Nintendo planning a larger 7-inch Switch console with Samsung OLED panel

Pocketnow

By Nadeem Sarwar

Published Mar 4, 2021

Production of 7-inch OLED panels for a new Switch console will reportedly begin in June, with chances of an official debut later this year.

The Switch consoles have proved to be a smash hit for Nintendo, selling almost 80 million units since its debut and bringing a monster quarter in the 2020 holiday season. Now, the company is looking to further milk the Switch cash cow by launching a newer model packing a bigger display. As per a Bloomberg report, Nintendo is sourcing OLED panels from Samsung and plans to launch a new Switch console later this year. Production of the larger 7-inch HD display will reportedly begin as early as June, with the likelihood of an official debut in the 2021 holiday season.

“Samsung Display Co. will start mass production of 7-inch, 720p-resolution OLED panels as early as June with an initial monthly target of just under a million units, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing internal matters. The displays are slated for shipment to assemblers around July, the people said.”

The current Nintendo Switch model comes equipped with a 6.2-inch LCD display with HD resolution, while the Nintendo Switch Lite has a smaller 5.5-inch display with the same resolution. We’ve been hearing rumors about an upgraded Switch model for a while now, but the company has refuted those claims in the past, stressing that it is currently focusing on diversifying the library of games for two existing Switch models.

OLED panels ensure better color reproduction and are more energy efficient as well

An upgrade to an OLED display promises better colors with deeper blacks and improved contrast. Moreover, OLED panels are less taxing on the battery, which means more playtime per charge. However, Nintendo has gone with rigid OLED screens which are cheaper but more fragile compared to flexible OLED panels that you’ll find on many high-end smartphones out there. A previous rumor that emerged last year claimed that the next Switch console could use Samsung and AMD components.

It is unclear if Nintendo will use a high refresh rate OLED panel on its upcoming Switch console. However, the report cites sources who claim that the new Nintendo console will support 4K gameplay when connected to a TV. Additionally, it is unclear if Nintendo will also jazz up the internals of its upcoming Switch model. In case the housing remains the same, we might see a larger 7-inch OLED display with slimmer bezels compared to the existing model flaunting a 6.2-inch display.