Nintendo Switch Pro with OLED display is revealed in a new report and could be launched this year

Nintendo Switch Pro with OLED display is revealed in a new report and could be launched this year

According to the latest rumors surrounding this most-rumored gaming console, the Nintendo Switch Pro may feature a new OLED display and be able to output 4K graphics when docked.

Bloomberg, citing "people familiar with the plans," reported that the yet-to-be-announced Switch Pro will ditch the current Nintendo Switch's LCD panel in favor of a 7-inch OLED screen from Samsung. It too will feature 720p resolution, but Bloomberg's sources say it will also be playable in 4K when connected to a TV.

Samsung is reportedly planning to begin production of the screen in June for the Nintendo Switch Pro, which will be released in the holiday season of 2021.

Rumors of a new 4K-capable console may be encouraging for those who have spent fruitless months looking for where to buy a PS5 or an Xbox Series X. The source of this report is an anonymous insider, and it is impossible to independently verify.

At the same time, Bloomberg is arguably a more reputable and reliable insider source than other sources of information on the Nintendo Switch Pro. Recent whispers that the Switch Pro would be as powerful as the PS4 came from gaming forums and Reddit, with questionable sources.

The combination of an OLED screen and 4K TV support is also closer to past leaks. For example, data miner @SciresM found evidence in existing Switch firmware that a new console with an "upgraded" OLED display is in development. There are also hints of a "likely" 4K-capable media SoC that will be part of the new dock, rather than the console itself, to provide a means of up-mixing the Switch Pro's output to ultra-high resolution.

So while this latest Switch Pro rumor should be approached with the same skepticism as any other rumor, the possible OLED display and added 4K capabilities have been brought up too many times to be dismissed as an unlikely feature.

As the Bloomberg report points out, the Switch has been on the market for five years and is competing with newer, more powerful competitors such as the PS5 and Xbox Series X.

The Switch's OLED display and 4K capabilities are also a concern.

It would be difficult (though not impossible) to dramatically improve the Switch's internal hardware while maintaining its portable size. Therefore, focusing on improving the Switch Pro's output options may be an easier and more affordable way for Nintendo to close the gap.

Still, that too is just speculation at this point. The most likely outcome now is more rumors of a Nintendo Switch Pro and whispers of a Nintendo Switch 2. It would be best to keep some seasoning salt on hand for rumors.

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