Nintendo confirms Switch OLED has ‘no major internal changes’
New hardware does not feature more powerful components, as had been expected
Nintendo has confirmed to VGC that its new Switch OLED model features “no major internal changes” compared to previous Switch models.
The company announced the new Nintendo Switch OLED model on Tuesday, with confirmation of a larger 7-inch OLED screen and other smaller additions such as a wide adjustable stand, a new dock and enhanced audio.
However, there was no mention of 4K resolution support or increased hardware power, as had been heavily reported before the system’s announcement.
According to Nintendo’s hardware specs for the OLED model, it will not be able to output a resolution higher than 1080p docked and 720p portable, which is the same as previous Switch systems.
In a statement issued to VGC following the announcement, Nintendo has now confirmed that the OLED model will feature the same internal components as in previous versions.
“Nintendo Switch (OLED model) does not have a new CPU, or more RAM, from previous Nintendo Switch models,” a spokesperson told us.
According to Nintendo’s tech specs, the new model – which will release in October – will be nearly identical to the previous model in size (it’s 0.1 inches longer), but slightly heavier at 0.93lbs (vs. 0.88lbs).
The system features a larger 7-inch OLED screen (compared to 6.2-inch on the standard model), a wide adjustable stand for tabletop mode, a new dock with a wired LAN port, 64GB of internal storage (compared to 32GB previously), and enhanced audio for handheld and tabletop play.
Multiple outlets had reported that Nintendo was preparing to launch new Switch hardware in 2021 and that it might feature upgraded computing power and support for 4K graphics.
further reading
Gallery: Here’s the new Nintendo Switch ‘OLED model’
According to a Bloomberg story last September, Nintendo had reportedly asked game developers to make their existing games 4K-ready, in preparation for the new hardware.
It’s not yet clear if Nintendo changed its plans to include more powerful components, possibly due to global chip shortages, or if it moved the features to a possible future model.
