The portable game console Nintendo Switch was released in 2017, and it immediately won the hearts of gamers, leaving behind the Japanese company’s unsuccessful experience with the game console Wii U. During its entire existence, the Switch surpassed the sales of the PS5 and Xbox Series X, but by 2024 this portable console outdated. Technology analysts expect Nintendo to release a new and improved Switch 2 soon. According to a new report, the Japanese company has taken a step back in display technology by using an LCD in the game console.
This statement came from Hiroshi Hayase, a display technology analyst at Omdia. According to Bloomberg, the new Nintendo console will have an 8-inch LCD that occupies the entire front panel. Hayase also confirmed that Nintendo will release the Switch 2 by the end of 2024.
Initially, the Switch was equipped with a 6.2-inch LCD, but in 2021 the console was updated with a 7-inch OLED screen. A few years ago, OLED screens had several significant disadvantages compared to LCDs, but since then the new technology has become the mainstream choice for portable electronics. Modern OLED screens are thinner, brighter, richer and more contrasty than LCDs. As expected, the Switch with an OLED display was a big success.
Despite the return to liquid crystal technology, the transition to a larger screen may be the right decision. Recent reports have varied several times as to which is more popular, the portable or the stationary docked, but the fact that they are close in popularity is worth noting. Since many gamers rely on the Switch console’s standard display rather than a TV, it makes sense to install a larger panel. This will make games designed for display on the TV more comfortable in portable mode.
A high-quality 8-inch OLED screen is an expensive product – at this size, we are moving beyond smartphone displays into the realm of tablets. Even Apple doesn’t put OLED displays on its cheaper tablets, because doing so would dramatically increase their cost. Nintendo is reportedly targeting a price of $400 for the Switch 2 at launch – $100 more than the original version. Currently, the Switch with an OLED screen costs $350. Nintendo is also considering a new $70 price tag for Switch 2 games.
In addition to a larger LCD, the Switch 2 game console is expected to be equipped with the first new NVIDIA Tegra chip in recent years. A previous report said that Nvidia plans to upgrade one of its automotive Tegra platforms (T234) and make a new universal system chip based on it. If Nintendo is indeed planning to release an updated Switch this year, then an official announcement could take place shortly. The original Switch was introduced five months before its release.
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