4K Nintendo Switch Dev Kits Do Exist; Consumer Units Could Arrive On Store Shelves By 2022

Come 8 October, the Nintendo Switch OLED model will be available for purchase, first in the US. As its name implies, the new Switch will feature a new OLED display, but not one with the 4K resolution that many fans had initially expected. It’s a move by Nintendo that, frankly, surprised game developers and for a pretty damn good reason to boot: many of them say that they had developed their respective titles with Switch development kits that were capable of supporting 4K graphics.

According to Bloomberg, developers working at no less than 11 game companies confirmed that their teams were definitely in possession of 4K-capable Switch dev kits. The developers aren’t just small-time companies either; while they had asked not to be named, there is little doubt that several of them would be prominent studios and companies.

In light of the report, Nintendo responded to Bloomberg soon after, saying that its reports about the 4K Switch dev kits was merely “inaccurate” and did not elaborate on any of its statement any further. It also reiterated that it had no plans for any other Switch models beyond the OLED variant at the current moment.

Despite the refute, developers that claim that they are developing 4K titles for Switch, say that their games should be out sometime “during or after” the second half of 2022. If that is to be believed, then it is likely that a Nintendo Switch capable of 4K output would also be made available around the same time.

Tencent Acquires British Game Dev Sumo Digital For US$1.27 Billion

You may or may not have heard of a British video games developer called Sumo Digital. The studio has done its fair share as a support studio for new entries in the new Hitman series, as well as being the name behind titles like LittleBigPlanet 3 Team Sonic Racing. This developer will soon be under the Tencent umbrella, as the conglomerate has just announced its acquisition of the studio.

CNA reports that Tencent and Sumo Digital have agreed to a US$1.27 billion (~RM5.37 billion) deal. This will see the former acquire the latter, helping the Chinese conglomerate expand its presence globally and also growing its long list of dev teams now under its umbrella. Other developers that are already subsidiaries include the likes of League of Legends developer Riot Games, and Supercell, the company behind the many mobile games like Clash of Clans.

This acquisition comes soon after Tencent’s attempt to merge its own Huya streaming service with DouYu, the shares of which it owns 37%. Speaking of which, prior to the acquisition, Tencent already owns 8.75% of shares in Sumo Digital.

The acquisition of Sumo Digital is the second one Involving a UK-based developer in recent memory. The previous one was when Electronic Arts acquired Codemasters just earlier this year for a similar US$1.2 billion, outbidding previous prospective buyer Take-Two Interactive.