Sam Machkovech
Nintendo’s follow-up to the getting older Swap—which is broadly rumored to be aiming for launch later this yr—will sport an 8-inch LCD display. That is in keeping with Omdia analyst Hiroshi Hayase, who’s cited in a Bloomberg Information report targeted on the upcoming handheld’s potential results available on the market for “amusement shows” over the subsequent few years.
An 8-inch display (measured diagonally) would put the Swap 2 close to the acute higher finish of moveable gaming screens traditionally. Amongst mass-market gadgets, solely the not too long ago launched PlayStation Portal (8-inch display) and Lenovo Legion Go (8.8-inch display) have damaged previous the 7-inch barrier for devoted gaming handhelds.
That stated, the 6.2-inch display on the unique Nintendo Swap additionally set moveable gaming data when it launched in 2017, simply surpassing the once-luxurious 5-inch display of 2011’s PlayStation Vita. The 2021 launch of the Swap OLED elevated the diagonal display measurement to 7 inches, a display dimension that has since grow to be considerably customary on subsequent moveable gaming gadgets just like the Steam Deck and ROG Ally.
The Swap OLED achieved its display dimension enhance over the unique mannequin primarily by decreasing the thickness of the black bezel surrounding the display itself. An 8-inch display on a Swap 2, alternatively, would doubtless require the console’s bodily footprint to extend. At a normal HD side ratio, an 8-inch (diagonal) display would measure 7 inches (horizontal) by 3.9 inches (vertical), or a bit wider than a normal Swap with out Pleasure-Con’s hooked up (about 6.8 inches huge).
A possible return to an LCD display for the base-model Swap 2 may additionally be disappointing for gamers who’ve gotten used to the brighter colours and deeper distinction of the Swap OLED (or the not too long ago launched Steam Deck OLED). However OLED screens price 20 to 25 % extra to provide than equally sized LCD screens within the smartphone market on common, in keeping with analyst studies. And because the Sport Boy’s 1989 launch with a low-resolution black-and-white display, Nintendo has typically eschewed assist for the most effective show expertise accessible in favor of reducing {hardware} prices (and shopper costs).
In November, Digital Foundry engaged in some knowledgeable hypothesis on the potential {hardware} energy of an upgraded Nvidia chip that it thinks is the “finest candidate” to be used in a Swap follow-up. Reviews from over the summer time counsel builders have been proven demos of the upcoming {hardware} supporting fashionable graphical results like ray tracing and DLSS.
Different studies from later in the summertime counsel the brand new console will nonetheless embrace some type of cartridge slot for bodily media. So far, although, Nintendo has supplied solely obscure solutions as to whether the subsequent Swap shall be backward-compatible with video games designed for the present mannequin.
