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Nintendo reportedly plans to release new Switch with larger Samsung OLED display

Could this be the often-rumoured Switch Pro?

Nintendo Switch

It seems there might be at least some level of truth to rumours that Nintendo is working on a new version of the Switch.

According to a recent report from Bloomberg, the company plans to release a new version of the Switch with a larger display in time for the 2021 holiday season.

This time around the console’s 7-inch, 720p display will be OLED and manufactured by Samsung Display. Bloomberg says that the displays are set to ship in July to the various companies that assemble the Switch.

Making the jump to OLED would give the Switch better battery life and likely improve the screen’s contrast ratio. The current version of the Switch features a 6.2-inch LCD screen, while the Switch Lite’s LCD display measures in at 5.5-inches.

Though the current Switch’s LCD screen is passable, moving to a Samsung panel would almost certainly improve its overall picture quality given the South Korean company’s prowess in the TV and smartphone display space.

The report also mentions that this new version of the Switch will be capable of outputting 4K visuals to a television, hinting that at least its dock will feature a faster processor. While interesting, this could potentially splinter the Switch’s installed base and result in few developers taking advantage of the increased graphical power, similar to the 3DS and the New 3DS.

It’s unclear if anything else about the actual Switch console will change beyond the larger screen and the 4K output. Though the Switch continues to sell well and recently hit 79.87 million consoles sold as of February 1st, it faces stiff competition from Microsoft’s more recent Xbox Series X/S and Sony’s PlayStation 5.

This could be an effort on Nintendo’s part to build excitement surrounding the home console-portable hybrid system while moving into the holiday season.

However, Shuntaro Furukawa, the Japanese gaming giant’s president, recently stated that Nintendo has no plans to announce a new version of the Switch “anytime soon.”

Last year The Wall Street Journal reported that Nintendo was working on two Switch models, the Switch Lite and the Switch Pro. Though the Switch Lite eventually released, the company has repeatedly denied a more powerful Switch is on the way.

According to previous rumours, the upgraded version of the Switch features a more powerful processor, an improved design and possibly a dock with built-in hardware.

Source: Bloomberg

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