TL;DR
- Nintendo just officially announced an upgraded version of the Switch, known as the Nintendo Switch OLED Model.
- It carries some of the rumored “Pro” upgrades, including a larger OLED display, more storage, a LAN port in the dock, and more.
- The new Switch will launch on October 8 with a suggested retail price of $349, but expect it to be incredibly difficult to get.
Over the past two years, we’ve seen plenty of rumors related to a “Pro” model of the popular Nintendo Switch hybrid console. Rumors ramped up enough this year that we became confident we would see it launch before the end of 2021.
Well, it turns out we were both right and wrong with our expectations. Today we learned that Nintendo does have a new model of the Switch to launch this year, officially called the Nintendo Switch OLED Model. However, this isn’t the “Pro” model many of us were hoping for.
That being said, there’s still a lot to love about this upgraded version of the Switch.
Nintendo Switch OLED Model upgrades
The most obvious upgrade for this model of the Switch is the inclusion of an OLED panel. The original Switch has an LCD display, which produces objectively inferior images. This OLED panel is also physically larger than the original Switch at 7 inches (the original display is 6.2 inches).
There are a few other notable upgrades, though. The internal storage capacity is now 64GB, twice as much as in the original Switch. It also has a much-improved kickstand that spans the entire back of the console and has adjustable stopping points, which will solve a huge pain point for gamers on the go. Nintendo is also claiming that the audio from the undocked console is superior, but it doesn’t really explain what’s making that possible.
Finally, the included dock also includes a built-in Ethernet port. Previously, you needed to buy an accessory for this functionality, so that’s a nice touch.
When you can buy and how much
The Nintendo Switch OLED Model will launch on October 8, 2021. It will have a suggested retail price of $349. That’s just $50 more than the regular switch and $150 more than the Switch Lite.
All current Nintendo Switch games and official accessories (including Joy-Con) are compatible with the Nintendo Switch OLED Model.
Be warned, though: it will most likely be incredibly difficult to get this when it does launch. The ongoing global chip shortage as well as the incredible popularity of the Switch console will make this the must-have holiday gift.
