Now that we’ve reached the litigation phase of Microsoft vs the FTC plenty of intriguing insider-information is being released, sometimes completely by accident because somebody tried to use a Sharpie to redact information. Doh. Today’s news comes from Activision boss and general douchebag Bobby Kotick who seems to have some insight into Nintendo’s next console.

While being quizzed on the stand, Kotick addressed the deal Microsoft has made with Nintendo to bring future Call of Duty titles to the Switch. Kotick even admitted that he regretted not bringing Call of Duty to the Switch from the start, which is hardly surprising considering the Switch is the third highest selling console of all time. That’s a lot of money left on the table.

In an Email between Kotick and Nintendo president Shunturo Furukawa that was shown to the court, Bobby Kotick specifically mentions believing that the next Nintendo console would have a “closer alignment” to the Xbox One and PS4 generation of consoles.

Kotick did, however, confirm that he does not have any detailed specs for Nintendo’s next machine which still remains a mystery, despite years of rumours and speculation.

The specs would make a lot of sense. Valve’s Steam Deck is roughly equivalent to the Playstation 4 and Xbox One (do note, I said roughly) and currently costs $399. A next-generation Switch is likely another year or two away, so the cost should drop further.

While it’s easy to look at the Playstation 4 and Xbox One and scoff in comparison to modern hardware, games like Red Dead Redemption 2, The Last of Us Part 2 and Ghost of Tsushima all launched on that hardware and looked excellent. And compromises always need to be made when it comes to handheld gaming which I think we can safely assume Nintendo will want to stick with.

These specifications also seem to match up with prior leaks that suggested Nintendo’s console could be comparable to a PS4, and even a PS4 Pro in docked mode thanks to the use of DLSS. Under the hood, the new console is alleged to be running a custom Nvidia chip, this information again coming via a Nvidia leak.

Of course, this is all speculation and should be taken as such. It’s always a good time to speculate about new hardware because a console from any of the big three is exciting. If there’s any truth to Kotick’s words or the prior leaks, then I’m quite excited by the prospect of a new Switch, especially considering how incredible is is that Nintendo got The Legend of Zelda: tears of the Kingdom working on the current console. That game is a technological marvel.