Nintendo Switch Pro specs leaked; details data-mined from firmware
Well-known data miner and console hacker SciresM has leaked specifications of what could be the Nintendo Switch Pro. The details were buried within the firmware of the current-gen Switch console. The product, codenamed Aula, is rumored to be the production-spec Nintendo Switch Pro, featuring a faster SoC and 4K OLED display. Some questionable leaks also surfaced on Twitter, hinting at a Q1 2021 launch.
Handheld mode and possibly a 4K display
The firmware shows promise according to the leakster SciresM. Like the Switch, the next-gen console will work both in handheld and docked modes. The display on the new device has been under development for close to two years. It will most likely be a 4K OLED panel. The Switch Pro's Mariko System on Chip (SoC) is expected to run significantly cooler.
Additional details from SciresM's leak
The Switch Pro's OLED screen might be powered by a Realtek chip enabling 4K gaming in docked mode. The Switch may not support 4K gaming in handheld mode due to increased power draw and battery drain associated with rendering high-resolution graphics. Although this leak shows promise, many previous Switch rumors have been proven untrue or otherwise dismissed by Nintendo itself.
Expected release dates and likely launch-day titles
In a picture of what looks like an internal document peppered with errors, games such as Call of Duty: Cold War, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of the Past, and GTA 5 are expected to be out as soon as April this year. This particular leak doesn't look very credible, with the Twitter post where it was shared being rife with speculation.
Switch firmware leak spurs hope for a truly next-gen handheld
If it comes to fruition, the Nintendo Switch Pro will have the potential to be this year's biggest video game hardware launch, going by the sales records set by the outgoing Switch models. With most of this leak coming from the Switch firmware, it will be interesting to see how much of all these features are seen in the final product.
