Nintendo is readying an upgraded 4K Switch console for 2021, says a new report from Bloomberg. At the present time Nintendo still can't make the current gen machines fast enough but will be very aware that things could swing dramatically, in a bad way, with pressure from various games industry rivals (rival next gen consoles, mobiles, etc) and other factors at play.
We don't have a lot of details about the console capabilities from Bloomberg's 'people briefed on the strategy'. What they do say is that the new Switch will wield greater computing power and be a better match for the increasingly prevalent in homes 4K TV.
As an upgraded Nintendo Switch console, rather than a new generation device, one must assume that Nintendo will continue to rely on an Nvidia design SoC. It is hard to predict what an upgraded Tegra of some kind would offer, but knowing Nintendo's MO it will definitely not be threatening the kind of graphical detail and frame rates we will see delivered at 4K by the likes of the Xbox Series X and PS5.
The unnamed sources indicate that, this year might have been relatively quiet for first and third party Switch titles but that will change in 2021 with the introduction of the 4K Switch. This kind of explains the current software lull - development resources and time.
Nintendo's Switch popularity this year has been spurred by the Covid-19 pandemic; kids staying at home, and older folks working from home. Above I noted that Nintendo has struggled with console production (though it is tackling this issue) but its software, which can be distributed digitally, has continued to deliver a steady stream of income. For example, Animal Crossing: New Horizons and its record breaking sales figures has helped boost Nintendo's share price by 70 per cent since March.
