Nintendo is planning to launch an updated model of the Switch this year with an OLED screen, according to a new report by Bloomberg. The report says Samsung Display is supplying the screen, which will be a 720p 7-inch hard OLED panel set to go into mass production in June.
The current switch has a 6.2 inch 720p LCD panel, while the Switch Lite screen is a 5.5 inch 720p LCD. Many Switch games struggle to achieve native resolution in portable mode, so the lack of an upgrade in resolution is not really a surprise. The Bloomberg report notes, however, that the new model of the Switch will be capable of 4K graphics when connected to a TV, so the decision to stick with 720p in portable mode may also be about how to preserve battery life.
The report does not indicate a possible release date for the new switch, but Bloomberg sources say it will arrive in time for the holiday and that displays will begin shipping to automakers around July. The initial monthly target is considered “just under one million units”; if the last holiday season is anything to go by, Nintendo will want to make as many consoles as it can.