Switch 2 OLED Model Rumoured for Late 2027 as Ocarina of Time Remake Looms
Nintendo is reportedly weighing an OLED version of the Switch 2, according to a new report from South Korean outlet ZDNET Korea that has since been corroborated by multiple Western gaming publications. The rumour lands the same week Nintendo’s official price hike for the base console takes shape and just weeks after the publisher confirmed a full remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the platform.
ZDNET Korea’s Report: An OLED Panel Under Consideration, Not Yet Approved
Reporting attributed to ZDNET Korea journalist Lee Ki-jong claims Nintendo is discussing a display upgrade for the Switch 2, moving from the 1280×720 panel used on the original Switch OLED to a full 1920×1080 resolution. Multiple outlets that reviewed the Korean report, including Men’s Journal, confirmed Nintendo is considering making a new version of the Switch 2 with a 1080p OLED Samsung screen, while the current Switch 2 uses a 1080p LCD screen.
Nintendo Everything, citing the same Korean source, reported that ZDNET Korea says it spoke with multiple insiders who said a Switch 2 OLED model is being considered but has not been finalized, with one source saying development at the end of the year is possible and mass production potentially kicking off at the end of 2027 or the start of 2028. Nintendo Life independently reviewed the same report and noted that Samsung Display will strive to supply Switch 2 OLEDs to Nintendo, though “the extent of the price increase for the Switch 2 resulting from the application of OLED is a variable.”
Samsung Display Talks and the Cost Barrier Holding Nintendo Back
The recurring theme across every outlet that has picked up the ZDNET Korea report is cost. Men’s Journal, working from the same translated source, wrote that there appears to be some hesitancy from Nintendo, as electronic component prices continue to rise. Nintendo Everything similarly noted that ZDNET Korea says Nintendo has been looking to lower manufacturing costs, yet OLED panels are higher than LCDs in that area.
If the switch to OLED does happen, Men’s Journal’s read of the report puts the timeline at production beginning late this year, aiming for a release in late 2027 or 2028, which would put the release schedule much sooner than Nintendo’s previous business model with the original Switch and its OLED model, which released in 2017 and 2021 respectively. That would be a notably faster turnaround than the roughly four-year gap fans waited through last generation.
Base Switch 2 Price Climbs to $499.99 on September 1
Any OLED revision would arrive on top of an already-moving price target. Nintendo Life confirmed that Nintendo announced a price revision for the Switch 2 earlier this year, increasing the system by $50 in the North American market, with the new prices already in effect in Japan and set to apply to Western markets in September 2026. Men’s Journal specified the exact figures involved, reporting that Nintendo will be increasing the cost of the Switch 2 on September 1, 2026, from $449.99 to $499.99, citing increased manufacturing costs, worldwide tariffs, and an unstable market.
That looming increase is fuelling scepticism among fans about how an OLED variant could be priced without pushing well past the $500 mark. Nintendo Life’s report also flagged a separate, already-confirmed hardware change, noting the OLED rumour follows Nintendo’s announcement of a Switch 2 hardware revision for Europe last week, which will feature a replaceable battery to comply with new EU regulations.
Ocarina of Time Remake Confirmed for Switch 2 in 2026
The hardware speculation comes as Nintendo’s biggest confirmed Switch 2 release of the year continues to build momentum. TechRadar reported that Nintendo has officially announced The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake, slated to launch this year exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2, with the news coming from a Nintendo Direct where Senior Executive Officer Yoshiaki Koizumi closed the showcase with the first look at the remake of the 1998 original. Nintendo’s own product page for the game confirms the title will see the Nintendo 64 classic return for a new generation in 2026, reborn exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2.
TechRadar also noted the game’s broader history on Nintendo hardware, pointing out that Ocarina of Time originally launched on the N64 in 1998 before a remastered version arrived on Nintendo 3DS in 2011, and the original can still be played on Switch and Switch 2 via a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership. With no OLED hardware confirmed for this calendar year, anyone picking up a special edition console tied to the remake will, for now, be buying the standard LCD unit.
What a Faster Hardware Cycle Would Mean for the Switch 2 Line-Up
Even with the caveats, the timeline being floated would represent one of Nintendo’s quickest hardware refresh cycles in recent memory. As Nintendo Everything’s coverage put it, insiders indicate product development could begin at the end of this year if Nintendo decides to move forward, with mass production potentially starting in late 2027 or early 2028. For a company that took roughly four years to follow the original Switch with an OLED model, shipping a second-generation upgrade within two to three years would mark a distinct change in strategy, likely driven by pressure to keep pace with rival consoles and to re-energise sales once the initial launch wave settles.
For now, none of this is official. Nintendo has not commented on an OLED model, and every outlet covering the ZDNET Korea report – from Nintendo Life to Men’s Journal – stresses it remains an unconfirmed rumour rather than a locked-in product plan. What is confirmed is the September price rise and the Ocarina of Time remake, both of which will shape how Australian and New Zealand players weigh up buying into the platform now versus waiting to see whether a pricier, OLED-equipped Switch 2 eventually reaches regional shelves.
Read also: Octopath Traveler and Octopath Traveler II Confirmed for Switch 2 on October 1
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