Nintendo To Release Switch OLED In October; Experts Say Switch Pro Still On The Table

Japanese gaming giant Nintendo announced on Tuesday a new Switch model, dubbed OLED. Though it is not called the Switch Pro, it offers several enhancements that the 2017 hybrid gaming console does not have.

The new Nintendo Switch OLED model will officially release on Oct. 8 at a suggested retail price of $349.99. The new model offers gamers another choice on how they want to play their games on the hybrid gaming console. The new model features the same overall size as the original Switch gaming system, the company said in an official announcement.

However, it has a vibrant and larger 7-inch OLED screen. Aside from that, it has a new dock with a wired LAN port and a wide and adjustable stand for tabletop mode. The Nintendo Switch OLED model also features 64 GB internal storage and enhanced audio for both tabletop and handheld play.

Nintendo first introduced its hybrid gaming console, dubbed Nintendo Switch, in 2017 and it released the Nintendo Switch Lite in 2019. The Lite model offers games a portable-only experience at a much cheaper price. Now, a couple of years after the release of the portable console, Nintendo announced the Switch OLED.

Experts say Nintendo releases a new console as mid-cycle refreshes to keep the momentum going. On Tuesday, NPD analyst Mat Piscatella tweeted, "Back in the day, Nintendo portable revisions would stabilize the demand curve and firm up ASPs. They were about maintaining sales performance and preventing the pull of price drops and stale inventory. The Switch OLED is right out of this successful playbook."

Does this mean the rumored Switch Pro is no longer coming? Many believe that the Switch Pro is still on the table. Piscatella said the rumored gaming console is still on his "1H 2022 forecast."

The Verge's Sean Hollister is somewhat hopeful about the rumored device, as well. He speculated, "Perhaps next year — when Nintendo's once again feeling the pressure to keep Switch sales high, no longer needs to fight for chips, and has a system-selling video game like the Breath of the Wild sequel primed and ready to go — it'll try again."

He also noted, "Nintendo can drop that new-and-improved Nvidia Tegra chip into this year’s OLED-equipped Switch, give it a snappy name like New Nintendo Switch i Max Plus Remake Intergrade, maybe add some Bluetooth headphone support, and call it a day."