JAPANESE gaming giant Nintendo is working on a new version of its smash hit console the Nintendo Switch, according to reports.
The machine is said to support 4K graphics and do away with its predecessor’s ability to swap from a handheld console to one that plugs into your telly.
The “Nintendo Switch Pro”, as it’s thought to be called, has been rumoured for some time and is believed to be Nintendo’s answer to upcoming consoles from its biggest rivals.
Microsoft’s Xbox Series X and Sony’s PlayStation 5 are both confirmed for release ahead of Christmas 2020.
Nintendo hasn’t launched a new flagship console since the Switch came out in 2017 – but has a major upgrade in the works, according to Bloomberg.
Like the PS5 and Series X, the new Switch will likely support 4K gaming, unnamed insiders told the US news site.
They said “several outside game developers” have been asked by Nintendo to prepare their titles for a 4K upgrade.
As the current Switch doesn’t support 4K, its safe to assume these upgrades are in light of a new Nintendo console on the horizon.
The report does not provide an exact release date for the rumoured console, nor does it hint at how much the high-powered machine will cost.
A second report this week from gaming site Video Games Chronicles unearthed a Nintendo patent for a new Switch Joy Con design.
The patent filed by Nintendo in April describes the new Joy Con as a “controller for a computer”.
This suggests it will stand alone and won’t be slotted into the console like current Switch machine, hinting the new version will ditch handheld mode and work as a dedicated home console.
The two reports are merely rumours for now, so take them with a pinch of salt.
Nintendo hasn’t even acknowledged it’s working on a new Switch console yet. The company declined a request for comment.
It wouldn’t be the first time Nintendo has released an upgrade for its chart-topping console.
Last year, a refreshed edition of the Switch with better battery life was launched across the globe.
Nintendo also released the Switch Lite in 2019, a cheaper, handheld-only version of the console that ditched the TV dock.
The firm has shipped more than 60million Switch consoles worldwide but will be looking to freshen it following the release of the Series X and PS5.