After months of speculation and rumors, Nintendo has announced a new version of its Nintendo Switch console is coming this fall.
The Nintendo Switch (OLED model) will go on sale Oct. 8. Priced at $350, the system is similar in many ways to the existing Switch, but will feature a larger seven-inch OLED screen and twice as much internal storage for game software.
The OLED model, like its predecessor (which will remain on sale), can be used as a portable gaming system and connected to TVs for a big-screen gaming experience. Because of its larger screen size, it also offers a tabletop mode, where players can lay the screen flat on a table and play cooperatively or competitively.
Preorders for the system will begin at retailers “soon,” Nintendo said in a statement.
“The new Nintendo Switch (OLED model) is a great option for players who want to experience the new vibrant screen when playing in handheld and tabletop mode,” said Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser.
This will put three models of the Nintendo Switch on the market. The current flagship sells for $300, while the Nintendo Switch Lite, which can be used only for handheld play, costs $200.
Despite high-profile launches of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X last fall, the four-year-old Nintendo Switch is the video game industry’s bestselling game system in both units sold and total dollars year to date, according to the NPD Group.
While some gamers eagerly welcomed news of the Switch (OLED model), the reality didn’t quite live up to expectations set by the rumor mill. Many expected this version of the Switch to support 4K video, and some were hoping for a faster processor—which, predictably, has caused some grumbling.
Whispers of an upgraded Switch began to circulate in January 2020 in the gaming world, and grew so quickly that the company felt the need to issue a statement warning fans that no new hardware would be coming out that year. Many expected Nintendo to announce the new model during E3 last month, but the company instead focused on upcoming software.
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