There have been countless rumours about the Nintendo Switch Pro console over the past few months. From its 720p OLED screen to exclusive games, Nintendo fans should be well versed in what the upgraded Switch could include.
One aspect of the Switch Pro we've not heard much about is the dock.
While the base Switch dock is essentially a glorified cable organiser that charges or connects your Switch via HDMI (albeit in a seamless fashion), the Switch Pro's dock may include its own chip, capable of 4K support.
The source of this rumour? The latest Nintendo Switch system update.
Switch Pro dock leaked in system update
It seems the 12.0.0 update may be more exciting than first thought.
Based on the latest firmware update, dataminers have reportedly found references to a new Nintendo Switch dock through the codename Aula.
The update added the setting "is_crda_fw_update_supported" which is believed to reference Cradle Aula - the name for the Switch Pro dock.
Alongside this, the 12.0.0 update added the setting "4kdp_preferred_over_usb30" - which could be a reference to 4K DisplayPort being preferred instead of USB 3.0. If such a setting is enabled in the Switch Pro, then we could see the upgraded console run in 4K.
Will the Switch Pro run in 4K?
One of the most common rumours about the Nintendo Switch Pro regards its 4K capabilities, although most of these expected this to stem from an upgrade to the console itself.
Previous rumours suggest the Switch Pro could make use of an upgrade to its Tegra X1 chip created by NVIDIA. This will see the console utilise an improved CPU and feature more RAM than the base model.
The Switch Pro may also support NVIDIA's Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) technology. DLSS allows for efficient image upscaling, potentially offering 4K support for the Switch Pro.
While the Pro may run in 4K while docked, the latest reports suggest it will remain at 720p when in handheld. While this may seem disappointing, the screen will see an upgrade of its own. The Pro is alleged to feature a 7-inch OLED screen to replace the current 6.2-inch LCD screen.
With Nintendo set to appear at E3 2021, could this be the reveal we've been waiting for?
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