A Brand New Nintendo Switch Model Has Been Revealed

Take a closer look at the brand new Nintendo Switch model.

By Jason Collins | Published

This article is more than 2 years old

nintendo switch

Amidst the worldwide semiconductor and chip shortages causing disruption in supply chains of prominent consoles, which caused long lines and angry customers at retails stores, one company remains seemingly unaffected – Nintendo. The multinational consumer electronics and video games company just revealed a brand new Nintendo Switch Model, in spite of chip shortages.

Nintendo just revealed their previously announced, upgraded Nintendo Switch model, showcasing many of its features on its website. The new version unofficially called Nintendo Switch Super and Nintendo Switch Pro before the reveal, now features one of its biggest upgrades in its name – the 7-inch OLED display, distinguishing the new Switch as an OLED model. Besides the brand new display, the OLED model boasts an impressive new kickstand, better audio output, a WLAN port, 64GB of internal storage, and several other improvements. You can see the announcement trailer for the OLED model from Nintendo below.

Before we dive into details regarding the improved hardware, it’s worth discussing Nintendo’s decision to make several different models of the same console. The basic Nintendo Switch launched in 2017, and alongside its younger brother, Nintendo Switch Lite, went on to become the most popular handheld console of all time, outselling both PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, according to market analysis. The Light was conceptualized as a single-body handheld console with an integrated 5.5-inch screen and better energy efficiency. All the while being more financially accessible to consumers, allowing Nintendo to broaden its market and appeal to “budget-gamers.”

However, during the conceptual phase of Switch Lite, Nintendo alerted the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) to changes in Switch’s system-on-a-chip and NAND memory, different from Lite’s original design. So two designs were submitted – one went on and became Nintendo Switch Lite, and the other was just revealed as the OLED model.

Truth be told, at first glance, the new Nintendo Switch console looks almost identical to its older brother; the size format hasn’t changed, the weight increased by a measly 0.8oz (22 grams), and it even uses the very same Joy-Cons from the previous models. But upon closer look, the screen bezels are noticeably thinner, which allowed the jump from 6.2in LDC to a 7-inch OLED screen. Surprisingly, after months of speculations, the resolution remains exactly the same at 720p, only boosting to 1080p when connected to a TV, dismissing all the rumors regarding the 4K output while shattering some dreams too.

switch pro

Additionally, the new Nintendo Switch features a full-width, adjustable flip stand for tabletop gaming, a dock that now has a wired Ethernet port, enhanced audio from the system’s internal speakers, and 64GB of internal storage. Many take issue with the internal storage, or lack thereof, given how smartphones port internal storage greater than 64GB, but honestly, it’s an improvement over the original’s 32G. Besides, the storage is expandable with microSD cards to up to 2TB.

Apart from these improvements, the OLED model features similar technical specs as the base Switch model, and it’s compatible with the full library of Nintendo Switch games, with the exception of the Nintendo Labo series. The OLED model is set to launch on October 8, the same day as Metroid Dread, at the manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $349.99.