Nintendo has had massive success with its Switch console, and in 2019 augmented that success with the Switch Lite. Now it appears the Japanese gaming giant is going big, readying a updated version of the console with a bigger display, reports Bloomberg.
The new Switch, which unnamed sources said would likely launch for the holiday 2021 period, will reportedly have a 7-inch OLED display made by Samsung. That would make it bigger than the 6.2-inch display on the standard Switch, and much bigger than the 5.5-inch Switch Lite.
Both existing Switch consoles use LCD displays, so an OLED upgrade would mean better contrast thanks to deeper blacks. Boomberg’s report also noted that the new Switch when docked could output at 4K on a TV. This is a change from previous reports, in which industry insiders said the new Switch would come with a 4K display.
The Switch is Nintendo’s second most successful console of all time, outselling the NES, SNES, N64, Gamecube and (especially) the Wii U. Over 79 million units have been sold since 2017, around 13.5 million of which are Switch Lite consoles. The only Nintendo console to perform better is the Wii, the lifetime sales of which exceed 100 million.
For comparison, the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One have sold 114 million and an estimated 48 million units since launching in 2013, respectively.
While Nintendo has been tight-lipped about its next Switch update, in spite of rumors of a 4K Switch circulating for over a year, it did just spotlight what the next few months of software look like. Link is leading the charge, with Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD coming in July. Mario Golf: Super Rush (June 25) and New Pokemon Snap (April 30) are also coming, while the end of the year will bring Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.
