The Switch 2 will be Nintendo's most potent console yet, the developer revealed during today's Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, capable of 4k output while connected to your TV.
"Reading and writing data is also faster," a narrator boasts during the Direct stream, with the help of a brand new Switch 2 dock.
Fine print also indicates that, even if a game does not natively support 4k, the new Switch 2 dock will make it "possible to upscale and output in 4k if the television supports it." Otherwise, games with built-in 4k and HDR options will work as intended as long as your TV display screen can handle it.
In a blog posted after the Direct's conclusion, Switch 2 producer Kouichi Kawamoto, director Takuhiro Dohta, and tech general manager Tetsuya Sasaki further discuss the console's capabilities. The PS4 Pro may have brought us 4k gaming back in 2016, but because of how long Nintendo fans have been trapped in 720p purgatory, the Switch 2 sounds a lot like the first rocket ship to reach heaven.
"While the console has the same thickness as Nintendo Switch," Kawamoto says, "not only is the screen larger, but it also allows for higher [1080p] resolution visuals, it's more vivid, and has a smoother display rate."
"The tech-savvy among you might already be aware, but Nintendo has always developed each new gaming system with a focus on its system memory capacity," Sasaki adds. "This time, we were particularly aggressive in pursuing increased memory size. Aside from the processor, there’s also the LCD screen, internal memory, storage, and of course, each feature involves cost and memory capacity, so we had to strike a balance when powering up the system."
In conclusion, "we believe we've managed to create a system that players won’t feel is outdated later down the line," Dohta says.
