Nintendo Switch Pro could be a much more serious upgrade, according to analyst Dr. Serkan Toto from Kantan Games. The newest information about a revamped Switch console is based on a report from Digitimes, which is apparently sourced from various anonymous Taiwanese manufacturers.
There’s a couple of new claims coming from this report, and they paint a picture of an entirely new Switch. According to the first major bombshell, the unconfirmed console could “come with a magnesium alloy body.” This would be a pretty big improvement in durability for the body of the console. The ABS plastics used in the current line of Nintendo consoles offer some solid resistance to drops and scratches, but a more rugged alloy body may hold up even better.
The new magnesium alloy body could help even better with heat dissipation for a more powerful Switch Pro as well. That’s because there are rumblings of a new CPU going into the console. The Switch already uses a combination of a copper heatsink and alloy heatshield, so surrounding that with a sturdier body could increase the potential for better cooling by allowing a little bit better transfer of heat. I wouldn’t worry about it burning your hands though, as the setup would likely use thermal pads or some other conductive material, combined with a beefier fan, to direct heat out and away from the main chip.
“Another claim is that the device will come with a better CPU,” says Toto, based on the statements from DigiTimes. The original and V2 Switch use modified versions of the NVIDIA Tegra X1 chipset. And by leveraging a variable clock speed when in docked or handheld mode, developers are able to offer some surprisingly solid performance for a portable console. Introducing a more modern chipset into the mix would allow for better performance. Although with the battery life improvements of the V2 console, I would temper any expectations of having a PS4 or Xbox One comparable experience on the go for hours on end with the Switch Pro.
All of this seems very appealing, but there’s something to keep in mind. The launch of the PS5 and Xbox Series X are coming rather soon. Nintendo may have to take a pretty big gamble. Around 40 million Switch consoles have already been sold since the 2017 launch. Trying to resell a minor upgrade might be a tough prospect compared to the attitude of consumers who might want to save up for a much more powerful console.
The other major hurdle to taking these rumors seriously is that Digitimes has a somewhat spotty track record, especially when it comes to Nintendo. But if they’re correct, The new Switch Pro could be on store shelves by mid-2020, with production beginning soon.