Oh, Nintendo Switch Pro, where art thou? It's perhaps the most elusive machine in the history of gaming, and the cycle of on-again-off-again rumours has been positively dizzying. Here's another rumour, and thankfully, it's off the on-again variety.
According to new reports, not only has Nintendo registered a new trademark, but it's also massively increased its spending on raw materials in 2022. Put these two together and it can only mean one thing (well, at least we hope it can): the Switch Pro is coming. Want to start playing right now? Check out the best Nintendo Switch deals available now. If you have a console, then take a look at our guide to the best Nintendo Switch games out now.
A fan-made render of the Nintendo Switch Pro (Image credit: Computer Bild)
Hypebeast has clocked that Nintendo has filed a trademark titled 'NSW' (glad there's no 'F' in there) via the European Union Intellectual Property Office. Which has led gamers to speculate that the first two letters stand for Nintendo Switch. Could the new console be called the Nintendo Switch W? Or the Nintendo Switch Wii? Stranger things have happened.
An obscure trademark listing might not be much to go on, but when coupled with the next rumour, it starts to look a little more compelling. As spotted by Tom's Guide, Nintendo's recent financial report reveals that it has spent nearly $500M on raw materials, compared with $92M last year. So it looks like the company is planning something big.
Another artist's impression of the rumoured Switch sequel (Image credit: ZONEofTECH)
So what can we expect from the Switch Pro? Naturally, all of the juiciest Switch Pro rumours are regarding the internals. We've heard that the machine will be capable of 4K output, something that gamers have been begging for – and many were disappointed not to see arrive with the Switch OLED. Indeed, exploring Breath of the Wild's Hyrule or zooming around Bowser's castle in Mario Kart would be infinitely more immersive in crisp 4K.
We've also heard that the Switch Pro could feature NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) AI rendering technology, along with a more capable CPU. One Nintendo leaker has claimed that the Switch Pro's power will amount to around that of a PS4 – pretty impressive for a handheld device.
Time will tell whether these rumours indeed turn out to be true. In the meantime, if you want your Mario fix right now, check out today's best Nintendo Switch deals below.
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Daniel John is Design Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of design, branding and lifestyle tech, and has covered several industry events including Milan Design Week, OFFF Barcelona and Adobe Max in Los Angeles.
