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Update 09/30: Nintendo and Zynga have both denied the existence of a 4K-capable Nintendo Switch model.
In the two tweets seen just below, Nintendo has stated another Nintendo Switch model isn’t planned at the current time, citing Bloomberg’s new report as inaccurate. This could either mean that a new 4K-capable Switch model genuinely isn’t in production right now, or it could be Nintendo’s way of reassuring those who purchase the Nintendo Switch OLED Model next month, as well as their investors.
We also want to restate that, as we announced in July, we have no plans for any new model other than Nintendo Switch – OLED Model, which will launch on October 8, 2021. (2/2)September 30, 2021
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Then, in a statement to Kotaku (opens in new tab), Star Wars: Hunters developer Zynga denied that they ever had access to a Nintendo Switch 4K console. It says: “As a Switch developer for the upcoming Star Wars: Hunters game that Zynga announced on a recent Nintendo Direct, we can confirm that none of the developer kits Zynga has or is in receipt of are 4K developer kits.”
Original: Nintendo was reportedly working on a 4K Switch, but changed plans after it already provided dev kits to various studios.
This information comes from Bloomberg (opens in new tab), which was the first to report on the development of a 4K-enabled Nintendo Switch Pro back in March. The console was reportedly planned for release this year and would’ve sported an Nvidia chip that would support 4K resolution with the console docked. What we got instead, of course, was the Nintendo Switch OLED, which has the same guts as the original Switch but displays games through a better screen.
Now, Bloomberg is reporting that Nintendo had indeed been working on a 4K Switch Pro, but ultimately decided on a different direction due to widespread chip supply shortages. It’s also said that Nintendo had sent out 4K Switch dev kits to at least 11 companies, from well-known publishers to indie studios, including one which had never released a game before.
Bloomberg’s reporting suggests that we won’t see a Nintendo console that supports 4K until late 2022 at the very earliest, which makes sense as the Switch OLED doesn’t launch until next month. It’s worth noting that Nintendo responded to Bloomberg, calling its reporting “inaccurate,” but didn’t specify further.
Developers who had received 4K Switch dev kits are reportedly still working on their games and plan to release them “during or after the second half of next year,” though it remains uncertain whether Nintendo will ever release a Switch console with 4K capabilities.
The new Nintendo Switch OLED comes out October 8 and costs $350, a good chunk more than the current Switch. Whether it’s worth the extra money will depend entirely on how much you play the console in handheld mode, as docked the two Switch consoles will function identically.
For what to play right now, check out our guide to the best Switch games available in 2021.
