Nintendo is reportedly mulling an OLED version of its Nintendo Switch 2 games console, which may give some gamers pause before snapping up the current iteration of the second generation hybrid machine.
Nintendo launched an OLED version of the original Switch four years after its 2017 release date, and the groundwork is apparently being made to follow a similar pathway second time around, with a possible release likely to follow in late 2027 or early 2028. That’d be between two and three years after the release of the LCD version.
According to a report from ZDNet in Korea, Nintendo could offer a 1080p OLED panel with a 1920×1080 resolution. That would be in line with the LCD version of the Switch 2, but an upgrade on the original Switch OLED which capped resolution at 1280×720.
It’s currently not clear whether any Switch 2 OLED panel would be able to replicate the 120Hz variable refresh rate or support for HDR 10, but you’d have to assume there won’t be a downgrade in that regard. The original Switch OLED offered a larger 7-inch panel, but it appears unlikely that a successor would go larger than the current model’s 7.9-inch screen.
In one respect, it was surprising that Nintendo didn’t debut the Switch 2 with an OLED screen. Our own Dan Grabham opined that it could be a “huge mistake” when the second-generation machine was announced.
He wrote: “It’s a big shame since we were expecting Switch 2 to advance what’s already gone before with Switch rather than timidly paddling backwards. I think Nintendo is mistaken that people won’t care about this, since every possible comparison between the models will point out the disadvantage in screen technology.”
The report itself focuses on Samsung Display’s pitch to make the OLED panel. However, according to the sources, Nintendo has not yet approved the production yet due to cost concerns. In light of the recent price hike due to RAM and storage considerations, Nintendo may not be willing to launch a much-higher priced console.
ZDNet Korea quotes an industry source as saying: “Nintendo is considering the release of Switch2 OLED, which has increased the resolution from HD (1280×720) to FHD (1920×1080) of the Switch1 OLED model. If the release of the Switch2 OLED model is decided, there is a possibility that we will start product development by the end of this year.”
Nintendo is also working on a new version of the Switch 2 with a replaceable battery in order to satisfy EU regulations regarding repairability.
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