Rumor | Nintendo may release Switch Pro sometime in 2020

While companies like Alienware are trying to capture the magic of the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo may be planning an update to the popular portable console. A “Switch Pro” may be in the cards for 2020.

Citing sources involved with the upstream supply chain for Nintendo’s consoles, Digitimes has stated that a new model of Switch “will begin volume production at the end of first-quarter 2020.”

What exactly that entails isn’t certain at this point, as is what a Switch Pro would offer over the standard Switch. Earlier rumors about the Switch Pro speculated that Nintendo will opt for the recently released Tegra X1+ SoC Nvidia introduced in its 2019 Shield TV. While Nvidia touted the Tegra X1+ was up to 25% more powerful than the X1, benchmarks of the chip place it about 5-10% faster than its older brother.

On paper, if a Switch Pro were to run the Tegra X1+, it’s unlikely there would be much of a performance bump. Other benefits of the Tegra X1+ may appeal to Switch gamers, though; features like Dolby HDR support and the chip’s 4K upscaling software may let Nintendo advertise the Switch Pro as a 4K console, though gamers that use the console in its portable form wouldn’t see much benefit.

All of this may not even come to fruition. The rumors about a Switch Pro earlier this year might have been fulfilled with the Switch’s fall redesign that focused on system efficiency and battery life. As with all rumors, take this one with a grain of salt.

What are your thoughts? Will Nintendo release a Switch Pro? Let us know in the comments.