Switch OLED Success "Could Set A Precedent For Charging More Across The Industry", Analyst Warns

"PlayStation is closely monitoring the market response to Nintendo's strategy"

I hope this means they realize people want to see a new PSP from them and not that they'll feel compelled to charge an extra 50 bucks on a new PS5 model with more curves lol

And this is a stock analyst, so it holds little weight. They usually predict things and get them wrong a lot in order to get people to buy into stocks.

Nintendo always forgets that once they start putting profits over consumer satisfaction, they sooner or later end up suffering for it. Here's hoping they learn their lesson before they have to pay dearly.

We needn't worry, Sony are already charging more for their new games so they're not against just making more money.

Ridiculous, if they charged only $10 more no one would buy the OG model which would effectively make that one not profitable. It's a lot more complicated than the OLED model simply costing $10 more to make and so should cost $10 more. Heck there may even be more scarcity in parts for the OLED model. Not to mention the cost that goes into marketing and packaging and all that. And inflation. Like... come on, why do the media try to make things into a big deal. It's $50 more because that's how they've valued it based on EVERYTHING. Deal with it

Only precedent being set is how in demand Switch still is. If an analyst is going to get anxiety instead of appreciating demand has a bearing on price, then did they trip and accidentally fall into their job or something? Muppet.

Sony had already started charging more for there games, Welp, just waiting for Nintendo to start charging 70$ for games that, done't even have any type of 60 FPS or RTX.

@carlos82 well it does cost more to make games utilizing cutting edge technology as opposed to games using cell phone tech from 2012.

Sony ALREADY charged more for their next console, and price-hiked their games to $70. This analyst is behind. They already set the precedent.

Here's another thing to note. IGN recently did a review on the Steam Deck, a PC-Handheld Console hybrid that most certainly uses a lot of the Switch's features, but has more powerful internals. The the base model that holds 64gb only costs $400.

@Hck weirdly doesn't seem to cost Capcom any more or even Ubisoft for that matter, not to mention the other console

@ModdedInkling That thing looks amazing. Then we won't have to wait for ports of great games on Switch to be portable; we will just be able to play our Steam library. Can't wait for that!

Well apparently Valve is "closely monitoring" Nintendo with their new handheld in December.

@BloodNinja @carlos82 : The price hike makes sense if they're using 66GB/100GB UHD discs, but I don't see why they aren't just using regular 25GB Blu-rays for many of the PS5's smaller games (such as Puyo Puyo Tetris 2). I've had a peek at the covers for a few PS5 games, and it seems that they're using UHD discs regardless of the size of the game.

@BloodNinja @ModdedInkling I agree, looks brilliant for the price. Easy to increase the storage too!

@Scapetti

It's more than that, all companies charge some markup that's how you make money, next time you drink a soda just know you could be paying 1000% markup.

All that to say I agree with you that people should not be mad or surprised.

There's possibly an element of Nintendo covering themselves for future inflation. I think the traditional price cuts over time for tech is going to disappear a couple of years

Better not buy it unless you want the prices of systems to increase.

Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze cost £40 on Wii U at release and then became a Nintendo Select title for £20. Then when it was announced for Switch, the 20 quid Select version disappears from sale and Tropical Freeze now with Funky Mode costs 50 quid. Nintendo have been setting new standards with their games this gen, so it's no surprise the same with the new console.

Difference is that Switch is already a low-ish priced console to begin with, so there's room to release a "premium" console that ups the MSRP a bit.

@TheFrenchiestFry tbh It might be worth an extra $50 to own a PS5 that doesn't look like someone microwaved a router.

@Ralizah It looks more like a weird Game Gear successor to me. But yeah, not exactly a looker. Still, neither’s the OG Switch.

I have now realised you were talking about the PS5, not that Steam thingy and I look like an idiot.

It's a rip-off, I don't know how this marginal update of an heavility outdated machine is worth 50 more than what the original was worth back in 2017. The Switch should be even cheaper to make now than it was back then - only Nintendo can get away with this kind of things.

@Ralizah I will not tolerate slander towards my school binder with a disc drive

@ModdedInkling
Didn't know about this device until you mentioned it
It has better CPU, better RAM, more pixels.
Too bad it obv won't have Nintendo exclusives but seems promising.
The other bad thing is Dock sold separately, but if you play on PC you can pick up right where you left off.

@Ralizah LMAO! It really is the ugliest console I've ever seen!!! That is a very apt description!

Steam Deck portable console had its details announced and it will be a powerful machine capable of running triple A games on the go. The price? Itwill start at $399.
Nintendo better be careful with their idea of keeping the same underpowered hardware around for too long.
More info here:
https://www.androidauthority.com/steam-deck-1644938/

Also keep in mind them doing this while not doing anything to ramp up game development, they’re really seeing how far they can go with droughts and don’t care about bringing out a steady supply of new content for the massive install base. The next console will be built on Switch ports and this cycle will continue.
@ Ralizah
They should do that but by shrinking down the design and worsening its thermal output in the process so its fan sounds even louder than the PS4, let’s see if people are really ready to put up or shut up when it comes to how much they care about what a console looks like.
@23tourjeff
You’ll never hear about whatever that is in a year after release beyond people using it to play emulators.

It’s very simple, don’t buy things that you feel are overpriced. It’s simple supply and demand.
The console market I believe is doing very well so demand is high and supply is low, especially with next generation consoles. They are both selling more than last generation at this stage and the Switch keeps selling.
If demand was low and supply high and people stopped buying, prices would probably drop or special offers would be made.
The current trends are showing the only way for the price is up, as we keep buying.
It’s simple business economics.

Nintendo needs to take notes on this. We need to wait and see what Nintendo will do

I still suspect the old model will drop a bit after the OLED's been out for a touch. That is NOT enough going on for that much price difference.

I still have my launch Switch with no need to upgrade at this time. If I bought a second Switch, It would be a Lite. My only gripe is that it doesn't seem to be small enough to be called a handheld. Here's hoping there's a Switch Micro in the future.

I'm not buying into this. Although I love the screen on my Vita, this just isn't something I really need. The screen on the Switch isn't terrible so I can't see getting it.

@PSoneboi agree, I think Nintendo missed the boat with OLED, it should have been a real 'PRO', able to keep up with the new generation.

Is Skyward Sword releasing at midnight?

@ModdedInkling Here's another thing to note. IGN recently did a review on the Steam Deck, a PC-Handheld Console hybrid that most certainly uses a lot of the Switch's features, but has more powerful internals. The the base model that holds 64gb only costs $400.

I guess the Switch Pro rumors were true. It's just not made by Nintendo.

@PSoneboi I've regretted many of my recent Switch purchases as they just don't run as well as they do on other platforms and the resolution is usually much lower

...and the multiplatform games that come to the Switch are usually more expensive.

@TheFrenchiestFry doubtful on the PSP. However, charging more for a PS5 with nothing new in it could be in cards. They’re in the process of a redesign due to a component shortage. May be a good excuse to charge for a 1 nanometer smaller chip.

If there wasn’t a chip shortage right now, PS5s and XSXs would be on shelves. Plus, some kind of updated Switch model with the OLED still being released.

Saw the word analyst and just laughed , how do these people have jobs they wrong more times than they are right, by laws of averages they should be right 50% of the time but no it's closer too 10%.

@Abeedo sadly I don’t think they have. A lot of people are giving them slack because of the chip shortage. Reports that the OLED version was suppose to be a “pro” version but they didn’t have the chips. We shall see but this scares me. It’s OBVIOUS that the switch needs a hardware revision bump. Look at 90% of the reviews on this site. Most of them say there are technical issues with the games. The fact that they gave us no changes even faster clocks scare me a little. I really was hoping to see a more aggressive Nintendo.

@tourjeff Awesome internals, but 720p 60Hz LCD display? C'mon Valve.

Sony are hardly one to talk, setting their games prices at £70

I know it’s a business and I know Apple do this sort of thing too but if that’s the case that Nintendo are just profit gouging on the new model then I hope people continue to buy the base Switch

@Scapetti yeah I agree the real cost of a product goes beyond the manufacturing costs: an extra 50 for an improved screen and other small improvements is not bad.
Having said that I’m not interested. 😂

This is actually really smart from Nintendos side. Now they won’t have to lower the price ever on the standard model because it will always be cheaper but kinda the same as the more expensive one. As components gets cheaper they will keep getting more profit from the sales of all machines as long as the price stays the same.

@TheFrenchiestFry I think Sony could earn big bucks if they could somehow manufacture an affordable ps4 portable. Especially in later years where more and more people buy games digitally.

Ha, setting precedents, it's been happening for ages.

I've lost some respect for Nintendo over the last 4 years, Rubbish NSO, port after port after port and at full price, charging £50 more for the OLED model, joy con drift which they ignore, lack of any actual good sales on their exclusives, no headphones option for when I'm playing on tv and lack of themes/folders/some sort of achievements.

The switch is selling like crazy so it must be doing something right but atm it's the second party games keeping me invested in my switch. And already have a feeling that pokemon legends is going to be a massive disappointment.

Oh well on the bright side shin megami tensei 5 looks so good

@Hughesy well that looks to be the trend this gen as now EA and Ubisoft are also charging £70, tbh nintnedo charging £50-£60 for ports ain't much better. It will just get to a point where release day sales will get less and less as more people wait for discounts

Here's hoping Nintendo can make more games with that extra income.

Well yes.
When Nintendo is still selling the Switch as fast as they can make it four years after release at full original MSRP, it isn't weird for them to try their luck with a luxury model priced even higher.

Sony might be "watching closely" but they wouldn't really be able to copy any of Nintendo's approach until a few years from now.

@PSoneboi 100%. The Steam Deck is what Nintendo should should have made the equivalent to, instead of just improving the screen. That would have opened up their potential, but it seems the system is capped out, already. I mean, look how washed out and bland Metroid Dread looks, graphically. Nintendo is really limiting developers by not making some kind of improvement!

@Asciidan I think the Switch proved that having a 720p screen for handheld mode works tremendously. I know a 1080 one would be a dream, but that would probably also jack the price up to be close to one of those NDP handhelds, or whatever they are called. Those are $1000! Too rich for my blood!

@Snatcher actually it’s a dollar for a frame so the Sony games should be 70fps 😂

I'd guess if it is successful then PS5 Pro will be $599 even though that price is infamous because of the PS3.

Except Valve's just given players what they wanted.

I think Sony will be watching with tears in their eyes if the OLED model sells more than the Vita. 🤣

lol Sony already has the most expensive platform and first party games on the market. 🙃

I love how people are complaining as if the base Switch model or the Switch Lite was being discontinued. It's literally just another option. 🤷🏾‍♂️

Edit: They are essentially doing Sony's Vita strategy backwards.

@BloodNinja 1080p would be nice, but as you said, 720 is perfectly fine for a handheld. Games that actually hit that resolution on the switch still look gorgeous and while 1080 might look marginally better it's simply not worth it if they have to double the price tag.

@Casco There’s no reason to lower the price of the current Switch. It’s still hard to get. The PS5/Xbox Series consoles are brand new and impossible to buy. The $350 Switch is for people that don’t have one already and want the nicer screen. The people that don’t mind the OG Switch’s screen should be able to get one a little easier now.

WTF is this sh*t!??
PEOPLE STOP WITH THIS BS!

Like, c'mon, it's just an XL! Why are people so anal about a bigger better screen? Nintendo is doing nothing different here than they have in the past.

DSi XL
3DS XL
Switch XL (but hey, call it OLED since it gets attention)

This is what I hate about the internet these days. Folks spread so many rumours and act like crybabies when they don't get what they want. The reaction to this thing reminds me of Wind Waker how foks cried about it.... years later it's suddenly beloved. Same with Eternal Darkness and such.... I bet when this thing releases, it'll sell like hotcakes.... and when it does, I'll again be pissed because the same folks who are whining right now will be the ones praising it.... smh.

Hey guys, if you're unhappy about the OLED Switch, there's this amazing idea you can do. Truly groundbreaking. I bet you never considered it.

Just don't buy it.

And it's really that simple!

I have little to no interest in PS5 or XboxX Potato Kai. So I just didn't buy them.

Life has indeed gone on.

I like Nintendo’s strategy don’t fix what isn’t broken but still give people a little something new as only an option not a necessity

@Scapetti yeah like, once they can phase out the og model completely we'll see a price drop on the oled

Sales won’t be effected by this pled as they are keeping the other console as well for now. As far as the price goes Nintendo never raised the price with inflation so now with the new system they are. This is hardley charging way more that they should .

Not saying this is right or wrong, but Nintendo has rarely price cut their systems during their systems' prime years, so this strategy doesn't surprise me. The OLED model to me is positioned to squarely entice the visual fidelity enthusiast (possibly the online-dock gamer as well), so for the non-enthusiast, the OG/Lite options appear as "price cuts" to the uninitiated. Further, these iterations, unlike previous system iterations, don't semi-guilt us into upgrading, so it really is our choice which of these "lateral" Switch family options we choose.

They should be monitoring the Intellivision Amico as well, after all Tommy Tallarico is charging $250 for techs and specs from as old as the early 2010s for his Amico console. Heck the PlayDate is charging $180 for their 8-Bit black and white handheld with a crank. If they are successful, then it shows that there's a market for underpower platforms with different play experience.

How greedy and cheap Nintendo has become.

@BloodNinja frankly I can't wait for the Steam Deck either. Portable Java Minecraft? Portable Surge 1 and 2? Portable Sekiro, Borderlands 3, Devil Daggers and a better Portable version of NEO Scavenger? And the icing on the cake? The PC updates to Risk of Rain 2. Portable PC gaming at the same amount of money I paid for my PS4 Pro... it'd be insane NOT to get one. The only question is what is the maximum storage capacity of a microSD card it will support. I plan to get a 64GB NAND, but if I can use up to 2TB then it's a bit more future proof than the Switch is unless Nintendo pulls out all the stops and pulls a GameCube

@mainstream05 And that’s why Nintendo can get away selling heavily outdated hardware for a premium price…..Nintendo’s practices make even Apple prices seem reasonable.

@Ghost_of_Hasashi here is the thing though... people (like me) who buy them are looking for novel gaming experiences. The Switch was a novelty for like the first few weeks I had it, now it's kinda the Swiss Army knife of consoles to me. Sure, it's not as powerful, but when you put yourself in a Swiss Army knife position your likely to see a lot more use (sadly I think this is what the PS Vita tried to do and it flopped, almost like it and the Wii U where Switch prototypes from 2 different companies).

That said I'm gonna say this... the Vita is still good, as there are indies I like playing on it that haven't even reached the Switch yet. It's actually a shame that they're locked to a rather niche system to begin with

@Heavyarms55 agreed.

I didn't buy an Xbox One because I had no interest in it, and all Xbox games come to PC anyways.

@Abeedo When has this actually happened though? I think you overestimate the general consumer, hardcore gamer goodwill is worthless

@Nambit in a way the OLED is a double-edged sword.

The slightly bigger screen will help me see text without my glasses better, and everyone seems to forget there is 64GB of storage, double that of the normal Switch. As someone who rarely docks the better screen is a massive boon, and the 64GB of storage would also help until I can get a 512GB microSD card since I already filled a 400GB one.

And for those her who would respond with "just get a Switch Lite"... I play local multiplayer games as well. Any cost savings I get with buying a Lite are effectively gone the moment a pair of joycons hit my basket.

@Heavyarms55 You just changed my life, thank you!
Seriously though, it's a real waste of time to argue about the principle when the power will always lie with the consumer

@Aiodensghost I have the same questions! But the fact it runs a Linux build is a good sign for emulation compatibility. Holy crap! I wonder if it can run the PS3 emulator? Having Demon's Souls portable would be a dream!

@Heavyarms55 Why do people feel the need to tell others what to buy or not? I think if someone is sharing their dissatisfaction about it, they have already made their mind up. Telling someone that is pretty antagonistic. If someone doesn't like something, they should have just as much opportunity to voice that opinion, as well as the people who are super excited for it. There's really room for both types of people, FYI.

@TheFrenchiestFry Nobody wants a new PSP/Vita. Nobody. You are in a very small minority and Sony knows that.

@Rect_Pola I do too Bc I think they want to phase those out.

If people actually buys this, I will have no words of how stupid people are.

@BloodNinja Because it's obnoxious when people follow things around and comment on every article to spit in the face of people who are excited about something. And that's what they're really doing. The decent thing to do, is to just move on with your life when something comes out that you don't want. It's rude and obnoxious to go around to article after article, video after video spouting the same complaints over and over, replying to anyone who likes the product to tell them why they're a stupid fanboy or whatever because they like the product.

The comment directly above this is a perfect example. It's a person directly insulting people who are interested in the product. Rude and obnoxious.

@Heavyarms55 I was referencing actual dissenting discussion, not something trolly. I think it’s universally accepted that trolling is annoying, but that’s up to the mods, and the ignore button

@PSoneboi I mirror your sentiment exactly. Was starting to feel like the only person on the site that isn’t going to drop his drawers and immediately bend over for Dread. Heh.

That’s brutal that the low frame rate is triggering motion sickness. I’m preparing to sell my Switch, too, in preparation for the Deck. That thing is a god-send, and Nintendo really should take note.

@Chamver Yikes, calling people “nobody” because they belong to a smaller crowd? Wtf?

I don't get the obsession with a switch pro. If Nintendo ever does one, it will only be marginally more powerful than the current one. Similar to the new Nintendo 3ds. I would prefer if they wait 1 or two years and release a true successor to the switch.

@Nourldean Literally the wii u

That's funny.

I don't see people saying this is anti-consumer or anything like on PushSquare every time Sony does something.

I love my Switch but Nintendo fans are some of the most hypocritical people I've ever met.

They tried this w 3DS, the insanely high cost, then day 1 buyers like myself got screwed & everyone else got it 33% cheaper 3 months later. If anything, that's what will happen. They'll reduce the price in 3 months if it doesn't sell half as well as the old model.

@lordzand the Sony fans say that on push square, or are u saying it's the Nintendo fans going there saying that stuff?

@tech7 exactly & there was 1 physical game made for only the new 2ds,, Xenoblade Chronicles. There was 1 r 2 games that could only have 3d on mew 3ds, but i could play every game i on all 3 of my 3ds models (3ds, xl, new3dsxl). If they put more than that on only a slightly upgraded version of the switch, not only would the games sell much less copies, it would piss of the majority of the normal switch owners. Why would any smart business do that...more than once, at least?

@Abeedo but the wiiu didn't put profits before customer satisfaction, the opposit actually. Nintendo took a loss on every wiiu console sold initially, this isn't a valid example

There's something heart warming about Nintendo fans being the reason to raise prices across the industry.

@carlos82 -Sony needs to be worry about making that overrated pos a better system, not just charging more for games. I just sold my PS5 cuz it ***** sucks compared to my Xb series and that state of play-***** embarrassing. So add folders, themes, exp memory, the movies storefront back, the ability to buy legacy games, fix the garbage PSNow, make the system smaller. These are the things they need to do instead of worrying about what Nintendo's doing

Oh great. Now all because of the empty words this analyst says, Nintendo haters are going to use this as a way to falsely pin the blame on Nintendo for the gaming industry’s problems. Thanks a lot…

@UltimateOtaku91 If you hate Nintendo, maybe you shouldn’t be on a Nintendo fan site.

@Donkey-Kong-Fan never said I hated Nintendo, I've been with Nintendo since the GBA, I'm just saying they have got a lot wrong this gen

> new OLED model only costs Nintendo around $10 more to produce per unit,

I love how analyst get random number from a hat.

The fact that the eMMC is double and there is an OLED screen cannot make the price to be $10 more to produce. But that's also forgetting another thing. Albeit using the same (or similar) components in it, this new Switch is nearly a complet redesign, the joycon rail are different, the shell is different, the stand is different, there is no chance for the PCB to be the same. So it is a complete redesign, and you know what? That's not free, making mold for the injected part, making the blue print to make the metal part and so one, the cost is not $0, nor the cost of the engineers working one the redesign, nor the engineer working on the software and so on. Basing the "margin" only on "hardware cost" is 100% wrong, and all of these analyst know that really well, but they all still do that. I let you guess why.

@Nourldean Most console manufacturer takes a loss when they sell consoles at the beginning. Even recently Valve has said so with the steam deck. Software is where the real money lies, but they can't get them into the hands of the people unless consoles have been bought at affordable prices beforehand. Nintendo knew their consumers were asking for a console that can match modern consoles. Instead they developed one that was underpowered and slow compared to even the PS3 and Xbox 360 generation. Nintendo thought people would buy the gimmicky iwi u in droves because they're Nintendo. However most hardcore gamers were turned off by how out of touch Nintendo were with industry standards, and casual gamers, the lifeblood of the Wii, had no idea what the Wii u even was, and were likely satisfied with just the Wii console. Any gamer could've predicted the Wii u would've failed, yet Nintendo were too arrogant to make a console with hardware that people actually wanted because they thought they were too big to fail.

@twztid13 I'm saying what I said. Sony fans are ok with getting screwed by Sony but they aren't in denial about it.

Nintendo fans as a whole are.

@BloodNinja they will allow you to install Windows, which is great because I have a few games that don't support Proton at all, and one I want to play that brands Proton as cheating software cough cough DESTINY 2

That aside I do wonder if Linux can facilitate emulation of the PS3. If it can then I have a somewhat beefy older laptop that I will probably use to emulate PS3 games, since I have a bunch of PS3 games sitting around

@Aiodensghost I emulate PS3 on my Linux machine! It actually runs better than my Windows 10 machine, and it's been developed by the same team that makes RPCS3. You'll still want to make sure you have a dedicated GPU in whatever device you go with. I use it for Demon's Souls and it's great!

@gamereternal they will make the system smaller in due time. And honestly you where lucky to even get a PS5, I'm still trying to get one. I typically avoid Xbox now due to everything on Xbox also being on PC, which if you ask me is counter productive for Microsoft if they're trying to sell you an Xbox when you have a gaming PC. The writing for me is on the wall... the only reason I stick with PlayStation is their exclusive lineup, and even then it's pitiful that the only exclusive that I want a PS5 for is the Demon Souls remake.

I have a habit of making myself a fool by buying a system for one particular game. In my case I bought a PS4 exclusively to play Bloodborne. What happened after that? I started giving Sony more of my money, and honestly that impulse buy might be what gets me into VR as a PSVR is an affordable way to at least try VR.

Getting the 3DS and PS Vita was, to me, a no brainer. I was a major Pokémon nerd until around Sun/Moon, Shin Megami Tensei IV exists, and then there is METROID. The Vita is fantastic for the best retired version of Minecraft out there as well as all the Final Fantasy games up to X-II if you don't mind playing the original PS1 versions of I through IX.

To be frank, the reason I jumped on the Switch bandwagon as fast as I could was because Shin Megami Tensei V is going to be Switch exclusive. I bought a Switch solely for one game, and I'm glad I did it before COVID because that dreaded virus made it difficult to even source a brand new, unopened Switch. And then Nintendo goes and drops the 19 year old bombshell of DREAD of all things, which just gave me one more valid reason to not sever ties with Nintendo.

But I digress. My advice to you is not only consider the companies' reputation, but also consider its offerings. When you do that ask yourself this... "is what the company offering me worth putting up with their BS?"

Edit: spelling champion of 2003... yayyyyy

@twztid13 correction... there where 4 made for the New 3DS in total. Xenoblade Chronicles, Minecraft, Fire Emblem Warriors, and some other game I forgot the name to.

@Aiodensghost
https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/xenoblade-chronicles-3d-3ds/

https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/fire-emblem-warriors-3ds/

Wonder why fire emblem warriors doesn't say it's for new 3ds only? I'd be pissed if i bought that & it didn't work, lol. Those games were released after the 3ds was dead, that's why i missed them. Anything after 6 months of switch release doesn't count, lol, no one will buy a 3ds solely for those games.

@twztid13 I still have my New 2DS XL, but I use it primarily for Metroid and the Shin Megami Tensei games that where released on it.

Charging more sounds stupid enough to even fall into such border.
I understand not opting for a price cut yet, it's better to wait until sales begin plunging. And the Sony monitoring thing, that's as easy to predict as a PS5 Pro