Nintendo Switch OLED: release date, price and specs
The latest iteration of one of Nintendo's most popular games consoles has been announced, with the upgraded model expected to be released in autumn 2021.
On Tuesday gaming giants Nintendo announced a new version of its hugely successful portable console; the Nintendo Switch OLED.
Due to be released in the United States on 8 October, the new Nintendo Switch will build on the key principles that have made the console so popular and introduce some new technologies. As the name suggests one of the key changes will be an upgrade to the screen quality with a new 7-inch OLED display providing vivid colours and crisp contrast.
The device is set to go on sale for $349.99, slightly more than the standard Switch’s $299.99 price tag. Also still available is the Nintendo Switch Lite, the pared back, basic model which costs just $199.99.
What are the new feature on the Nintendo Switch OLED?
The premium price of the latest offering means that fans will be expecting improvements on the previous models if they are to part with their cash. The OLED screen is the main new addition but there are other improvements too.
- The new model has twice the storage capacity of the regular Switch, with the capability to extend it further using a memory card.
- New kickstand design will give a more stable base when playing on the go, allowing it to be placed on any surface without toppling over.
- The Switch OLED also features enhanced audio technology thanks to the upgraded on-board speakers included in the new device.
Nintendo could face delays due to chip shortages
The pandemic has ushered in a period of heightened interest in gaming with people around the world looking for new ways to entertain themselves at home. Unfortunately the rapid increase in demand has outstripped the supply with global shortages of gaming console chips hampering the rollout of consoles over the past year.
Supplies of the PlayStation 5 remain extremely scarce seven months after it was first released. Nintendo managed to ship more than 28 million Switch devices during the last fiscal year but even they are not impervious to the shortage.
In a press conference held in May, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa admitted that there was “an increasing sense of uncertainty” about the company’s ability to keep producing consoles at the same rate.
“Due to the global shortage of semiconductor materials, we are not able to produce all the products we want to,” he said. “We are doing everything we can, but there is an increasing sense of uncertainty about production plans."