Summary
The next console fromNintendo, provisionally dubbed the Switch 2, will feature an LCD screen that’s roughly 15% larger than that of its predecessor, an industry analyst said. This forecast, which also includes some additional predictions about the console, is the latest in a long string of evidence indicating that theSwitchsuccessor could be hitting the market sooner rather than later.
According to a recent GDC study, a substantial number ofstudios are already developing games for the Switch 2. The main implication of that finding is that Nintendo has already started sending out the console’s dev kits no later than 2023. The Japanese gaming giant historically sends out specialized hardware 6 to 18 months before a given system’s release.
Supply Chain Sources Suggest Nintendo Switch 2 Is Targeting a 2024 Release
The possibility of the Switch 2 hitting the market in the immediate future has now been substantiated by consultancy firm Omdia. Speaking toBloomberg, Omdia Research Manager Hiroshi Hayase forecast that the next Nintendo console will be released before the end of 2024. His prediction is largely based on an analysis of consumer electronics supply chains, with Hayase explaining that the number of “amusement display” shipments is expected to double this year, amounting to around 26.6 million units. Such a component uptick is most easily explained by the impending arrival of a hot commodity like a new Nintendo console.
Nintendo Switch 2 Is Reportedly Reverting to LCD Screens
Although the latest variant of the Switch features an OLED display, its successor will once again revert to LCDs, Hayase believes. This forecast isn’t the first indication that the next Nintendo console will launch with an LCD panel, with one late 2023leak already claiming the Switch 2 will lack an OLED display. Japanese display manufacturer and Foxconn subsidiary Sharp is believed to be supplying the Switch 2 panels. The company already has a long-standing relationship with Nintendo, having most recently helped assemble the Switch during the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Switch 2 Screen Is Expected To Be 8 Inches in Size
Hayase alsoexpects the Switch 2 to releasewith an 8-inch display, thus offering almost 15% more screen real estate than its 7-inch predecessor. And while a larger screen would mean an increase in power consumption, Nintendo would presumably offset the difference by equipping its upcoming console with a bigger battery in order to at the very least match—if not exceed—the Switch battery life.
The 2017 console will be seven years old on March 3. Since its successor hasn’t yet been unveiled as of late January, the chances of it hitting the market in the first half of 2024 are slim. But given hownew Switch 2 leaks and rumors are now emergingon a near-daily basis, Nintendo’s next console does appear to be just around the corner in a “where there’s smoke, there’s fire” kind of way.
Nintendo Switch OLED
Nintendo’s newest system features a vibrant 7-inch OLED screen, a wide adjustable stand, a dock with a wired LAN port, 64 GB of internal storage, and enhanced audio. Improvements to visuals, audio, and connectivity make a strong impact on highly detailed gameplay and setup is extremely easy.
