An astonishing few hours have seen reports supporting the existence of a 4K-ready Switch Pro console, followed by a swift and direct denial from Nintendo.
A new story from Bloomberg carries claims that at least 11 developers had at one time been working on 4K games for a future 4K-ready Nintendo Switch console.
It also claims that these developers had done so using a software toolkit provided by Nintendo itself, and that Nintendo had instructed them to target the higher 4K resolution.
The report goes on to name the global chip shortage as the key reason why we never got the Switch Pro console many of us were expecting, or at least hoping for.
While the Switch Pro isn’t believed to be dead, the report claims that it won’t now appear until 2022 at the very earliest. With the Nintendo Switch OLED only just set to be released over the coming days, that’s entirely understandable.
Indeed, it’s through the lens of that impending Switch hardware refresh that we should perhaps view Nintendo’s stunningly abrupt denial of the aforementioned Bloomberg report.
The Kyoto-based company tweeted:
That’s quite the outright denial, but it makes sense. With a new console iteration about to come out on October 8, designed specifically to address slowing sales of the original Nintendo Switch, the last thing Nintendo wants is confirmation that another, superior model is just around the corner.
Looking at those comments closer, the claim that “Nintendo is supplying tools to drive game development for a Nintendo Switch with 4K support” is open to a certain amount of interpretation.
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Perhaps Nintendo once supplied development tools for a 4K Switch, then stopped when its plans were delayed. Perhaps these plans are still under way, but for a full blown sequel to the Nintendo Switch that might carry different branding.
Or perhaps, as increasingly unlikely as it sounds, these varied reports of a 4K-ready Nintendo Switch really are a load of hot air.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
