Rumor: New Switch Model to Enter Production June 2021
Posted on March 04 2021 by Charles Xavier
I know, every year it seems like talk of the elusive “Switch Pro” resurfaces; I’m in the same boat as most people of remaining skeptical of anything on the matter. However, sometimes there is news that seems decently likely to be true, and yesterday evening such news broke from Bloomberg. According to the report, Nintendo has partnered with Samsung Display Co. to begin mass production of 7-inch 720p-resolution OLED panels as early as June, with an initial monthly target of just under a million units. Shipments of the panels to assemblers are expected around July.
In addition to the improved display, the updated console will be 4K Ultra-HD compatible while docked in an attempt to stand toe-to-toe with Sony and Microsoft’s newly released next-gen consoles, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, respectively. This is a good long-term goal considering just last month Nintendo’s president Shuntaro Furukawa said during a Japanese Q&A, translated by Video Games Chronicle, that the Switch is only “in the middle of its lifecycle.”
Technically, original Switch models already boast a 720p resolution in handheld mode, but they often struggle to perform at native resolution. The OLED (organic light-emitting diode) panels could improve contrast, increase responsiveness, as well as expand battery life. This would be a welcomed improvement, but the larger draw here is the 4K compatibility when hooking up to a television.
All things considered, we should still take this with a grain of salt. Two years ago, we reported on the Wall Street Journal’s announcement of “two Switch models” entering production that would release together, which was believed to be the Switch Pro and of course the Switch Lite. The latter turned out to be true, but what everyone thought would be the Switch Pro was merely a slight revision to the original Switch’s hardware. This goes to show that even with a credible source, the details might get mixed up.
Bloomberg reached out to representatives of Nintendo and Samsung Display, but both declined to comment.
Would you buy a Switch Pro later this year? Do you think it would be fine if this upgrade has exclusive games that will take advantage of its 4K display while docked, while the original Switch and Switch Lite will miss out on those games, or should the same games be available across all versions? Another interesting thought is whether next-gen developers will begin producing games for the Switch, or if the resolution gap between the updated console’s handheld and docked modes will scare them away? Sound off in the comments below!
Source: Bloomberg
Charles is a Senior Editor at Zelda Dungeon. He is a Visual Development artist focused on enviroments and pitch paintings. Check out his Instagram and Twitter to see his latest artworks, a lot of which is Zelda fan art! His favorite candy is Skittles – he feels the world should know this.
