Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Codebase Apparently Contains References To 4K Output

Image: Nintendo

Dataminers have uncovered references to higher-resolution output in the code for the Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Switch remake.

As posted by @RibShark (thanks @NintyPrime), the game apparently contains code designed to handle rendering at a variety of resolutions, including 4K, which the current Switch doesn't support.

With 'Switch 2' rumours coming thick and fast, and confirmation from Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa of a new hardware announcement before the end of the fiscal year, the immediate thought is that this code perhaps relates to 'future-proofing' the game for compatibility with an upcoming system that is capable of 4K output, whether natively or using upscaling tech such as Nvidia's DLSS solution. Rumours suggest the new system may be backwards compatible with the current Switch library and have 4K capabilities.

So, a 4K 'Switch 2' confirmed, then? Hmm, not quite. It's also possible this is part of an internal tool to render higher-res screenshots for press kits or other purposes. Promo screenshots that far exceed the output of the console the games run on aren't uncommon. So while it's nice to see this reference appear in Paper Mario's codebase, at this stage it's still very far from a confirmation of UHD or backwards compatibility for Nintendo's Switch successor.

Interestingly, the chip inside the Switch OLED dock is capable of 4K output, although it's not enabled and the Switch OLED doesn't output at resolutions above 1080p. Modders have enabled 4K output on the current Switch through overclocking, although performance takes a predictably big hit.

As for Thousand-Year Door, it's out today and it's good. Check out our 9/10 review below if you're interested but still on the fence. And let us know below if you think 4K is a dead cert for Nintendo's next system.