Nintendo’s Switch OLED model makes its first public appearance in Japan

We’re a little past mid-September and that means we’re getting closer to the Switch OLED release on October 8.

We’ve seen Nintendo trailers, read the media’s first “hands-on” impressions of it, and now we’ve got our first glimpse of the device in the wild. As our friends at VGC pointed out, the new model priced at $ 349.99 / £ 309.99 has just been on display at various retailers across Japan, including Nintendo’s own store in Tokyo.

Limited Run Japanese Commercial Director Alex Aniel was able to take some photos of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe running on the system – noting how “vibrant” the new 7.0-inch OLED display was. Obviously, the smaller bezel is also an improvement.

And here are a few more shots – the first is of the system behind a showcase (courtesy of @ nattu_ninmosa59), and the second batch of photos is also from the Nintendo store in Tokyo (thanks, @bunnagashi) – presentation Splatoon 2 and Terror Metroid on the new screen.

The new docking station supplied with the OLED model includes a LAN port and will be able to receive updates. In fact, Nintendo has already rolled out an update in version 13.0.0 of the system firmware. Earlier this week, the company also announced that it would reduce the price of the base model system in some parts of the world. In particular, this does not include the United States.

Switch OLED pre-orders will open next week in Japan on September 24. As for the US and UK, you can check out our handy Nintendo Life pre-order guide. Are you going to buy the new Switch OLED model when it launches next month? Tell us in the comments.