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Nintendo Switch 2 will come with an LCD screen, release in 2024

Pictured: Justin Diaz
By Justin Diaz
January 26, 2024
Featured image for Nintendo Switch 2 will come with an LCD screen, release in 2024

The Nintendo Switch 2 will reportedly release this year and come with an LCD screen. A move that might seem surprising given the existing OLED model of the Switch and people’s hopes that Nintendo would stick with OLED panels for the next console.

That doesn’t seem to be the case though. Rumors of the Switch 2 (not an official name) arriving in 2024 have popped up a couple of times already, so this isn’t the first time a 2024 release window has been speculated. But the report does add further evidence to suggest Nintendo is targeting a 2024 release. Past rumors have pointed to a possible launch in the back half of the year. Likely sometime towards the holiday shopping season.

In a report from Bloomberg today, which first reported about the LCD display for the upcoming console, no exact release date was mentioned. Just that the console is coming in 2024. Details about the screen and the console’s release date come from Omdia analyst Hiroshi Hayase. Hayase makes his predictions based on checking with companies in the supply chain for small and medium displays for electronics. According to Bloomberg’s report, Sharp Corp. confirmed last year that it was working with a console maker and supplying LCD panels for its upcoming hardware.

Sharp has ties with Nintendo too. During the pandemic when manufacturing and supply chain issues arose, it helped Nintendo with assembling Switch consoles. It’s also worked with Nintendo in the past. So these are all good bets that Sharp’s supplied LCD panels for an upcoming console are for the Switch 2.

The Nintendo Switch 2 screen will be larger

In addition to Nintendo making the switch back to LCD for its upcoming console, Hayase also says the screen will be 8 inches in size. The current Switch has a 7-inch display so it sounds like consumers will be getting a slightly bigger screen. This would put more in line with the size of something like the Lenovo Legion Go. The Legion Go comes with an 8.8-inch screen so the Switch 2 display will still be slightly smaller. But if the sizing is accurate, it’ll be noticeably bigger than Nintendo’s current console.

The resolution of the display is still unclear. But even if the screen is LCD, it shouldn’t matter too much if it’s at least higher resolution. The current Switch (including the OLED model) features a resolution of 720p. Even with moving back to an LCD display, Nintendo could vastly improve the experience by bumping the display resolution up to Full HD or better.

Nintendo hasn’t confirmed the LCD panel or announced its next console yet. It has, however, reportedly shown off the console to developers and publishers as of Gamescom 2023. These tech demos are said to have included a “souped-up version” of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which would signify the use of more powerful hardware.

Nintendo’s next-gen console was also referenced in emails during Microsoft’s FTC trial over the Activision Blizzard acquisition. The emails stated that Nintendo’s next-gen console has performance that’s comparable to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Wccftech notes that Nintendo is rumored to have been testing HDR support for the upcoming console. Suggesting that the display will not only be a higher resolution, but offer better color contrast for games.

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