An updated switch with a large OLED screen may be in view.
Marta Franco / CNET
Nintendo had tremendous success with its Switch console and, in 2019, increased that success with Switch Lite. Now it looks like the Japanese gaming giant is growing, preparing an updated version of the console with a larger screen, reports Bloomberg.
The new Switch, which unidentified sources said is likely to be released during the 2021 holiday period, will have a 7-inch OLED display made by Samsung. This would make it larger than the standard Switch’s 6.2-inch screen and much larger than the 5.5-inch Switch Lite.
Both existing Switch consoles use LCD screens, so an OLED upgrade would mean better contrast thanks to deeper blacks. The Boomberg report also noted that the new Switch when coupled can produce 4K on a TV. This is a change from previous reports, in which industry experts said the new Switch would come with a 4K screen.
The Switch is Nintendo’s second most successful console of all time, surpassing the NES, SNES, N64, Gamecube and (especially) the Wii U. More than 79 million units have been sold since 2017, about 13.5 million of which are Switch Lite consoles. The only Nintendo console with the best performance is the Wii, whose lifelong sales exceed 100 million.
For comparison, the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One have sold 114 million and about 48 million units since launch in 2013, respectively.
While Nintendo has remained silent about its next Switch update, despite rumors of a 4K Switch circulating for more than a year, it just highlighted how the next few months of software will be. Link is leading the charge, with Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD arriving in July. Mario Golf: Super Rush (June 25) and New Pokémon Snap (April 30) are also coming, while the end of the year will bring Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.