Jubenhimer
Member
Being a Nintendo mobile device, it was inevitable that rumors of revisions and upgrades to the Nintendo Switch would be floating around. This time, Nintendo seems to be trying something a little different. Launching, not one, but 2 new updates to the Switch within close proximity to each-other. One is a rumored Switch mini that strips the system of its dock and Joy-Con controllers, for a strictly handheld only experience. The other, is an upgraded "Pro" model similar to the original system, but with some beefed up specs, better battery life, and a few QoL changes, not too dissimilar to that of the PlayStation 4 Pro or Xbox One X. Since there's not really much of anything interesting regarding a supposed Switch mini, let's focus on the rumored Switch Pro for now.
Now, let's get one thing clear now, this isn't going to bring the system up to next gen levels of power. The Switch as it is now, is pretty powerful for a mobile device. It's PC-based Tegra X1 still holds up remarkably well, and can run a good majority of PC/PS4/Xbox One games at low settings. That, being said, it's still a mobile device, and there are limits to what mobile processors can do at the moment. That means that all of the big, demanding AAA titles are still out of the question, even with a Pro model. Especially with next gen arriving soon. That said, Assuming Switch Pro will be using Tegra X2, that wouldn't actually be a bad thing. As mentioned, Tegra is PC-based, so the Switch is still able to get most of the lower end and less demanding games from both current and next gen consoles, especially with indies and mid-teirs thriving, and game engines being so scalable these days. Plus just like 7th generation consoles, cross-gen games are going to be the norm for at least a good 3 years, so the Switch will have a lot to profit from in that sense.
Back to the main topic, how would a "Pro" model help the Switch regarding developers. I think one thing that would improve is better performance. Nothing crazy huge, but a good enough bump to make a Switch version play more like the console counterparts. As capable as the Switch is, it can't do everything, and even the best Switch ports still have to make some cuts to at least either the resolution or frame-rate. A Switch Pro could help that, by giving developers access to more room for higher resolutions or frame-rates. Even in handheld mode, not everybody can stomach sub-720p resolutions sometimes, and some Switch ports are downright crap in general, so this could help greatly in that regard.
Another thing that could change, is a higher-res display for handheld mode, giving you 1080p on the go if the game supports it. And correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Nvidia said that Tegra was capable of 4K and HDR too, so maybe Nintendo could add support for those down the line. I don't think these things will go mainstream when next-gen launches, but being better prepared for when they do reach widespread adoption is something Nintendo should consider. The last time they waited on adopting a resolution upgrade, it led to their worst received console since the Virtual Boy, and I doubt they want to relive that nightmare again.
So there's that. I don't think the Switch really needs a beefed up "Pro" model, at least, not yet. But getting one out ASAP, would definately help Nintendo in the long run, especially if they want to stick with the Switch for a long time, which they apparently plan to do.
Now, let's get one thing clear now, this isn't going to bring the system up to next gen levels of power. The Switch as it is now, is pretty powerful for a mobile device. It's PC-based Tegra X1 still holds up remarkably well, and can run a good majority of PC/PS4/Xbox One games at low settings. That, being said, it's still a mobile device, and there are limits to what mobile processors can do at the moment. That means that all of the big, demanding AAA titles are still out of the question, even with a Pro model. Especially with next gen arriving soon. That said, Assuming Switch Pro will be using Tegra X2, that wouldn't actually be a bad thing. As mentioned, Tegra is PC-based, so the Switch is still able to get most of the lower end and less demanding games from both current and next gen consoles, especially with indies and mid-teirs thriving, and game engines being so scalable these days. Plus just like 7th generation consoles, cross-gen games are going to be the norm for at least a good 3 years, so the Switch will have a lot to profit from in that sense.
Back to the main topic, how would a "Pro" model help the Switch regarding developers. I think one thing that would improve is better performance. Nothing crazy huge, but a good enough bump to make a Switch version play more like the console counterparts. As capable as the Switch is, it can't do everything, and even the best Switch ports still have to make some cuts to at least either the resolution or frame-rate. A Switch Pro could help that, by giving developers access to more room for higher resolutions or frame-rates. Even in handheld mode, not everybody can stomach sub-720p resolutions sometimes, and some Switch ports are downright crap in general, so this could help greatly in that regard.
Another thing that could change, is a higher-res display for handheld mode, giving you 1080p on the go if the game supports it. And correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Nvidia said that Tegra was capable of 4K and HDR too, so maybe Nintendo could add support for those down the line. I don't think these things will go mainstream when next-gen launches, but being better prepared for when they do reach widespread adoption is something Nintendo should consider. The last time they waited on adopting a resolution upgrade, it led to their worst received console since the Virtual Boy, and I doubt they want to relive that nightmare again.
So there's that. I don't think the Switch really needs a beefed up "Pro" model, at least, not yet. But getting one out ASAP, would definately help Nintendo in the long run, especially if they want to stick with the Switch for a long time, which they apparently plan to do.
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