Nintendo Switch May See a New Model With Bigger Samsung OLED Display

Samsung will start mass production of 7-inch OLED panels as early as June.

By Takashi Mochizuki and Sohee Kim, Bloomberg | Updated: 4 March 2021 11:16 IST

Nintendo Switch May See a New Model With Bigger Samsung OLED Display

Nintendo seeks to sustain a Switch lineup that continues to sell well against the Xbox and PlayStation

Highlights

Gaming community has speculated online about introduction of OLED screen
Nintendo decided to go with rigid OLED panels for the new model
Deal benefits Samsung Display as prices for rigid OLED have been falling

Nintendo plans to unveil a model of its Switch gaming console equipped with a bigger Samsung OLED display this year, hoping the larger touchscreen can prop up demand in time for the holidays, people familiar with the plan said.

Samsung Display 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. Representatives for Nintendo and Samsung Display declined to comment.

Nintendo seeks to sustain a Switch lineup that continues to sell well against the Xbox and PlayStation, thanks to pandemic-era breakout hits like Animal Crossing and a chip crunch that's plagued supply of rival devices. But the gadget is now into its fifth year, while Microsoft and Sony both have new and more powerful machines in the market.

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The gaming community has speculated online about the introduction of an OLED or organic light-emitting diode screen, but Nintendo has stayed mum and President Shuntaro Furukawa said in February his company has no plans to announce a new Switch “anytime soon.” Samsung's involvement is the strongest indication that Nintendo is serious about updating the console, and on a large scale.

“The OLED panel will consume less battery, offer higher contrast and possibly faster response time when compared to the Switch's current liquid-crystal display,” said Yoshio Tamura, co-founder of display consultancy DSCC.

In February, Nintendo raised its annual forecasts after the Switch helped the company to its best quarterly earnings since 2008. The games maker hopes to sustain that run in 2021 despite stiffening competition and an ebbing pandemic.

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Nintendo decided to go with rigid OLED panels for the new model, the people said, a cheaper but less flexible alternative to the type commonly used for high-end smartphones. The latest model will also come with 4K ultra-high definition graphics when paired with TVs, they said. That could intensify a longstanding complaint of developers, who have struggled with the difference in resolution between handheld and TV modes and now face a bigger gap between the two.

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The deal benefits Samsung Display because market prices for so-called rigid OLED panels have been falling due to excess supply. Winning a customer like Nintendo also helps the Korean giant - an affiliate of Samsung Electronics - firm up production plans. Nintendo in turn secures a valuable partner and supplier at a time semiconductor shortages are squeezing the supply of display-related components.

The new display's resolution mirrors the current Switch and Switch Lite but is an upgrade from the Switch's 6.2-inch and Lite's 5.5-inch size. If the console's housing remains unchanged, the new Switch is likely to sport a thinner bezel.

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Nintendo Switch

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Good
Sturdy build quality
Region-free store
Easy to use interface
Seamless switch between portable and home console use

Bad
Screen is easy to scratch
Can't pause downloads

Read detailed Nintendo Switch review

HDD 32GB

Processor ARM Cortex Octa-Core

Graphics NVIDIA G20M Maxwell-based GPU

RAM 4GB

USB 1 USB 3.0 port, 2 USB 2.0 ports (on dock) 1 USB Type-C port (on unit)

Weight 297g (unit only), 694g (unit + dock)

Ethernet No

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