The rumour mill is turning at full speed in relation to a possible Nintendo Switch Pro.
As one of the most popular games consoles of all time, there are fans who are clamouring for an upgraded version with beefed-up specs. One question that people are keen to know the answer to, is what frame rate will the Nintendo Switch Pro run?
So why does this even matter? 60 fps (frames per second) is how many images (or frames) appear on a display per second. The more frames per second, the smoother the image tends to be. This is particularly helpful in situations with a lot of motion, such as sports, or gaming. Higher frame rates also allow for better slow-motion footage.
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Current Nintendo Switch FPS
The current Nintendo Switch doesn't try to compete with the consoles produced by Microsoft and Sony in terms of raw power.
It does not, for example, offer native 4K resolution. But despite this, there are a huge number of Switch games that do support 60fps gameplay. Some games will run at 60fps when docked, but drop to 30fps when in handheld mode.
Others may boost the frame rate or drop it, depending on what is happening in the game. But this decision is less about the console itself, and more about what game developers decide is the optimum way to build their game. Software updates can also improve game performance.
So the current Nintendo Switch certainly has the capability of running games at 60 fps. But what about the Nintendo Switch Pro? Will 60fps be standard on the new console?
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Will the Nintendo Switch Pro run at 60 fps?
As things stand, there is no definitive answer on this. The Switch Pro, while hotly anticipated for the coming year, remains unconfirmed by Nintendo. So everything that we say now is inevitably based on speculation.
But what we know for certain, is that if the current Nintendo Switch can support games at 60fps, it would seem very unlikely that Nintendo would remove that support for a new console.
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The more exciting question might be whether the Switch Pro will support 4k. In combination with 60fps, this would make for some even more stunning games to play. With Nintendo having confirmed their attendance at E3this June, we are just a few days away from finding out whether the Switch Pro will be announced.