AS GAMING ACTIVITY SURGES, NINTENDO UNVEILS UPDATED SWITCH GAME CONSOLE

Wed 07 July 2021:

Nintendo on Tuesday announced its updated Switch hand-held game console would be available in October, after a pandemic year in which gaming activity surged.

The new Switch OLED model will feature a larger, seven-inch screen and launch at a suggested price of $350 on October 8, the Japanese firm said in a statement.

The device will feature upgraded graphics and memory and include an adjustable stand to allow for play in “tabletop mode” with multiple players.

The new console “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.

“We are always looking at technology and how technology can enhance gameplay experiences. It’s not technology for technology’s sake,” Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser tells The Washington Post in a new interview today. “It’s how specifically can technology enhance a gameplay experience. And then where do you apply that technology? Do you want to apply it on current existing hardware or platforms, or do you want to wait for the next platform? And then what’s the right gameplay experience with that? There’s a host of factors that goes into it, and it’s something we’re always looking at.”

“As we enter into our fifth year, Nintendo Switch really is redefining what a console life cycle can look like, and the vibrancy of that overall life cycle with a strong cadence of content,” he adds.

And, while we can’t say we were holding our breath for such a move, it is disappointing on some level that the new OLED model seems to use the same standard Joy-Cons we’ve had this entire time—which means it too will likely suffer from analog stick drift issues. Unfortunately, given the current technology all three console companies currently use, fixing that problem is going to take a lot more effort than we’re likely to see anytime soon.

“With the addition of this new model to the Nintendo Switch family of systems, people have an additional choice of a system that best fits the gaming experience they desire.”

The Switch, a wildly popular handheld game console, was first released in early 2017 and offers game franchises such as Mario, Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, Animal Crossing and more.

The Switch was the top-selling US console in 2020, a year that saw record sales of video games, consoles, and accessories, according to NPD group, a market research firm.

Nintendo reported its highest ever annual profit in 2020 after virus lockdowns caused sales of its blockbuster Switch console to soar.

Here’s what’s new in Nintendo’s upcoming Switch console:

The new Nintendo Switch (OLED Model) uses, as its name implies, an OLED screen that’s brighter and more colorful than the screen on the standard model.
It has a 7-inch screen versus the 6.2-inch screen on the standard version and 5.5-inch screen on the Switch Lite.
It has improved speakers.
It has twice the storage of the regular model, though that can be expanded with a memory card, and has the same estimated 4.5 to 9 hours of battery life depending on usage.
It has a new kickstand design that should improve its stability when placed on a table. The previous version sometimes fell over.

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