10 Bold Predictions For The New Gaming Generation

Few could've predicted the astronomical success of the Nintendo Switch this past generation, serving up a mammoth mea culpa to fans after the disastrous launch of the Wii U.

But with the Switch's hardware already proving relatively outdated - despite its impressive ability to handle scaled-down versions of new games - many have been speculating when Nintendo might finally pull the trigger on a "Switch Pro" hardware revision.

It's just a matter of time before the curtain lifts, of course: it's well-known that the hardware is being worked on, with rumours indicating it will be capable of running at 4K resolution and hit stores as soon as next year.

Given Nintendo's iffy track record with library maintenance, many are also questioning whether or not the Switch Pro/Switch 2 will be fully backwards compatible with the original Switch.

As much as Nintendo seems so aggressively backwards at times, often to their own commercial detriment, this new gaming era will see them make strides in backwards compatibility by ensuring that most Nintendo games will be playable on both versions of the hardware.

Of course it goes without saying that this will likely taper off later in the generation, but you shouldn't expect Nintendo to start releasing Switch Pro-exclusive titles anytime soon.

The O.G. Switch will certainly be pretty long in the tooth by 2027 - being a decade old by that point - but considering that Nintendo supported the 3DS for a few months shy of 10 years, there's existing precedent to support its longevity for as long as new games will run on it.