Nintendo Switch 2: what we know about what can happen in 2021

The switch has It was a great success for Nintendo, especially after 2020 when we all stayed at home playing Cross between animals. The question now is … what’s next? The signs point to a new 7-inch OLED model with possible game in 4K when coupled, arriving at the end of this year. It can also have a new Nvidia processor that is capable of 4K Nintendo games for the first time.

Does this mean that a Switch 2 will come later this year? It sure seems so. Maybe it’s called Switch 2. Or Switch Pro. New Nintendo Switch. Super Nintendo Switch. Super Nintendo Switch XL. Call it what you want, but it’s time for new Nintendo hardware to emerge. It seems increasingly likely that that long-standing “Switch Pro” could happen in 2021.

O Nintendo Switch debuted four years ago; the least expensive Switch Lite arrived two years ago. Meanwhile, the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 have arrived: Sony and Microsoft are in the land of next generation consoles. Meanwhile, a recent Nintendo summary of the next Switch games there was no news about any new Switch hardware, and it looked light in new big name games.

Nintendo, as always, is shy about details. An interview by Polygon with Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser last December suggested that the Switch was in the middle of the console cycle, and that “existing form factors” would be honored. But reports of new hardware are forming. A Bloomberg report from the beginning of last year said that Nintendo may already be looking for developers to upgrade their games to 4K for an eventual hardware upgrade. Newer reports give even more details about the Nvidia hardware that may be inside.

The Nintendo Switch has already sold more systems than the Nintendo 3DS, and could eventually reach the Wii. A new switch may be more expensive, but it can live with existing switch models. Of course, if a new switch arrives, expect some important games to be released along with it.

When asked about future plans, Nintendo declined to comment.

Most likely: larger OLED screen, enhanced TV games when docked

A Bloomberg report says that the updated switch that will arrive this year will have a 7-inch Samsung OLED 720p. The existing Switch and Switch Lite have 720p screens, but are 6.2 and 5.5 inch LCD panels. Reports for a larger switch screen go back to last yearat least, but the reports pointed to different monitor manufacturers.

This is not a big increase in screen size, but it may come with the redesign of the case to make it more compact. Then again, if a new switch changes its body size, it can be a problem when connecting with older switch accessories.

The resolution of the 4K game on a TV – mentioned in more detail in a second Bloomberg report emphasizing a new Nvidia chip – seems delayed, but it would also mean a new wave of games that are optimized for 4K. If so, how would these games work on a 720p moving screen, and how would these games feel on older Switches?

Previous Nintendo 3DS updates give you an idea of ​​how the Switch can evolve gradually

Even if the Original Nintendo Switch arrived in 2017, there have been some developments since then. The most affordable, just portable Switch Lite arrived last fall and has been the easiest switch to find in stock online. The original pluggable switch has a significant increase in battery life around that time too.

While consoles connected to Nintendo TV do not generally receive many updates after launch, Nintendo handhelds tend to evolve every two years. O Nintendo 3ds (early 2011) was followed by the bigger screen 3DS XL (mid-2012), the Nintendo 2DS (2013), New Nintendo 3DS and New Nintendo 3DS XL (end of 2014 – beginning of 2015), and New Nintendo 2DS XL (2017).

In that timeline, getting another Switch update would happen … this year. Is this going to happen? Well, 2017 was a long time ago, and Switch Lite in 2019 was basically a cosmetic update (and a reduction in features).

More about game consoles

Small updates can still offer many advantages

I could dream all day about how a new Switch 2 could take modular games to unfamiliar territory, but the Switch is in a highly successful mode right now and it seems extremely unlikely that Nintendo could shake that. Adjusting the hardware formula, however, with some extra advantages in a brand new model seems a very likely change.

The Switch is a system that gets very worn out: Pause Joy-Cons, their backs crack, they take dings and are thrown to the side by accident. Moving to a new version every few years is not a crazy idea for a serious player.

We are also at the point where the game console ports are perhaps experiencing some difficulty with the current Switch hardware. O PS5 and Xbox Series X run rings around the switch in terms of performance. Big deal, you might think: except, well, the Switch should really allow at least 4K games at this point. Or some graphics and improved performance for games that are downloaded. This would help in cross-platform games, which seem to be happening at an ever-increasing rate.

My Wish List

An XL version with a larger OLED screen (and 1080p)

I admit, I look a lot at the Switch screen, especially the smaller Switch Lite. The 3DS got a bigger screen and it could be easy to make an XL switch that reduces large bezels and expands the screen all over the body. Maybe 7 inches or 7.5. Make the screen look better and brighter, and allow it to show the best 1080p resolution you can get with the Switch games attached.

The screen can also switch to OLED. This would certainly help in the clarity and quality of the display. The existing switch displays are fine, but not great.

An improved processor

The older Nvidia Tegra processor on the switch can handle games well, but that fan on the top shows that it has to work a little more than I’m comfortable with. In addition to not requiring a ventilation fan (perhaps), an improved Switch processor can also aim to increase the performance of the handheld device up to what the attached switch can do. Four years later, it is clear that I would expect a new processor.

4K when docked

If a new processor is on board, it should help send 4K games to a TV when docked. This would help games look more beautiful, but it would also allow for a better looking split screen multiplayer. I do that a lot on Switch now and would love to see games use more space on my TV.

Easier fitting

If the integrated processor can handle graphics better, perhaps that also means that the Switch’s strange and bulky dock can also be reduced. I prefer an official Nintendo unit that is really compact and easier to pack and travel with. Third-party options already exist, but I hope that the whole official package will be more elegant.

Bluetooth audio

I still keep a pair of 3.5 mm headphones to connect to the switch, somewhere near my nightstand. It’s an absurd. Everything else works with Bluetooth headsets, but not the Switch. Nintendo controllers are wireless. Come on, introduce the Bluetooth audio.

Repair support

The dockable switch can also be a great little arcade machine for two players. I love that idea. Switch support does not make this idea work very well, however. I need to balance everything right, or the Switch goes down (not a good idea for children). Perhaps a revised and smaller Switch dock could function as a support bracket.

Includes many colors (like Switch Lite)

I’m just saying that color switches are fun and the original switch is only available in black.

More robust Joy-Cons (with D-pads and analog triggers)

Because Joy-Con fits in Labo and Ring Fit Adventure and other accessories, I’m not sure if it makes sense to change the general shape of the controllers. But there really needs to be an update. My son, who came in Fifteen days on Xbox, the comments on the Switch’s controls don’t look good enough. Nintendo has its Pro controller, but it still lacks analog triggers.

A new version of Joy-Cons is well behind schedule. I would love to see a less complicated review that doesn’t look so worn out over time. I would like an improved vibration with a more accurate tactile feel, and what would be really good is a true analog set of trigger buttons for games that could take advantage of them.

And D-pads. Switch Lite has changed the buttons on the left to present a true and classic Nintendo-style directional that helps make games like NES Classics or Tetris 99 more natural. The Joy-Con controllers on the original switch don’t have D-pads, but it would be great if one did.

Would you arrive on vacation or sooner?

Four and a half years seems like the perfect time for an updated Switch to emerge. It doesn’t have to be a completely new system, but it can be completely improved. With the success that Nintendo has already seen with the Switch, it makes a lot of sense. It may even justify a higher price (as reports have suggested).

But if Nintendo’s previous hardware updates are an indicator, the changes may not be big enough to inspire the purchase of a new one. Existing switch owners can be very well with what they already have, unless you want to wait or upgrade when the time comes. Much like the mid-life console updates from PlayStation and Xbox (the PS4 Pro or Xbox One X), they are good, but not necessary.

To get the real opinion of an expert, however, I went to my 8-year-old son. He says: “Take two small controllers, separate them and open a tiny screen. It’s a switch that you can put in your pocket.” I don’t know if a Micro Switch will happen soon, but it is what he wants. It is not a terrible idea.