Wednesday’sNintendo Switch 2Direct confirmed that the console would be returning to an LCD screen, rather than using an OLED screen, and Nintendo has its reasoning. The news was disappointing to those who enjoy the OLED version of the original Switch, but the company explained why it made this shift in its hardware technology for Switch 2.
As reported byIGN, Tetsuya Sasaki of Nintendo’s Technology Development Department said at a hardware-focused Q&A that there was “a lot of consideration” in the choice to go back to LCD. Sasakiclaimed that there have been “a lot of advancements that have been made in LCD technology during development,“leading to the decision to “stick to LCD.” Sasaki did not clarify what these “advancements” are, but he emphasized that the Switch 2 screen supports HDR, which the Switch OLED screen does not.
Lack Of OLED Is Disappointing, But Nintendo Still Believes In The Switch 2 Screen
The Screen Still Has A Lot Of New Functions
While the screen choice for the Nintendo Switch 2 may be questionable to some, Nintendo appears to believe that LCD is the best route for the console. The Switch 2’s LCD screen packs quite a punch compared to previous Switch models. It has a 7.9-inch-wide color gamut LCD screen that can output at 1080p (1920x1080), a rather hefty upgrade compared to the original 6.2-inch Switch and the 7-inch Switch OLED screen.
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That’s not to mention the HDR10 support and VRR up to 120 Hz, which allows games for the Switch 2 to jump up to 120 frames-per-second, something original Switch models can’t achieve. Regardless of opinions over the Nintendo Switch 2 screen, it certainly has functions unseen in the OLED Switch 1, including the aforementioned HDR support.
Desperate Fans Can Simply Wait For A Possible OLED Switch 2
Who Knows When That Will Be?
Of course, Nintendo can’t please everyone. The lack of OLED screen could be seen as a “downgrade” of sorts by those used to the Switch OLED. Unfortunately, the only option for these fans seems to be waiting and seeing if Nintendo ever puts out an OLED version of the Switch 2. Looking at the previous Switch console revisions, that could take a long while. The initial Nintendo Switch launched in 2017, while the OLED version didn’t enter the market until 2021.
If the screen is an issue for you, the Switch 2 has plenty more to offer. The Nintendo Direct showed off the console’s massive internal storage upgrade,a long list of backwards compatible Nintendo Switch 1 games, new play features like the “mouse” version of the Joy-Con, and the addition ofGameCube games to the Nintendo Online platform. So if you must wait for aNintendo Switch 2OLED version, you may miss out on some fun in the interim.
