.png){kind=logo}
The Nintendo Switch - OLED Model may have been a replacement for a previously planned Switch "Pro" console. (Image source: Nintendo)
Despite the current Switch console's apparent sales momentum dip, the Nintendo Switch 2 - or Super Switch - is unlikely to appear in 2023. Discussion of the expected next-generation Switch also alluded to the possibility that plans for a Switch Pro were scrapped and the Switch OLED Model was replaced.
In their latest DF Direct Weekly video, Digital Foundry members discuss the future - and past - of the Nintendo Switch console. The journalists were asked if a Nintendo Switch 2 console would be released in 2023 and what specifications they would expect from such a device. While much of the discussion was subjective, John Linneman provided some objective information about Nintendo's Switch plans:
I can understand from talking to different developers, is that there was some sort of mid-generation Switch update planned at one point and that seems to be no longer happening.
Early in 2021, it seemed almost certain that Nintendo would release a Switch Pro console, with leakers claiming knowledge of specs, capabilities, and a launch date. Just as the Switch Pro hype was building, Nintendo announced the Switch OLED model for July 2021. So it's possible that a Switch Pro model was in the works, but COVID-19 and the global chip shortage put a stop to that, and Nintendo instead focused on improving the Switch's display.
Even if the Switch Pro is this "mid-generation Switch update," it still implies that a next-generation Switch is in the works, and there has been some interesting discussion about this. Despite Nintendo Switch sales gradually declining, none of the trio of John, Oliver, and Richard were convinced that a Switch 2 or Super Switch would hit the shelves in 2023. (although over 114 million units have been sold since 2017). The proposed Nvidia Tegra T239 processor, which could end up in a next-generation Switch, remains a mystery, with the current Switch's Tegra X1 showing its age (2015; Tegra X1+ in 2019).
Read Also : What is expected to be used in the iPhone 15
While Nintendo is unlikely to pursue the cutting-edge technology that the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X boast, it will need to ensure that the next-generation Switch has a smooth transition, which would undoubtedly be aided by offering full backwards compatibility with the current Switch console. Support for 4K and DLSS (or DLSS 2.0) has previously been proposed as a suitable upgrade for a next-generation Switch, as has higher resolution gaming at 60 frames per second while in handheld mode. HDR support, a refresh rate of 120 Hz, and even the presence of an SSD have been mentioned in relation to potential Nintendo Switch 2 upgrades.
