Report Nintendo Mulling Switch 2 OLED with Samsung Display Panel

But it's not coming any time soon.

by William Judd
Tue, 1:03pm

Report: Nintendo mulling Switch 2 OLED with Samsung Display panel 1

While the Switch 2 is a delightful piece of hardware, owners of the original Switch OLED (myself included) were a bit disappointed that the new model came with an LCD display only. That display is bigger and brighter with a higher refresh rate than the Switch OLED, but the inky blacks and excellent motion clarity from OLED are hard to give up.

Now a report from ZDNet Korea suggests that a Switch 2 OLED model may be on the way - eventually. The new version would reportedly come with a Samsung Display "rigid" (ie non-flexible) OLED panel at the same 1080p resolution as the original Switch 2 LCD, but nothing is known about other panel specs like size, refresh rate, HDR support and so on. However, it would make sense for the SWOLED2 to at least match the original model in these areas, which if true would make for at least a 7.9-inch 120Hz display with VRR and HDR10 support.

The timeline for a Switch 2 OLED is unfortunately not particularly advanced, according to what's being reported. ZDNet Korea states that Nintendo leadership is still considering whether to go ahead with the plan, with there being some discussion on to what extent Nintendo could absorb the extra cost of the OLED model versus passing it on to consumers - and, with RAM/SSD prices having risen stratospherically since the Switch 2 launch, whether such a premium model would be at all achievable at a reasonable price point.

If Nintendo do go ahead with Operation S.W.O.L.E.D.2, it's thought that development would start towards the end of the year, with mass production expected around the turn of 2027/2028, with retail availability to fall sometime within 2028 at the earliest. That would still be a smaller gap between LCD and OLED release dates for the OG Switch, but perhaps quite a long wait for anyone that has been holding out on a Switch 2 purchase until an OLED model is available.

What do you make of the news? Would a Switch 2 OLED be a day one purchase for you, or are you happy enough with the existing LCD model? Let me know via the poll above and the comments below.

[source zdnet.co.kr, via techpowerup.com]

Will is website editor for Digital Foundry, specialising in PC hardware, sim racing and display technology.

1
themightyant
Tue, 1:30pm

Good for those that care, but my Switch is docked 99% of the time, I won't upgrade.

2
Darren1967
Tue, 1:40pm

I will buy a Switch 2 OLED but I only use my current Switch 2 docked because I just cannot stand the LCD screen, especially after owning a Switch OLED.

Everything about the screen is just lacklustre except when looking at it direct with nothing moving. Motion, HDR, black levels, all are awful on the LCD screen and it just reminded me of why I ditched LCD in the first place to replace all my TVs and monitors with OLED (and QD-OLED) displays, including my original Switch 1!

The Switch 2's screen definitely felt like taking two steps forward - a lovely crisp 1080p resolutions, VRR support, nicer looking games - and one step back - everything else about the screen. It makes me laugh that Nintendo even have the balls to claim the screen supports HDR.

3
Granadico
Tue, 4:39pm

I'd be tempted to trade in mine for an OLED Depending on the cost. With the way things are going Switch 2 might be my last console so I might as well get the best version of it. But I hesitate over fears of some hardware vulnerability like the launch Switch 1 had that I'd miss our on.

4
Snorlaxcat
Tue, 5:36pm

samsung does good with the iPhone panels, so I expect this to work

5
River_Jones
Tue, 5:38pm

I’m still on the fence about buying a switch 2. I have the original switch but I never played it enough to justify buying the second. Honestly these days I’m gaming less and less often. With the news cycle around games these days my interest is fighting with a pretty dire outlook of the future of the medium.

With all that said if I do decide to pick one up it will be dependent on there being an OLED model available. I love my OLED TV and phone displays too much to downgrade on the switch.

6
Tobility
Yesterday, 1:27am

Switch 2 needs an OLED screen badly. The stock LCD is comparatively awful next to most handhelds out there (even if they are more pricey). Given the insane pricing of everything tech related, a Switch 2 OLED with increased price would still offer decent value.

7
Debo626
Yesterday, 2:29am

I'm interested in an upgrade when one comes out (reasonable price-dependent) not least because I'd love to get an oled and pass my launch day S2 to my son. He's wanted one since launch and they're so pricey we haven't been able to justify a second one yet. I'll be interested to see how Nintendo solves for VRR flicker on an oled Panel. As I recall, there was online chatter at one point discussing VRR flicker as an obstacle to a Switch 2 oled model.