I don't want a pro, no one does. We want a fully backwards compatible next generation Switch. It is coming undoubtedly but hopefully they announce it in June.

As much as 4k is nice I decided to emulate nintendo switch and dump my library to pc. All my games are legally purchased btw. I just can't stand the frame rate. I'm fine with even 30 fps if it were stable but a lot of games can't even manage that. Smh

This thing looks worse than the mclassic, which I use and approve of. I’ll wait for reviews before making judgment though.

No one needs a Switch Pro because there are no games that would take advantage of it.

My tv doesn't even support 4k.

If Nintendo doesn't want my money I'll give it to a third party.

Love how we have delusional Nintendo Insiders making ridiculous claims but can't identify themselves.

So did anyone watch the YT link of the person testing the unit.

Am I the only one here interested in using it on one of those Playstation 2 HDMI adapters?

@Silly_G
Now you're just speaking from ignorance, i have the Mclassic which upscales all games up to 1440p and while i would never claim it looks exactly like a true native 1440p signal i would say it does do a truly great job for being such a small device working every thing off in post process with absolutely no added lag. In fact i was so impressed that i bought a secondary cable from the same company for movie upscaling, it does a tremendous job, and btw playing around with your TV settings will not magically enhance your games suddenly adding temporal anti-aliasing, depth of field or enriching your games with actual detailed saturation, what you'll get from your added TV settings by activating added TV effects is an added 3-4 extra frames of lag in your games and smudge everything over with inaccurate bitrate and un-synchronized post processing .

@completo88 : You preface your own ignorance by calling me as such, while shilling for a product that does precisely what I have critiqued (with claims that I remain strongly sceptical about). If you’re happy with twice/thrice-upscaled images, all the power to you. As I had already inferred above, I don’t consider upscaling to be an “enhancement” any more than filters or other post-processing functionality built into TVs that compromise the integrity of the original image.

I’m also baffled that after all this, you also claim to have bought an upscaling device for movies. In an age where movies are readily available in native HD or UHD, either via streaming or on Blu-ray/UHD discs, what “benefit” could such a device possibly yield? And please don’t tell me you’re upscaling DVDs while lecturing me about picture quality.

@Silly_G
Well i already broke down why the post process in most TV"s are unreliable, you seem angry by the fact that i wrote that you are coming from a place of ignorance, and hey that's ok we don't know everything and we learn new things everyday.

The main issue here is that you're talking like you already know what these products do without even having researched them, having experimented, seen them or touched them so you barely have an understanding of what they do or what the results are. It simply not a good look.

And the cable optimized for cinema is meant to reconstructs an image from a lower resolution with an AI algorithm mainly aimed at upscaling movies and media from lower resolution and upscaling them to higher resolutions. This is mainly useful for the tons of movies which are not currently available on Blu-Ray or streaming in higher resolutions, which statistically are most movies, as it is mostly either new movies, Hollywood movies or high budget movies that receive the Blu Ray release, but there are thousands of movies trapped in lower resolution formats.

What i think is important here is to understand that just because there are existing devices that doesn't sound useful or exciting to YOU does not mean others won't have an actual use for them, i would recommend that you reflect on this idea, because it comes across as somewhat solopsistic.

Good day.