- A display exec has claimed Nintendo chose an OLED screen for an upcoming Switch Pro.
- It would validate earlier rumors.
- Nintendo hasn’t confirmed anything, however.
Rumors of an upgraded Switch just got help from an unexpected source: the display industry. James Fimognari, Spawn Wave and SlashGear report that Universal Display Corporation CEO Steven Abramson claimed during an earnings call that Nintendo chose an OLED screen for the “new Switch Pro” due to its effectively infinite contrast ratio and faster pixel response times.
Read more: The Nintendo Switch buying guide
It’s not certain how much of an inside track Abramson has on news for Nintendo’s new console. He mentioned the Switch Pro as part of a description of a “burgeoning” OLED device market that included Dell’s latest XPS 13 and Samsung’s Galaxy Book Pro family. The executive was referencing “reports” rather than confirming direct knowledge. Still, it’s an unusual claim to make while discussing financial results — especially from a CEO with a vested interest in OLED technology.
He may be referencing an earlier Bloomberg rumor. The publication’s sources had Nintendo giving the enhanced Switch a 7-inch Samsung-made OLED panel (up from a 6.2-inch LCD). Further rumors have suggested the new system would use a new Nvidia chipset that would be key to 4K gameplay when connected to a TV. The new hardware would use Nvidia’s DLSS to scale 1080p games to the higher resolution.
Nintendo hasn’t confirmed an OLED Switch, and there’s no guarantee it will arrive before the end of 2021 if it exists. Abramson’s comments certainly fuel expectations, though. It also wouldn’t be surprising if a new machine arrived soon, if just to keep the Switch relevant in an era when the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are making 4K gaming relatively commonplace.
