Nintendo Co. will launch a new game console this year with an 8-inch LCD screen, according to Omdia analyst Hiroshi Hayase.
The new device from the Kyoto-based games maker will be responsible for a doubling in shipments of so-called amusement displays in 2024, Hayase said in Tokyo on Friday. His research focuses on small and medium displays and he bases annual forecasts on checks with companies in the supply chain
Checks out. Nintendo always goes with whatever the most technologically-viable affordable option is. LCDs are cheaper than OLEDs.
Their strength is the innovation that the use with what inexpensive hardware they have.
People are literally only asking for the same console, a few refinements, and with better performing internals.
The form factor is excellent, if a bit flimsy. But games like TOTK and whatever next 3D Mario game comes out deserve to have better graphical fidelity than what the current switch can put out. I stopped playing TOTK because I just kept getting framerate drops.
Please give the Switch 2 more powerful internals!
I’m curious how long the current gen OLED consoles will be in use before they develop screen burn-in.
There have been a bunch of experiments on YouTube and the shortest I’ve seen is about five months non-stop of showing the same frame with most saying it’s over a year. So with normal use it should be fine for a few decades.
If this is to be trusted (which is a big if), it’s very interesting Nintendo would not continue with the OLED screens. I’ve heard people theorize Nintendo is choosing to keep the OLED screen for a mid-cycle refresh, which I would believe; but would consumers be happy with the graphical downgrade?
Either way, assuming this is legit, it sounds like Nintendo is likely keeping the Switch form factor if they are still using small (ish) screens for the console. If this is the case, I wonder how likely a Wii U situation would be (where customers think it’s the same console they already have and don’t buy it)…
The only reason it would be remotely acceptable is to drive the cost per unit down because the rest of the hardware is expensive, but even then it isnt like this is cutting edge stuff. I’d just hate if it had some gimmick that no one will use like the IR sensor, and the go with an LCD.
I’d wait, at this point. The switch was nice as the first legitimate handheld that could play real 3D games, but the steam deck exists now and the switch is just my Nintendo machine. And even that’s largely because I’m too lazy to rip my games and saves over. The stuff I’ve tried plays better on deck.
I could see a lot of the enthusiasts that drove their early sales on the Switch just not bothering and making it look rough until an OLED version comes out. It’s not like they’ve never had consoles flop because they’re out of touch with what people want.
It’s possibly a case of sourcing an exact sized/spec OLED panel in the time frame before release is harder than an LCD. Especially with VRR if it’ll be using that (and frankly, they’d be daft not to, as it makes gaming on lower spec hardware a lot more tolerable).
I dunno though. I’ve never sourced either. Could well be piss easy.
