Game on! Nintendo announces improved Switch with new OLED screen
Kyoto, Japan – Play on, players!
It's coming!
Nintendo officially announced on Tuesday that it is rolling out an improved version of its popular Switch this October that promises vivid colors, more memory, and better sound – in an attempt to ride out the pandemic boom in video gaming.
The gadget will be "arriving October 8 in a white set and Neon red/Neon blue set," the company said.
Nintendo's highly anticipated announcement about the new Switch was trending on Twitter on Tuesday, with varying opinions from gamers about the new product.
Its screen will not only gain about 0.8 inches, to span seven inches in total, but it will also use OLED technology, which allows for higher contrast images compared to the traditional LCD panels.
Work has also been done on the housing: The stand for Tabletop mode will be wider, and the screen bezel will be somewhat narrower.
Other improvements include 64GB of storage, improved speakers, a new docking station for use in TV mode, and a LAN port for a more stable internet connection. The previous model only supported Wi-Fi.
In addition to the previous black dock, there will also now be a white model, according to Nintendo. It will also release a carrying case and screen protector accessories on the same date.
The new Switch will retail for $350.
There had been speculation in recent months as to whether Nintendo was planning a Switch version with improved 4K image resolution. However, the newly announced Switch OLED has the same HD resolution as the original model released in March 2017.
Nintendo has benefited greatly from the increased popularity of video games and users during the pandemic, with Switch sales rising 37% to nearly 29 million units in the fiscal year that ended in March.
Nintendo has also confirmed that its new Switch will be compatible with all previous Nintendo Switch games, in addition to existing Joy-Con controllers, so gamers can be sure it will be game on.
Cover photo: IMAGO / NurPhoto