Nintendo Switch 2 OLED Model is happening if Samsung gets its way
Nintendo has teamed up with Samsung to boost Switch 2 production but their long term hardware partner also wants to help them make an OLED Model.
Nintendo has teamed up with Samsung to boost Switch 2 production but their long term hardware partner also wants to help them make an OLED Model.
At £395.99, the Nintendo Switch 2 is considerably more expensive at launch than its predecessor, which started out at £279.99. That’s not unsurprising, given inflation and the more powerful innards, and, unlike game prices, has not been the subject of much consternation amongst fans.
What has been though, is the fact that the new console is back to only having an LCD screen. It’s bigger than any previous Switch console but a lot of fans have got used to the superior quality of the OLED Model. However, using the same tech in the Switch 2 would’ve pushed it over the £400/$450 mark.
Nintendo evidently doesn’t think that’s a good idea but following the signing of a new partnership with Samsung, for the first time the prospect of OLED Model for the Switch 2 has been brought up.
Officially, the deal is for Samsung to make the main processor chips for the Switch 2, as part of Nintendo’s attempt to increase production. The console has already begun to run out of stock in Japan but while some companies would consider that a positive thing, Nintendo’s original plan was to have plenty of stock available from the start.
According to a Bloomberg report, the new goal is for Nintendo to hit 20 million console sales by March 2026, which is higher than its initial projections of 15 million.
It’s rumoured that Samsung is working on an 8 nanometre custom chip for the Switch 2, rather than using their more advanced 5 nanometre technology. This is apparently Nintendo’s idea, because it’s quicker and cheaper to manufacture.
Korean company Samsung has worked with Nintendo before, especially in terms of providing NAND flash memory, but sees the deal for the Switch 2 as a chance to compete with Taiwanese firm TSMC.
As a result, it’s suggested that Samsung is pushing for Nintendo to use OLED panels in a Switch 2 refresh in the future. This would presumably be the equivalent of the current OLED Model, which is more expensive than the other two.
An OLED Model does seem inevitable at some point but, naturally, Nintendo has made no mention of it so far. The Switch 1 OLED Model was released in October 2021; the same wait would mean a Switch 2 OLED Model in January 2030.
The implication is that Samsung is pushing for a release much earlier than that, but it’s still unlikely to be any quicker than the 30 months it took the Switch Lite to be launched, following the Switch 1’s initial release.
Analyst predictions for the Switch 2 were already higher than Nintendo’s, with many expecting it will be the fastest selling console launch in history. One recent report has even suggested it will overtake the PlayStation 5 as the primary third party format.
The Switch OLED Model is bound to have a Switch 2 equivalent (Nintendo)Email [email protected], leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter.
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