Bloomberg has a new report from Omdia analyst Hiroshi Hayase which suggests that Nintendo’s next console — let’s call it Switch 2 for now — will launch this year, and feature an 8-inch LCD screen.
The Switch 2’s 2024 launch window is not yet confirmed, but it is widely expected. That it will have an LCD screen — similar to the base model Switch, and a downgrade from the beautiful OLED Switch model — has already been reported. In 2023, Sharp said it was supplying LCD panels to the maker of an upcoming console.
But the significant new detail here is the size of the screen. Because, when it comes to handheld games consoles, 8 inches is big.
For comparison, the Switch Lite has a 5.5-inch screen; the original Switch model’s screen is 6.2 inches; and the OLED Switch has a 7-inch screen. A base model Steam Deck also has a 7-inch screen, and Steam Deck OLED’s screen is 7.4 inches.
So, 8 inches is a luxurious amount of screen real estate for a handheld console. But it also suggests that the form factor for the console itself is going to be noticeably larger.
Because the original Switch had a wide, black bezel around the screen, Nintendo was able to dramatically increase the size of the screen for the OLED model by reducing the width of the bezel and pushing the edge of the screen closer to the edge of the unit.
Even if Nintendo could reduce the width of the bezel further, there simply isn’t enough space to fit an 8-inch screen on the current Switch form factor (which measures about 7.5 inches diagonally). It sounds as though Switch 2 is going to be a bit of a monster.
Nintendo has yet to publicly confirm the existence of its next console, let alone say anything about it. A full reveal this summer seems likely, although it’s possible Nintendo will make some kind of basic announcement earlier than that: before its financial year comes to an end in March, in order to calm investors.
