It is rare for a big company to come out and categorically deny an entire report, but that’s what Nintendo just did today — the Japanese corporate entity has issued a press release insisting that Bloomberg’s seeming revelation that Nintendo was pushing developers to build 4K-resolution games for an upcoming but potentially canceled “Switch Pro” handheld was entirely incorrect.
Nintendo writes the report “falsely claims that Nintendo is supplying tools to drive game development for a Nintendo Switch with 4K support” and insists that it’s “not true.” Separately, it says that it has no plans for any new Nintendo Switch other than the slightly refined OLED model that’ll be out next week.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22889057/nintendo_twitter_bloomberg_report_switch_pro.jpg)
While there’s always a possibility that the language technically allows for most if not all of Bloomberg’s report to be correct — that, for instance, there was a 4K Switch development kit, and that Nintendo did push developers to build 4K content, and that Nintendo is simply not pushing that anymore — Nintendo is attempting to say that the entire report is not true.
Bloomberg appears to be standing by its report, which isn’t much of a surprise. It comes from respected game/tech industry journalists who have been extremely well-sourced in the past, and this report is no exception: it cites anonymous employees at 11 different game companies all saying they have a 4K Switch development kit. Following Nintendo’s tweet, the publication simply added an additional line about Nintendo’s denial.
Weighed against a Nintendo statement with even a little bit of wiggle room, I’d tend to believe 11 sources over the company, particularly when that company’s under investor pressure to have its new OLED handheld do well on launch day.
Update, 8:56PM ET: Added that Bloomberg has minimally updated its post to include Nintendo’s new denial.