Following months of rumors and speculation, Nintendo finally confirmed the existence of the Switch Lite last month, announcing that the new model of the console would launch on September 20th for $199. Not long after, we learned that the original Switch model was getting an upgrade as well to extend its battery life, but it turns out that these two updates are just the beginning of what might be a long string of new Switch models.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Sharp will supply Nintendo with its IGZO (indium gallium zinc oxide) display panels for future Switch models. The material Sharp uses for these display panels are incredibly high resolution, but don’t consume much power and are said to be very durable as well.
“We will provide what we are most good at, IGZO,” Sharp’s Executive Vice President Katsuaki Nomura told the WSJ when asked what type of displays the company planned to deliver to its video game client. This shouldn’t come as a complete surprise, as the WSJ reported back in March that Sharp would supply parts for the Switch.
Beyond the Switch Lite and the revised standard Switch model, sources tell the WSJ that Nintendo already “has ideas for further updates to the Switch lineup after those two models to make the platform’s lifecycle long.” Nintendo didn’t comment, but it’s hard to imagine the Switch not outlasting the ill-fated Wii U.
Unfortunately, Sharp’s Nomura wouldn’t specify which Switch models would be equipped with the new IGZO displays, so we may have to wait for a teardown of the Switch Lite and HAC-001(-01) to determine whether or not the company opted to replace the amorphous silicon display technology of the original model.
