After months of speculation, Nintendo has unveiled an updated Switch console featuring a larger 7-inch OLED display. The Nintendo Switch (OLED model), as it's officially titled, will set you back $350 / AU$540 – or around £250 – when it goes on sale in October.
Originally thought to be called the 'Switch Pro', the Nintendo Switch OLED is a refreshed version of the classic Switch, which makes do with a 6.2-inch LCD display. The updated model crams a 7-inch OLED panel into the same size footprint thanks to a smattering of clever design tweaks, including slimmer bezels.
The Switch OLED was tipped for a new Nvidia chip with 4K upscaling, which would have made game graphics look far better on a big-screen TV. Unfortunately it seems that Nintendo has taken a hard pass on that – the company only mentions “up to 1080p via HDMI in TV mode” for the TV dock.
On a more positive note, the new Switch should sound sweeter thanks to the promise of enhanced audio. It also has an adjustable stand for tabletop play, so you can destroy your opponent without destroying your neck, plus a wired LAN port for connecting to the internet.
Existing Switch games, Switch docks, Joy-Cons, and accessories are backwards compatible, so there's no need to go listing your old Nintendo gear on eBay.
Despite OLED technology being more energy-efficient, battery life remains the same at "up to nine hours". There's no upgrade in terms of processing power, either, although the new model does get 64GB of internal storage (double that of the current Switch).
As expected, the Nintendo OLED Switch will be $50 / AU$70 more than the original when it hits US and Australian stores on 8th October. It will come in two options: one with a white dock and controllers, the other with red and blue ones, just like the original Switch. UK, Europe and rest of the world pricing has yet to be announced. (Although UK fans can 'pre-order' the Switch OLED at Game for £309.99)
The new machine is likely to eventually replace the current Switch, which has sold 20 million units in Japan alone. That would leave the Nintendo Switch (OLED model) and the Switch Lite as the two models in Nintendo's line.
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