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SYFY WIRE nintendo switch

Nintendo reportedly plans on releasing a bigger, stronger Switch model for 2021

By Justin Carter
Nintendo Switch

Fans of the Nintendo Switch have been wondering for months if the system would receive a new model, and quickly took to dubbing the would-be console the "Switch Pro." Now, according to Bloomberg, it appears that upgraded Switch is in active development, and with a bigger OLED display. 

The new console, which has yet to be given a full name, is planned to be unveiled later this year, according to Bloomberg's sources that are familiar with Nintendo's plans. Per the report, Samsung will begin mass producing 7-inch, 720p resolution panels as early as June, with the displays later sent to assemblers around July. In addition to consuming less battery, these new panels offer better response time compared to the current Switch model.

For tech heavy fans, the new Switch will also reportedly come with 4K resolution when paired with TVs and be 7 inches across. (The current Switch model and its Lite version are respectively 6.2 and 5.5 inches across.) Presently, the Switch only goes up to 1080p, depending on if it's in handheld or docked mode, which has been a point of contention for some game developers. 

Should all go according to plan, the new system will release around the holidays, not unlike the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series systems last year. Because both rival systems are currently facing a shortage of chips required to run them, the two consoles have been short on supply. So perhaps this is the perfect opportunity for Nintendo to release a new system, especially since the original Switch held its own against Sony and Microsoft in 2020 thanks to games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons that sold big during the pandemic.

It's worth noting that later this year, Nintendo plans on releasing remasters of Pokemon Diamond/Pearlwith 2022 receiving a new entry in the form of Pokemon Legends: Arceus. With how bundle happy the publisher has been in the past, it wouldn't be out of the question for one or both games to receive a special bundle with the new Switch. 

At this moment, Nintendo has yet to officially confirm the existence of the new Nintendo Switch. SYFY WIRE has reached out to Nintendo for confirmation.