Nintendo announced a new Nintendo Switch model on Tuesday, and though it’s not called the “Nintendo Switch Pro,” it does offer enhancements the base Switch doesn’t have and is called OLED switch.
It’s called the “OLED Model,” and it features a wide, seven-inch OLED screen along with other changes. It’s scheduled to be released on October 8th for the price of $349.99.
It should finally put to rest the many rumors about a new Nintendo Switch model that have been dominating Nintendo discussions for the past few weeks and even months.
Here, then, is everything we know about the new Nintendo Switch (OLED model) so far…
Nintendo Switch “Pro” model is out now.
After months of rumors and supposed leaks, a Nintendo Switch Pro has just been announced. Well… kind of. That’s because Nintendo has officially revealed the Nintendo Switch OLED, but it supports many of the details we’ve been expecting for some time.
The Nintendo Switch OLED is now confirmed and real, but it lacks the 4K support and a new processor that many wanted. So if we were to best, we’d put our money on a standalone Nintendo Direct that’s focused on an upgraded Switch capable of a form of 4K gaming.
Nintendo has neither announced nor even confirmed that a Switch Pro console might be inbound. And Nintendo’s president Doug Bowser has been somewhat evasive on the company’s Switch hardware plans thus far.
However, speculation claiming that the Switch Pro would be announced before E3 2021 turned out far from the mark. Instead, Nintendo waited until July to drop a trailer for the console, which you can see above – and to confirm some of the changes it’ll bring to the table.
Nintendo Switch OLED pro model specs
The Nintendo Switch Lite has similar internal hardware to the existing Switch, and same is largely true of the Switch OLED model.
Despite reports even as far back as 2019, when the Japanese site Gamepedia claimed it would have impressive internal specs.
One of only a few confirmed improvements is that the onboard storage is getting a hike to 64GB. The existing Switch only has 32GB of storage, and nigh-on demands that you buy a microSD card if you want to store more than one game.
Similarly, there will now be a wired LAN port in the dock, useful for online play at greater levels of stability, though hardly a system-selling feature. This dock will also work with older Switch systems.
We also know the new Switch doesn’t have a 4K display built-in. It instead has a similar 720p display resolution to the existing model. However, it has been significantly improved through OLED technology, just as various leaks claimed at the beginning of March 2021; the new model sports a 7-inch OLED panel.
The bezels around the screen have shrunk a lot, too, so it looks like a much fancier machine as a result. However, the console’s dimensions are identical to the standard Switch. As a result, the battery life you can expect is also the same – between five and nine hours, depending on how taxing the game you choose is.
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We also know the console won’t be able to output in 4K resolution when connected to a TV – something that many people had been hoping for. Instead, it’ll still be limited to 1080p output when docked.
If the Nintendo Switch 2 does become a reality, there are a handful of features we’d love to see that could make it a compelling high-end option for Nintendo fans.
The Bottom Line
This all said we’re still hoping that Nintendo upgrades the speed and adds 4K at some point. The Nintendo Switch is an absolute joy of a system backed by some of the finest games Nintendo has ever released. But its hardware is starting to show its limitations more than three years after release, largely when it comes to ports of major third-party games.
Nintendo doesn’t necessarily need a system as powerful as the best gaming PCs or Sony’s and Microsoft’s latest consoles (and the Switch did just fine against PS4 and Xbox One). Still, the OLED panel could make Nintendo’s games look a heck of a lot better and make the company’s hybrid console more appealing for fans of big third-party franchises.
The OLED Switch will work with the console’s existing game library, as we expected. Nintendo has a history of supporting its handhelds through multiple iterations, with the Nintendo DS/Nintendo 3DS family supporting the same game library for more than a decade. Given how popular the Switch is, we expect Nintendo to take a similar approach to its current console.
