Nintendo is reportedly exploring the possibility of expanding its current-gen Switch 2 console lineup with a new OLED model.
According to industry sources cited by South Korean media outlet ZDNET Korea, Nintendo is evaluating an upgraded version of the Switch 2 that will feature an OLED display with improved image quality at the handheld-console hybrid’s Full HD resolution. In doing so, the console maker would follow a strategy similar to that of the original Switch console, which received an OLED refresh several years after its initial launch.
According to one industry source, Nintendo could begin development of the OLED Switch 2 model as early as the end of this year if the project receives final approval, with mass production being achievable by late 2027 or early 2028.
Another source cautioned that Nintendo has not yet made a final decision due to one major concern i.e. cost. OLED panels remain more expensive to manufacture than traditional LCD displays, and, as per them, the console maker is weighing whether the improved display quality would justify a higher retail price for consumers. The company is also said to be facing the same rising component costs affecting much of the electronics industry, including increasing prices for memory chips and other key hardware components.
If Nintendo goes ahead with an OLED Switch 2 model, Samsung is expected to be a leading candidate to supply the display panels. The manufacturer previously provided the displays used in the Nintendo Switch OLED model released in 2021, and sources believe the company would actively pursue another supply agreement for Nintendo’s current-gen console.
OLED technology offers several advantages over LCD, including significantly higher contrast ratios, deeper blacks, faster response times, thinner panel construction, and reduced weight. On the other hand, VRR flicker is much more prominent on OLEDs due to their instantaneous pixel response and gamma shifts at varying refresh rates.
Last year in May, a Bloomberg report mentioned that Samsung had pushed for its OLED panels to be part of a future Nintendo Switch 2 revision. Read about it here.
