Nintendo Switch Pro could have two screens like a DS or Wii U: what would the second screen do?


Rumours around the fabled Nintendo Switch Pro have always focused on a boost in power and ability, but now it sounds like Nintendo could be planning a bigger overhaul involving a second screen!

We've already speculated about what an SSD could do, whether this next-gen Switch could have 4K visuals, and we've even pondered the idea of it being called the Super Switch.

It's an odd time for Switch owners because we're all looking at the increasingly extraordinary power of the Xbox Series X and the PS5. All the while, we are holding our little hybrid console in our hands and wishing it could load games faster.

So, as we look ahead to what could be, let's dig into this rumour about the Switch Pro having two screens...

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Nintendo Switch Pro could have two screens

Mike Heskin, or @hexkyz on Twitter, is a reverse engineer and InfoSec enthusiast, and they've also been digging around in the latest Nintendo Switch update.

According to their tweet, "Firmware 10.0.0 adds preliminary support for a new hardware model: "nx-abcd". This makes it sound like a new model of the Switch hardware is coming.

Apparently, "3 of the 5 new DRAM profiles are for this new hardware type, and there's evidence of a secondary display of sorts being added exclusively on this model."

This could mean a lot of different things. The most obvious is that the next version of the Switch could be a dual-screen, meaning we could be seeing a return to the DS style of doing things.

Read more: How to remap controllers on Nintendo Switch

The DS was a triumph for two-screen gaming.
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The DS was a triumph for two-screen gaming.

What would the Nintendo Switch Pro second screen do?

A second screen is a lovely thought, but what would it actually do?

Could we be looking at a folding two-screen Switch that you can take on the go, basically a cross between a Switch Lite and a DS?

Or will the second screen be something that we use at home on the sofa, sitting between our Joy-cons and complimenting the display on the TV, providing a similar feel to Wii U gamepad?

Either way, we would expect this second screen to be a touch-screen like the current Switch screen. It could well connect us to maps, settings, chats and extra pieces of gameplay action.

Read more: The history of Nintendo controllers

The Wii U gamepad - a controller/screen hybrid!
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The Wii U gamepad - a controller/screen hybrid!

Could we connect a tablet or phone to Nintendo Switch?

It's also possible that the Switch Pro could utilise tablets and/or phones as a second screen option, allowing gamers to connect up their own touch-screen devices to the Switch.

Modders have already found ways to use their smartphones as Switch controllers (there's even an ingenious way to work around Joy-con drift using a phone), and perhaps this upcoming Switch hardware will contain a similar functionality.

Perhaps we could see some kind of official tablet released by Nintendo, which could connect to the Nintendo Switch and add another option to the hybrid console's multifaceted arsenal. We'll just have to wait and see...

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