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We're reportedly less than 12 months away from the release of the Nintendo Switch Pro, according to a new report from financial analysts and gaming industry experts. There have been plenty of rumors about the alleged upgraded Switch console, including one previous prediction that the system would be released sometime in 2021. Now, it seems there's a bit more wiggle room into next year, as new predictions say the Nintendo Switch Pro will come out before March 2022.

Nintendo has yet to officially confirm the planned release of a Nintendo Switch Pro, so there's no exact timeline yet. However, rumors of an upgraded Switch within the next year have heated up considerably in recent months. In early February, Nintendo's financial report noted that the Switch Pro was not planned for release "anytime soon," but insinuated that there was a new console on the way. Fans felt even more hopeful when former Game Informer senior editor Imran Khan alleged that developers already had access to Switch Pro dev kits. The latest fuel to the fire came just last week when it was revealed that production on the chips used in the Switch and Switch Lite will soon cease, meaning that a new system is likely on the way.

All of these signs have made Bloomberg's latest prediction of a Switch Pro release before March 2022 pretty believable. A new report stated that Nintendo is about to have "record" sales in the next year, in part due to the new console. "Kyoto-based Nintendo is planning for sales of its signature Switch game console to be flat or slightly higher in the fiscal year ending March 2022, boosted by the introduction of a version with an OLED display," the report stated. Bloomberg Intelligence’s Matthew Kanterman also said via the report that Nintendo's hardware sales will likely see a decline starting in April, "without an upgraded Switch."

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Bloomberg previously claimed that the Nintendo Switch Pro will use a Samsung OLED display for a better picture, as well as a larger screen and 720p resolution in handheld mode. When plugged into a TV, the upgraded Switch will allegedly support 4K resolution, which is in line with the offerings of Sony's PlayStation 5 and Microsoft's Xbox Series X|S. Bloomberg analysts and other industry insiders predicted that the Switch Pro would come in the latter half of 2021.

The actual release plans for the Nintendo Switch Pro are still up in the air, but the rumors seem to hold more merit with each passing day. Even if an upgraded console doesn't come within the next year, the Switch and Switch Lite are still doing considerably well. There's still plenty to look forward to on the current Nintendo consoles, including the HD remaster of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, which has already sold out of pre-orders.