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Nintendo announces new Switch with OLED display

The new handheld gaming machine goes on sale Oct. 8 for $349.99.

An image of the new Nintendo Switch OLED model alongside the docked Joy-Con controllers.

The new Switch comes with a 7-inch OLED display and a built-in wired LAN port.

Photo: Nintendo

Nintendo's rumored next-generation Switch handheld is finally here, though it's a bit more iterative than some might have hoped. The company surprise announced the device, fittingly called Nintendo Switch (OLED model), with a YouTube video tweeted out Tuesday morning. It goes on sale Oct. 8 for $349.99.

The new Switch has a few other benefits in addition to its improved 7-inch OLED display. It also has a built-in wired LAN port for hardwiring an ethernet-based Internet connection, 64GB of internal storage and a more versatile stand for propping the device up while in portable mode.

Nintendo did not disclose any major changes to the device's internal components. The Switch OLED appears to have the same chipset as the current model, so current games won't see any kind of performance boost or jump in resolution. Many of the rumors swirling about a new Switch suggested the device might be able to output close to 4K resolution while docked. Technical specifications for the Switch OLED confirm it's still capable of outputting only 1080p visuals, while battery life is still listed at between 4.5 and 9 hours.

This appears to be more of a refresh than the promised Switch Pro some fans might have wanted. But that also means a proper next-generation Switch could be closer on the horizon than we think.

Nick Statt

Nick Statt is Protocol's video game reporter. Prior to joining Protocol, he was news editor at The Verge covering the gaming industry, mobile apps and antitrust out of San Francisco, in addition to managing coverage of Silicon Valley tech giants and startups. He now resides in Rochester, New York, home of the garbage plate and, completely coincidentally, the World Video Game Hall of Fame. He can be reached at nstatt@protocol.com.

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