Nintendo Switch successor to ditch OLED for 8-inch LCD screen and release this year, analyst claims

Nintendo Switch OLED
(Image credit: Nintendo)

Nintendo's Switch successor might have a bigger screen than every other handheld device out there, according to one analyst.

Bloomberg reported that Omdia analyst Hiroshi Hayase believes Nintendo's next console is set to launch in 2024. This is something we've heard before from other reports last year, so it definitely tallies with other expectations out there.

Additionally, Hayase believes the Nintendo Switch successor will have an 8-inch LCD screen. This is interesting because, if true, it means Nintendo is going back to LCD screens for its next console, rather than staying with OLED screens, which the latest model of the Nintendo Switch employs.

It would also mean the Nintendo Switch successor would be the biggest handheld device out there. The Switch OLED model has a screen size of 7 inches, and this is matched by the ASUS Rog Ally. The original Nintendo Switch has a smaller screen size of 6.4 inches, while the Steam Deck OLED model boasts a 7.4-inch screen.

It's important to keep in mind that this isn't coming from a report citing sources close to Nintendo, but rather from an analyst. That's not to put Omdia's expertise under the microscope, but to rather temper expectations against taking this information as a guaranteed fact. 

Just recently, 8% of game developers surveyed said they were working on games for Nintendo's new console. Elsewhere though, Nintendo previously guaranteed customers that the base Switch would still get new games until March 2025, so it's not as if the company is planning on pulling the plug on the current console, even if a successor does end up launching this year.

Check out our full Nintendo Switch 2 guide for a look at everything that's been said and claimed about the new console to date.

Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.