Rumors of a 4K Nintendo Switch have been flying around the internet for almost as long as the Nintendo Switch has been on the market. The rumor mill went into overdrive earlier this year as reports of a new Nintendo Switch Pro made the rounds, unknown at the time if it’d have 4K capability. However, those leaks turned out to be the recently announced OLED Nintendo Switch, a minor upgrade to the Switch family. Now, Bloomberg is reporting that developers at 11 game studios currently have their hands on 4K Nintendo Switch development kits. According to the report, Nintendo had already begun giving 4K Nintendo Switch development kits to studios when the OLED Nintendo Switch was announced this past summer.
Nintendo has typically gone its own way when it comes to hardware. When Microsoft and Sony were releasing the first HD consoles, back in 2005 and 2006 respectively, Nintendo went in a completely different direction with the SD Nintendo Wii. The Wii went on to become one of the most popular consoles ever and far outsold the Xbox 360 and PS3 during the first few years of its lifespan. When Nintendo finally did release a HD console, the Wii U, it was a huge failure for the company. Nintendo’s success over the past two decades has come from innovative and unique ideas rather than the technological prowess that Sony and Microsoft pride themselves on. Therefore, it’s no surprise that while the Nintendo Switch is vastly underpowered compared to Sony and Microsoft’s consoles of the last decade, it has still been the most popular.
4K Nintendo Switch development kits being in the hands of studios is a good sign that Nintendo may be planning a 4K Switch for 2022. The launch of the Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X last year has pushed 4K gaming on consoles forward. Nintendo may not want to be left behind for much longer. 2022 will mark six years since the first 4K console, the PS4 Pro, was launched. If Nintendo does release a 4K Nintendo Switch Pro next year, the company would be coming to the party very late.
