Report suggests Nintendo Switch 2 dev kits don't have 4K output (2025)

Published Mar 31st, 2025 7:32PM EDT

Image: Nintendo

Between the avalanche of leaks and Nintendo’s official reveal in January, most of our questions about the Switch 2 have been answered by now. That said, mysteries about the console remain, such as whether or not Switch 2 games support 4K. Unfortunately, a new leak suggests that we might have to wait a few more years for 4K Nintendo games.

On the latest episode of the Insider Gaming Weekly podcast, Insider Gaming’s Tom Henderson shared intriguing new information he gathered at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) that took place in San Francisco from March 17 to 21.

“I heard this from one developer at GDC and also heard it separately in an email but the [Switch 2] dev kits, or some of the dev kits, don’t have a 4K output,” Henderson said.

Insider Gaming notes that these console development kits don’t always feature the exact same specifications and features as the retail models that hit store shelves. There’s still a chance that the Nintendo Switch 2 will support 4K games when it launches, but it would be smart to temper your expectations ahead of the Nintendo Direct on April 2.

The Switch was a runaway success with a fraction of the horsepower as the PS4 or Xbox One (much less the PS5 or Xbox Series X), so there’s no reason to believe that will change with the Switch 2. That said, 4K gaming is now the norm, and it would be disappointing to see Nintendo make us wait until the Switch 3 to see Mario or Zelda in 4K.

Thankfully, the specifications of the Switch 2 won’t be a mystery for long. The next Nintendo Direct will stream live on April 2 at 6 a.m. PT / 9 a.m. ET.

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