Nintendo Asking Devs to Prepare 4K Compatible Switch Games

Nintendo consoles are known for many things, but graphical fidelity ain't one of them. The last time Nintendo tried to sell a console on its power and graphics was back in the Gamecube days -- ever since Nintendo has downplayed graphics in favor of innovation and accessibility. The Wii was cheap and used motion controls. The Switch is portable and transformable. The Wii U was garbage. While you could always compare the Switch to other consoles in terms of speed, fun, and exclusives, one field Nintendo seemed content to lose in was graphics.

However, a new report suggests that might be changing -- or at least, that Nintendo is considering offering something more "hardcore" for their audience.

See, last week, the rumor mill had been churning that Nintendo was planning to release a new Switch console next year, something that would have much better graphics and would be targeted towards people who wanted some punch in their games. There was little to back this up, but now, Bloomberg is reporting that several anonymous developers have claimed that Nintendo is asking them to make their games 4K ready -- which would strongly suggest these graphics will at least be comparable to current-gen systems.

But the exact phrasing, "Nintendo has asked them to make their games 4K-ready" has another meaning: Nintendo could also be asking that pre-existing games, like Skyrim, could be getting an optional upgrade that would make them look better on Nintendo's best-selling console. That would be great for certain third-party games -- The Witcher 3 specifically leaps to mind -- but it would also imply Nintendo is doing the same for their own titles.

And I gotta say, the idea of playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in 4K is certainly an attractive proposition.

So far, we're still hurting for any official news, but we'll keep our eyes peeled.