Nintendo Switch 2 Announcement Countdown: 4K, Controllers, and Launch Rumors
The countdown is almost over. The Nintendo Switch 2 announcement is on the horizon soon through a dedicated Nintendo Direct. The internet is practically buzzing with speculations. Fans are scrutinizing each rumour and leak possible, trying to piece together an image of Nintendo's latest monster.
The Million-Dollar Question: Will It Support 4K
Among the most popular hottest topics is screen resolution. Will Nintendo Switch 2 finally introduce 4K graphics within Nintendo gaming? Rumors suggested yes, at least in docked mode, with possibly the handheld display reaching 1080p. That seemed the next natural upgrade.
However, more recent rumors, apparently originating in developer discussions at GDC, put the kibosh on that suggestion. The rumor was that the development kits already in the wild, the hardware that game developers use to create games, don't really permit 4K output. This naturally disappointed some.
The plot continues. Further investigation of the chipset said to be used within the dock for the Switch 2, a Realtek one like the RTDN2173, also reports that it is fully capable of carrying DisplayPort 1.4 and delivering 8K-busting resolution, let alone 4K. The hardware of the dock seems geared towards high-resolution output. 4K gaming may be back on again. Or 4K perhaps will just be available only in the system's menu screen, which would still be a nice improvement over the original Switch's soft UI on large TVs. That is currently a mystery.
It is also worth noting that dev kits are not always a perfect reflection of the final retail hardware. It is highly likely that 4K support is actually arriving on the final console, even if it was not present on earlier dev kits.
Beyond Pixels: Controller Upgrades and Beyond
Resolution is not the only subject on the agenda. Whispers of overhauled Joy-Cons are circulating, perhaps with better stability than their forebears. Long drift may be over. We hope so.
More exciting to hardcore gamers is word of the new Pro Controller. FCC filings virtually guarantee that the next model, presumably BEE-008, will feature a headphone jack. This is convenient and implies Nintendo might finally be incorporating proper, native voice chat functionality, as opposed to the cumbersome phone app hack applied on the original Switch.
Launch Window Whispers
There have also been rumors about the console's launch. Leaked documents from American retailers suggested pre-orders could go live on the 9th of April. Rumors also floated around that some developers, like those under the Embracer Group umbrella, had not yet received dev kits a couple of months ago. This may fuel rumors of a staggered launch highly focused on first-party Nintendo titles first.
The Wait Is Almost Over
At the moment, it is a whirlpool of conflicting rumors and educated guessing. Luckily for us, we do not have to wait much longer. The next Nintendo Direct will dispense with the rumormongering and give us the official features, specs, price, and hopefully, release date for the Nintendo Switch 2. In no time, the guessing game will be finished, and the next Nintendo gaming saga will begin.
