Nintendo Switch 2 could support 4K graphics (report)

(Image credit: Future)

Nintendo is rumored to be developing a new Nintendo Switch that is larger and more powerful than the current model. Expected to arrive in early 2021, the Switch 2 could steal some thunder from the Xbox Series X and PS5, both of which are set to launch in November.   

The new Nintendo Switch has only been hinted at by Nintendo but a new Bloomberg report reveals one of its most important features: 4K graphics support. The report, which cites  "outside game developers," casually mentions 4K visuals without going into specifics.

"Several outside game developers, speaking anonymously as the issue is private, said that Nintendo has asked them to make their games 4K-ready, suggesting a resolution upgrade is on its way," Bloomberg wrote in a financial report.

A previous Bloomberg report described how Nintendo was building a strong lineup of games for the new hardware. It said the company hadn't finalized specs for the console but was looking at "more computing power" and "4K definition graphics." 

It's possible this means the Switch 2 (or Switch Pro) will use Nvidia's DLSS upscaling technique instead of delivering native 4K output. That would still be an upgrade considering the current models can't handle 4K gaming natively or through upscaling. 

It's worth pointing out that Nintendo is asking devs to "make their games 4K-ready," suggesting games made for the original Switch could get upgraded in Remastered versions. 

Nintendo is in no rush to start selling a Switch Pro. The company, after recovering from supply chain slowdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, is once against meeting demand for the consoles and expects to sell 30 million units this fiscal year.

If that success changes when the PS5 and Xbox Series X launch then Nintendo appears to have a response waiting in the wings. 

Phillip Tracy

Phillip Tracy is the assistant managing editor at Laptop Mag where he reviews laptops, phones and other gadgets while covering the latest industry news. After graduating with a journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin, Phillip became a tech reporter at the Daily Dot. There, he wrote reviews for a range of gadgets and covered everything from social media trends to cybersecurity. Prior to that, he wrote for RCR Wireless News covering 5G and IoT. When he's not tinkering with devices, you can find Phillip playing video games, reading, traveling or watching soccer.