- A hacker known for data-mining says that he obtained some Switch Pro specifications from Nintendo’s own firmware.
- The highly anticipated Nintendo Switch Pro console will feature an OLED display, a new processor, better cooling, and better battery life.
- The console will also enable 4K gaming when docked, as the dock itself will be powered by a different processor.
Some analysts looking at the years ahead speculate that Nintendo will release the Switch Pro at some point in 2021, sooner rather than later. Some of those analysts were wrong last year with similar predictions. But even though Nintendo likes to shoot down Switch Pro rumors now and then, these rumors do exist.
A better version of the console that sold better than the PlayStation and Xbox last year must be in development, especially now that the PS5 and Xbox Series X have arrived. A new leak reveals details that were not featured in other recent Switch Pro rumors, including specs that indicate 4K gaming will be possible on the console.
A well-known console hacker and data miner that goes by the handle of SciresM has found several clues about the Switch Pro. According to the hacker, Nintendo has been working on the new model for as many as two years. The firmware seems to indicate the Switch Pro, codenamed Aula, will support 4K gaming. The device would support both docked and handheld gaming and would run on a Mariko system-on-chip (SoC). The chip will offer better cooling and battery life, according to the leaker.
The Switch Pro tablet will have an OLED screen, which would be a significant upgrade. It’s unclear whether it will support 4K gaming in handheld mode. The dock could rock a Realtek chip advertised as a “4K UHD multimedia SoC” that could enable 4K gaming when the console is docked.
This is the best Switch Pro leak we got so far, even though the information scooped from the firmware is far from giving us a complete look at the Switch Pro’s specs.
Then there’s also a Switch Pro leak that looks too good to be true. That’s the following image that offers various Switch Pro details from a typo-rich “internal document”:
Please be real. pic.twitter.com/MELdryhGn6
— Gothalion (@Gothalion) January 5, 2021
The image says the Switch Pro will have 256GB of storage, 4K support, and cost $399. A preview trailer should arrive in mid-April, with the document also listing several purported games for the Switch and Switch Pro.
If the Switch Pro launch is planned for the first half of this year, we’ll probably see more rumors soon from more trusted sources that Nintendo will likely refuse to entertain. But Nintendo will also have to announce the device at some point in the coming months if the Switch Pro launch is scheduled for the first half of the year.
