Tag: Switch OLED Model

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Nintendo’s Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom-themed Switch OLED model releases April 28th

During Nintendo’s Direct stream focused on The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the Japanese gaming giant revealed a special edition version of the console alongside a lengthy look at the game.

The Tears of the Kingdom edition Switch OLED model is gold, white and green, and features designs inspired by the game, including the Triforce on the dock and several designs on its gold Joy-Cons.

The Switch OLED model The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Edition launches on April 28th, 2023, just ahead of Tears of the Kingdom’s May 12th release date. Pricing hasn’t been confirmed, but the console will likely cost $449.49.

Nintendo also revealed plans to release a Tears of the Kingdom-themed Pro Controller and carrying case.

During the direct, Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma showed off roughly 10 minutes of Tears of the Kingdom in action, revealing several of Link’s new abilities, its world, a new system that allows you to combine weapons and more.

You can find the video below.

Image credit: Nintendo

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Nintendo is ramping up Switch production leading up to Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s release

Anyone hoping Nintendo would announce a successor to the Nintendo Switch in 2023 will be disappointed to learn the Japanese gaming giant plans to ramp up Switch production in the coming year — and with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom scheduled for a May release, this isn’t entirely surprising.

Sources familiar with Nintendo’s production plans told Bloomberg that Nintendo had informed its parts suppliers and assembly partners that it would increase Switch production during the company’s 2023/2024 financial year.

According to the publication’s sources, now that the component shortage is mostly over, Nintendo can finally produce the number of consoles the market wants. And with Tears of the Kingdom aiming to replicate the critical and sales success of Breath of the Wild, the anticipated game will likely again push Switch sales, just like its predecessor.

While Nintendo’s Switch remains popular, the console is headed into its 6th year and was released back in March 2017. Given Nintendo’s console release history, at this point, the company is usually ramping up to release a new system, or at the very least, its current console is entering its twilight years. In the case of the Switch, it appears the system is still going strong.

Rumours surrounding a Switch Pro or Switch 2 have circulated for years, but the closest thing that’s appeared so far is the Switch OLED model, a minor upgrade to the original home console-handheld hybrid system that features a larger, higher-quality display.

Source: Bloomberg

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If you want your Switch of Steam Deck to melt, take it outside in a heatwave

If you’ve ever looked at your Switch OLED model or Steam Deck and thought to yourself, “I wish I could make this gaming handheld device melt,” now is your chance.

Nintendo and Valve warned users not to take their respective portable consoles outside amid the ongoing heatwaves currently ravaging regions around the world, including Canada, the U.K., Japan and more.

Nintendo’s official Japanese Twitter account tweeted out a diagram to help prevent overheating that tells players they should only use the Switch in an environment between 5 and 35-degree Celsius and that they should avoid blocking the handheld’s rear intake and exhaust vents (via Nintendo Life).

Valve also recently tweeted a warning to Steam Deck users, stating that the console should be used in temperatures between 0 and 35 Celsius and that running the handheld in conditions warmer than this range above this will hinder the handheld’s performance. In fact, if the Steam Deck gets too hot, it will shut down altogether.

Given it sometimes feels like I could cook an egg on the Steam Deck’s back while playing resource-intensive games like Elden Ring, this isn’t surprising.

So what should your key takeaway be here? Don’t take your Switch or Steam Deck outside in the middle of a heatwave unless you want to watch it melt.

Source: @Nintendo_CS, @OnDeck Via: Nintendo Life

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Nintendo Switch shipments drop 20 percent year-over-year

Nintendo says it shipped 4.11 million Switch consoles between January and March, bringing the home console-hybrid device’s total to 23.06 million for the 2022 fiscal year.

The Japanese gaming giant originally said it planned to sell 25.5 million units, followed by 24 million and 23 million. This amounts to a 20 percent decline year-over-year compared to 28.83 million in the year prior. The gaming giant cites a shortage in semiconductors and other components as the reason for the decline in shipments.

In total, Nintendo has shipped 107.65 million consoles since March 2017. Though the Switch recently outsold the Wii, it still has a ways to go before it catches up with the DS’ 154.02 million and the Game Boy’s 118.69 million units. On the software side of things, Pokémon Legends: Arceus sold 12.64 million units.

The company says that it plans to ship 21 million Switch consoles during its current fiscal year. Given the decline in sales, it’s likely that Nintendo’s Switch has finally hit its peak slightly over five years into its life cycle.

Looking to the future, Splatoon 3, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are set to release in the coming months. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, arguably the most anticipated title for the Switch, was recently delayed to spring 2023.

It’s still unclear when or if Nintendo plans to release the often-rumoured Switch Pro. The Switch OLED model, a relatively minor upgrade to the handheld, released back in October 2021.

Source: Nintendo Via: Engadget 

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Nintendo’s next ‘gaming system’ won’t release until 20XX

Even though the Switch OLED model isn’t a month old yet, Nintendo is already talking about its successor — well, sort of.

During its recent presentation to investors, Nintendo stated that it plans to “continue to expand its business around the core concept of creating unique integrated hardware-software products.” Reading between the lines, this likely means that the company plans to release more video game consoles in the future — surprise.

However, the actual release window when this successor to the Switch will release remains unknown. In the presentation (which you can find here), Nintendo says that its “next gaming system” will drop at an undefined date in “20xx.” Other than stating it has plans to create another video game console in the future, the company doesn’t let any further details slip.

Though the OLED Switch is a decent refresh to the original Switch, it’s far from a true successor. It features the same overall design as the OG Switch, and, more importantly, it isn’t an internal hardware upgrade. For months, reports swirled that Nintendo planned to release a new version of the Switch capable of playing 4K titles when docked, but those rumours have yet come to fruition.

While the Switch is a great console, it’s nearly five years into its life cycle, and especially in the face of the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, its hardware is starting to show its age.

Source: Nintendo Via: IGN

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Nintendo will manufacture 20 percent fewer Switch consoles due to chip shortage

It seems that nearly every tech hardware company is suffering from the ongoing chip shortage on some level.

The latest victim is Nintendo and its Switch consoles, according to Nikkei Asia. The Japanese gaming giant behind the Switch, Switch Lite and the recently released Switch OLED model will produce 20 percent fewer consoles than it originally planned due to a shortage of semiconductors and other components.

In total, Nintendo will manufacture 24 million Switch units, according to Nikkei.

“The supply and demand of semiconductor parts is tight, and is affecting Switch production. We are assessing the impact,” said a Nintendo spokesperson in a statement to the publication. It’s worth noting that during the holiday shopping season last year, the Switch was also challenging to find.

Last month, Nintendo released a new version of the Switch that features a subtly redesigned build and an OLED display. Though many people expected the company to finally reveal a true 4K-capable successor to the Switch, that has yet to happen.

While the OLED Switch is a decent upgrade to the original console, it still features the same ageing chip and overall design as the nearly four-year-old Switch.

In other Nintendo-related news, the company recently added a new ‘Expansion Pack’ tier to its Switch Online subscription service that includes N64 and Sega Genesis titles. The package has been heavily criticized for featuring poor emulation involving graphical glitches, delayed button presses and more.

Source: Nikkei Asia 

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Nintendo’s OLED Switch includes a screen protector that you shouldn’t remove

Nintendo’s OLED Switch model includes a built-in screen protector.

When I opened up the OLED Switch model review unit Nintendo sent me, I don’t recall encountering any sort of screen protector, but according to The Verge, Nintendo has stuck an “anti-scattering adhesive film” to the front of the handheld’s display.

“Do not peel off the anti-scattering adhesive film from the OLED screen of the console,” says the company in the OLED Switch’s manual.

As far as I can recall, I didn’t remove anything from the OLED Switch’s screen, leading me to believe that this screen protector is extremely hard to see.

Nintendo’s original Switch and Switch Lite don’t need this sort of protector because the displays are made of plastic. The screen protector featured on the OLED Switch is typically used to prevent glass from breaking into shards if it gets damaged while also offering protection from scratches.

Unlike the first-gen Samsung Galaxy Fold, it doesn’t sound like removing this protector will break the OLED Switch’s display, but given it isn’t noticeable, there should be no reason to remove it.

Of course, I went ahead and applied a MoKo glass protector for the OLED on the Switch that I found on Amazon because this is what I always do whenever I get a new portable tech device that includes a display. Nintendo also sells a first-party display protector for the OLED Switch for $20 that’s sold alongside a carrying case.

That said, the protector doesn’t seem to be glass, which is rarely a good thing for screen adhesives.

For more on the Switch OLED model, check out my review.

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Via: The Verge 

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Nintendo’s Switch OLED model is now available

If you’ve been eagerly awaiting Nintendo’s Switch OLED model, your time has finally arrived.

The Japanese gaming giant’s incremental update to its home console-portable hybrid system is now available online and in-store at several retailers, including Best Buy, The Source, GameStop and more for $449.

It’s important to note that the OLED Switch might already be sold out at some retailers due to significant pre-order demand. For example, Shoppers Drug Mart recently tweeted that it will have the OLED Switch in stock in-store “following Thanksgiving.”

To put the refreshed console’s cost in perspective, this is $70 more than $379 standard Switch and $190 more expensive than the handheld-only Switch Lite.

While the OLED Switch’s display is undeniably great looking, the new version of the system is very similar to the first Switch beyond slightly better speakers and a better kickstand. In fact, Nintendo didn’t even update the OLED Switch’s Joy-Cons to solve the dreaded drift issue.

For more on the Switch OLED model, check out my review of the handheld. The Switch OLED model starts at $449. 

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It looks like Nintendo might have fixed Joy-Con drift after all

In an uncharacteristic, wide-ranging interview, Nintendo has confirmed the Switch OLED model’s Joy-Cons feature “improved wear resistance and durability.”

The company also says these improvements are included in the “Switch Lite, and the ones [Joy-Cons] sold individually.”

Likely to avoid more potential class-action lawsuits brought against the company due the well-known Joy-Con drift issue, Toru Yamashita, Nintendo’s deputy general manager of its technology development, doesn’t outright state current Joy-Cons won’t suffer from drift, but reading between the lines, that seems to be the case.

“We mentioned that the Joy-Con controller specifications hadn’t changed in the sense that we didn’t add new features such as new buttons, but the analog sticks in the Joy-Con controllers included with Nintendo Switch – OLED Model are the latest version with all the improvements. Needless to say, so are the analog sticks included in Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite, separately sold Joy-Con controllers, and the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller that are currently being shipped,” said Yamashita in the interview.

Though Nintendo has never launched an official repair program, Switch owners have been sending Joy-Cons to the Japanese gaming giant to get fixed since the handheld’s launch back in 2017.

In the interview, Yamashita goes on to say that when Nintendo previously confirmed it didn’t change anything about the OLED Switch’s Joy-Cons, it meant that the gamepads don’t include new features.

Yamashita says Nintendo plans to continue improving the Switch OLED model just like it did with the original Switch and emphasizes its rigorous quality control. At one point in the interview, Ko Shiota, Nintendo’s executive member of the board, senior executive officer general manager, technology development division (that’s a lot of titles), compares the Joy-Con’s issues to car tires wearing out.

“…for example car tires wear out as the car moves, as they are in constant friction with the ground to rotate. So with that same premise, we asked ourselves how we can improve durability, and not only that, but how can both operability and durability coexist? It’s something we are continuously tackling,” said Shiota.

Though it’s still unclear, there’s a possibility Shiota is inferring that while Nintendo has done as much as it can to improve the reliability of the Switch’s Joy-Cons, new versions of the controllers could still experience issues.

It remains unclear what the cause of Joy-Con drift is, with some reports citing problems with the gamepad’s joysticks and others mentioning debris getting inside the controllers. Cleaning Joy-Cons with pressurized air, rubbing alcohol and more have been mentioned as potential solutions to the issue.

For what it’s worth, I’ve yet to encounter Joy-Con drift with the Switch OLED model I have, though I also didn’t run into the problem with my Switch or Switch Lite either. We’ll likely need to wait for a teardown of the OLED model’s Joy-Cons before knowing for sure what Nintendo has changed inside the gamepads.

To read the full interview, follow this link. For more on the Switch OLED model, check out my review of the console.

Source: Nintendo

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Unraveling the saga of the 4K Switch Nintendo says doesn’t exist

When Nintendo first revealed the Switch OLED model a few months ago, it was difficult not to be disappointed that it wasn’t the more significant rumoured refresh many people expected.

Since then, rumours surrounding a potential 4K Switch died down — at least until now. On Wednesday, Bloomberg reported that several developers currently have Switch 4K development kits and are actively working on games with them.

The publication’s report says that 11 developers are working with the 4K Switch development kit, including both big and small studios. As expected, Nintendo quickly denied this claim, stating that it has “no plans for any new model other than Nintendo Switch — OLED Model..”

Bloomberg says that Nintendo planned to release a 4K Switch this October but was forced to shift its plans due to “component shortages” related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Japanese gaming giant already sent out 4K development kits to developers prior to revealing the Switch OLED model.

Developers working on 4K titles state that they expect to release their games at some point in 2022, indicating that we likely won’t see the release of a 4K Switch until that time frame “at the earliest.”

Adding more fuel to the churning rumour mill, mobile game developer Zynga denied that it currently has a 4K development kit from Nintendo. Bloomberg‘s report states that the FarmVille developer is one of the studios that currently has a 4K Switch development kit. Zynga is working on Star Wars: Hunters for the Nintendo Switch.

Earlier rumours indicated that Nintendo plans to utilize Nvidia’s DLSS technology to output 4K visuals when the console is docked.

Though it would make sense to assume Bloomberg‘s reporting is wrong, it’s likely not the case. If a rumour appears this often, there’s usually at least some level of truth to it.

This also isn’t the first time we’ve seen Nintendo deny a console’s existence, only to reveal it a few months later. Further, it’s not surprising to see a developer reportedly working on a 4K Switch title denying it has a development kit given how secretive the gaming industry typically is.

Nintendo’s Switch OLED model will release on October 8th for $449 CAD.

Image credit: Nintendo 

Source: Bloomberg