Rumours about the so-called Nintendo Switch Pro have been hotting up for a while now, with leaks suggesting that the four year-old console is in for some pretty exciting graphical upgrades. And we may have just been given our best glimpse yet at what it could be capable of, courtesy of a stunning video of Zelda: Breath of the Wild upgraded to a whopping 8K.
The video (below) shows a modded version of the game, with the graphics upscaled to four times the current Switch's maximum output of 1080p. And, spoiler alert, it makes Breath of the Wild (one of the best Nintendo Switch games) look, well, breathtakingly wild.
Created by Digital Dreams, the footage not only bumps up the resolution, but it also adds the polish of raytracing. This is a technique for creating much more advanced and realistic lighting by simulating the way it bounces off objects. It's a rendering tool that was, until recently, confined to the realms of CGI movies – but it's beginning to bounce its way into video games. Needless to say, it requires a lot of horsepower – but our best computers for video editing ought to be up to the task.
And in the woods of Zelda's kingdom of Hyrule, it looks absolutely stunning. Dappled light pours between branches, and mountainous rocks look more realistic than ever before. The whole thing looks much more immersive than ever before.
As for whether 8K Zelda will become a reality any time soon, that all depends on the technical prowess of the Switch Pro (or, as it's rumoured to be called, the Super Nintendo Switch). With leaks suggesting the next Switch will max out at 4K, the video above might have to remain a fantasy for a few years yet. But who knows – with the new PS5 and Xbox Series X offering incredible graphics, maybe Nintendo is planning to play blinder in order to stay in the game.
Still, even if the Switch sequel can't match up to this 8K extravaganza, it still sounds like a solid upgrade for gamers – especially in handheld mode. The device is rumoured to feature a large OLED display, and similar internals to that of the PS4. Indeed, a portable device as powerful as the PS4 sounds pretty incredible.
Time will tell what Nintendo has in store, but if you're ready to start playing right now, check out today's best games console deals below. And don't forget to swing by our Nintendo Switch deals page for more brilliant offers.
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