No Switch 2? Don't Worry! THIS will be EVEN BETTER!

[evilrio]

If you missed out on the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, take a deep breath—and maybe a victory lap.

While early adopters rushed to snag preorders, scalpers swooped in, and reviewers scrambled to crown the next Nintendo classic, a quieter truth lingered in the background: the version you really want probably isn’t out yet. And if Nintendo’s track record tells us anything, it’s this—an OLED (or better) model is inevitable.

The Pattern is Clear​

Look back at Nintendo's hardware history, and you’ll notice a pattern of iterative excellence:

• Nintendo DS → DS Lite → DSi
• 3DS → 3DS XL → New 3DS XL
• Switch → Switch OLED

Each generation starts with a solid, sometimes slightly underwhelming base model, then evolves into a sleeker, more powerful, better-looking iteration. It's not just a refresh—it's usually the version that finally feels "complete."

So if you’re feeling FOMO right now, don’t. You might’ve just saved yourself hundreds of dollars and a season of technical quirks.

Why an AMOLED (or OLED) Model Is Coming​

The current Switch OLED model isn’t just a nicer screen—it feels like a luxury version of the original hardware. Deeper blacks, richer colors, and a generally more premium feel elevated the experience.

Expect the same from the Switch 2’s eventual AMOLED variant:

• Improved battery life due to better power efficiency.
• Sharper contrast and richer visuals that enhance newer AAA and first-party games.
• Likely design tweaks that address early complaints—whether that’s ergonomics, thermals, or Joy-Con drift (please, Nintendo).

The Smart Play? Wait and Watch

While Switch 2 will no doubt bring meaningful upgrades (DLSS? better CPU/GPU? backward compatibility?), Nintendo’s strategy has always been to iterate—and reward patience.

Just think: The first Switch launched in 2017. The OLED model? 2021. Four years of refinement led to one of the most beloved handheld experiences ever. Why wouldn't they do it again?

In the Meantime…​

Catch up on your backlog. Enjoy the still-excellent Switch OLED. Watch how launch games shake out in terms of performance. And when Nintendo inevitably reveals the Switch 2 AMOLED or “Switch 2 Pro,” you’ll be ready—with a better product and possibly even a better price.

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TL;DR: Missed the Switch 2 launch? Don’t sweat it. If history repeats (and it always does with Nintendo), the real gem—an AMOLED-enhanced version—is still on the horizon. Patience might just be your best controller.

 

[Nebulon_Galaxy]

AMOLED on a Nintendo product? Lmao, youll get basic OLED and youll like it! it will cost 800 freedom dollars too. Please understand we are a small company

 

[Elwiwi]

So y'all want a more expensive hardware ?

 

[destinyduelist]

The coping with the AMOLED is a little too much, you gonna buy that basic OLED for double the price and you gonna like it young man.
I'm just waiting for a Lite version hopefully. I got a Switch Lite on release and I played the fuck out of it. To me the Switch (and by extent Switch 2) is a portable handheld, so I don't care at all about the TV connectivity. If it can't put out good performance in handheld mode and you need docked mode to have better performance to me it failed as a console.

 

[Yousef]

AMOLED on a Nintendo product? Lmao, youll get basic OLED and youll like it! it will cost 800 freedom dollars too. Please understand we are a small company

The coping with the AMOLED is a little too much, you gonna buy that basic OLED for double the price and you gonna like it young man.

I don’t think Nintendo would even comprehend the concept of AMOLED unless executives present it with a 2,000 dollar price tag attached to it.

I'm just waiting for a Lite version hopefully. I got a Switch Lite on release and I played the fuck out of it. To me the Switch (and by extent Switch 2) is a portable handheld, so I don't care at all about the TV connectivity. If it can't put out good performance in handheld mode and you need docked mode to have better performance to me it failed as a console.

same love the lite.

 

[Nebulon_Galaxy]

The coping with the AMOLED is a little too much, you gonna buy that basic OLED for double the price and you gonna like it young man.
I'm just waiting for a Lite version hopefully. I got a Switch Lite on release and I played the fuck out of it. To me the Switch (and by extent Switch 2) is a portable handheld, so I don't care at all about the TV connectivity. If it can't put out good performance in handheld mode and you need docked mode to have better performance to me it failed as a console.

Im the opposite, i never have it out of the dock. I wish they made a console only variant, but alas Nintendo isnt so smart

 

[DrunkGecko]

oh shit dawg

 

[DjQuick2008]

Just got mario kart 8 for my switch OLED im happy enough with the online play and handheld mode on hot days right now.

 

[ciro64]

The coping with the AMOLED is a little too much, you gonna buy that basic OLED for double the price and you gonna like it young man.
I'm just waiting for a Lite version hopefully. I got a Switch Lite on release and I played the fuck out of it. To me the Switch (and by extent Switch 2) is a portable handheld, so I don't care at all about the TV connectivity. If it can't put out good performance in handheld mode and you need docked mode to have better performance to me it failed as a console.

Im the opposite, i never have it out of the dock. I wish they made a console only variant, but alas Nintendo isnt so smart

I'm versatile ;)

 

[Sir Auriel of Lionel]

I'm just hoping some games in production will stay in Switch and won't demand you upgrade to the Switch 2 for no other reason than it being the newer console when they already sunk time into the previous console, trust your fanbase don't price them out.

 

[Nebulon_Galaxy]

I'm just hoping some games in production will stay in Switch and won't demand you upgrade to the Switch 2 for no other reason than it being the newer console when they already sunk time into the previous console, trust your fanbase don't price them out.

They said the samething with the GBA when the DS was out, same with the Wii on the WiiU. This is the final year for first party games on the Switch. Metroid Prime 4 is the swan song of the Switch console.

 

[Sir Auriel of Lionel]

They said the samething with the GBA when the DS was out, same with the Wii on the WiiU. This is the final year for first party games on the Switch. Metroid Prime 4 is the swan song of the Switch console.

 

[nattybohman]

I'm ready to get some nice swan song original NSW games! This is the perfect time to start picking up some great physical media releases for the original switch. Developers know the system inside and out by now. They'll come out with some great games that squeeze everything possible out of the original switch hardware. These games will in turn be mostly ignored by the masses who will have moved on to switch 2. I'm ready for the next Panzer Dragoon Saga or Valkyrie Profile style phenomenon!

 

[destinyduelist]

I'm just hoping some games in production will stay in Switch and won't demand you upgrade to the Switch 2 for no other reason than it being the newer console when they already sunk time into the previous console, trust your fanbase don't price them out.

Sadly this is a pipe dream. Same thing happened with every Nintendo console like Nebulon already said.

 

[Sir Auriel of Lionel]

Sadly this is a pipe dream. Same thing happened with every Nintendo console like Nebulon already said.

Why I remain a Sony fan. At least there's sales.

 

[DjQuick2008]

Why I remain a Sony fan. At least there's sales.

i can play zero gunner 2 on my ps5 and many great SHMUPs i know the switch has them too but theyre in higher quality on ps5.

 

[nattybohman]

i can play zero gunner 2 on my ps5 and many great SHMUPs i know the switch has them too but theyre in higher quality on ps5.

I love Zero Gunner 2! My favorite shooter on the Dreamcast. Nice to meet another fan.

 

[Badseed]

I was just going to wait the month until someone jailbreaks it, than i will emulate it and pirate all the games. Arrrrgh matey...

 

[Adrastia]

OLED is inevitable. If that's what you want save your money until the inevitable OLED announcement. There aren't enough launch games anyway.

 

[trickybus]

trust your fanbase don't price them out.

Meanwhile, Nintendo:

 

[Egg (McMuffin) Man]

I really don't think an OLED model is going to happen, nor do I think that anyone asking for it really understands what they're asking for. The Switch 2 has VRR in handheld mode and that's one of the devices selling points, but VRR has flickering problems on OLED screens. Adding an OLED panel that doesn't flicker would be very expensive. For comparison, the screen in the iPhone 15 is similar in spec (120hz HDR-capable OLED panel) is reportedly $80 for the manufacturer, and even that panel doesn't support VRR and is smaller that the required panel for the Switch 2. To add VRR plus a larger size would of course cost more than that. You're looking at increasing the manufacturing cost by $100+, and of course the retail price would have to be much higher in order to support this higher manufacturing cost. In comparison, the OLED model of the original Switch reportedly only costs an extra $10-$20 to manufacture compared to the base model Switch.

Considering that many people were already crying about $500, I don't see them going any higher than that for a different screen when the one on the device is already great.

I'm sure there will be some form of hardware revision eventually (I'm personally hoping for a smaller handheld-only model), but I don't think an OLED model will be a part of that. If you want to play on an OLED screen than get an OLED TV.

 

[TheWanderer]

I'm just waiting for an emulator

 

[Egg (McMuffin) Man]

I'm just waiting for an emulator

You might be waiting for a while. The original Switch got one pretty quickly because the chip it uses had tons of documentation available online but even then it took quite a while until any games were playable and even now there's still some problems. Switch 2 has a custom chipset with no documentation and is pretty locked down, so it will probably take a long time until there's a usable emulator.

 

[Pokenami's iconPokenami]

I rather wait until the Switch 2 homebrew community grows. I'm not in a rush.

 

[TheWanderer]

You might be waiting for a while. The original Switch got one pretty quickly because the chip it uses had tons of documentation available online but even then it took quite a while until any games were playable and even now there's still some problems. Switch 2 has a custom chipset with no documentation and is pretty locked down, so it will probably take a long time until there's a usable emulator.

Meh
I'm a patient man