Rumours of Switch 2 upgrades continue to pour in following talk of Nintendo looking to upgrade the console’s LCD panel. Now, a major Korean technology website is claiming serious talks are underway at the Japanese giant about exploring the possibility of an OLED model.
Though many have always assumed Nintendo would eventually give the Switch 2 the OLED treatment like it did with the original console, we weren’t expecting to hear rumours this early. ZDNET Korea (hat tip to Nintendo Everything), however, has underlined production wouldn’t start before the end of 2027 if the plans move forward. If Switch 2 OLED released in 2028, that would be roughly three years after the LCD model’s launch versus the four-year-and-a-half wait for Switch 1 OLED, released in late 2021.
“There is a possibility that Samsung Display will supply the OLED, just as it did for the Switch 1. The extent of the price increase resulting from the adoption of OLED is a variable,” the post on ZDNET Korea explained. Needless to say, the main reason why Switch 2 first launched without an OLED screen – a much better choice for the system’s HDR feature – was the effect on costs. It’s unclear how much of an impact the ongoing component crisis would have on this model.
One of the insiders ZDNET cites claimed “Nintendo is considering releasing a Switch 2 OLED with the resolution upgraded from HD (1280×720) of the Switch 1 OLED model to FHD (1920×1080)”. This feels like a given considering the Switch 2’s native resolution in handheld mode already is 1080p. If the release of the Switch 2 OLED model is confirmed in the coming months, “there is a possibility that product development will begin at the end of this year”, they added. It must be noted “product development” comes before production.
Such a potential upgrade could also deal with ongoing complaints about the LED screen’s delay and ghosting problems as well as its imprecise HDR support. While Switch 2 is a notable piece of handheld hardware, such shortcomings have been extensively documented and explained by experts like Digital Foundry‘s.
What we know for sure is that Nintendo has confirmed small revisions of Switch 2 products – including the console – will happen in Europe starting this summer in order to comply with the Right to Repair directive and new battery regulations.
