What just happened? Not for the first time, reports are pointing to this year being the one where we finally see a successor to the Nintendo Switch. According to Omdia analyst Hiroshi Hayase, the next-gen console will feature an 8-inch LCD screen rather than an OLED as standard.
Hayase’s research focuses on small and medium displays, basing annual forecasts on checks with companies in the supply chain, writes Bloomberg. The analyst claims that Nintendo will be “responsible for a doubling in shipments of so-called amusement displays in 2024”
Reports that the Switch 2 will have an 8-inch LCD line up with Sharp’s admission in May 2023 that it was making LCDs for a new gaming console. Sharp Chief Executive Officer Robert Wu said his company has been working closely with an unnamed firm on developing a gaming console since it was in the R&D phase.
Exclusive: Nintendo will launch next-gen game console with 8-inch LCD, lifting up demand for display panels by 14.6 million units, Omdia says.https://t.co/7SnKeoZOtU
– Takashi Mochizuki (@6d6f636869) January 26, 2024
Sharp has worked with Nintendo in the past, including providing LCDs for DS consoles and helping assemble the Switch.
The standard Switch screen measures 6.2 inches, while the OLED variant is 7 inches. With an 8-inch screen, the Switch 2’s display would be larger than that of the Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and most other handheld gaming PCs, except for the Legion Go, which boasts an 8.8-inch display.
Earlier this month, it was reported that hundreds of developers are now working on Switch 2 games, further pointing towards a 2024 launch. A more precise release window is unknown, but don’t be surprised if the new console lands somewhere around the holiday season.
Nintendo opting for an LCD rather than OLED screen will likely disappoint some gamers, but it means the Switch 2 will be cheaper at a time when people are still being conservative with their spending. And as with the current Switch, there will undoubtedly be a future OLED version.
It’s been seven years since the Switch launched, and its internals are showing their age. The successor is rumored to pack Nvidia’s Tegra T239, which uses Ampere-based graphics architecture, 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM, 64GB of eMMC storage, improved battery life, and support for DLSS 2 and FSR 3 upscaling tech.
