Report: Nintendo explains why the Switch 2 has an LCD instead of an OLED

The Nintendo Switch 2 was fully unveiled on April 2 and it brings significant improvements over the original Switch. It has more power, more functionality with the Joy Cons, a larger and faster display, and a larger battery. However, Nintendo decided to go with an LCD display rather than an OLED, which was a bit surprising for fans. The reason for this choice was support for HDR.

At a hardware-focused roundtable that was attended by IGN and other publications, General Manager, Technology Development Division and Senior Director for the Technology Development Department at Nintendo, Tetsuya Sasaki, reportedly stated that there was a lot to considering about whether to go with LCD or OLED for the Switch 2. The team ultimately decided to go with LCD because there have been a lot of advancements with the display technology and it allowed them to have HDR support on the new console, which the Nintendo Switch OLED did not have. 

The Nintendo Switch 2 features a 7.9-inch LCD screen with 1920x1080 resolution, HDR10 support, and VRR up to 120 Hz. The Switch OLED has a 7.0-inch OLED screen with 1280x720 resolution. This bump in size, resolution, and picture quality, should lend to a more immersive experience on the Switch 2. Some of the other upgrades include 256 GB (UFS) storage, Wi-Fi 6, and a maximum output of 3840x2160 (4K) resolution at 60 FPS. The Joy Cons attach magnetically to the console and have a mouse mode, along with larger SL and SR buttons.

Nintendo Switch 2 will be available starting June 5 with pre-orders starting April 9. It is priced at $450 for the just the console and there is a Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle as well that is priced at $500.