After much anticipation of a console refresh from Nintendo, the company announced the Switch OLED model this week, featuring – among other things – beefed up screen specs to keep the device in fighting form against Sony and Microsoft’s console offerings heading into the next holiday season.
According to research conducted by YouGov in the hours after Nintendo made the announcement, nearly half (47%) of general consumers in the United States and a quarter (25%) in the United Kingdom who had heard at least a little bit about the announcement are likely to pick up the newest version of the Switch in the next six months.
Research shows how tempting Nintendo’s offer is to current Switch users as well as the general gaming public. In the United States, two in five current Switch or Switch Lite users (40%) who were aware of the announcement say they’re likely to pick up the refreshed model, less than the 50% of US gamers in general, suggesting the product may further increase Nintendo’s market share stateside. In Great Britain, three in ten (30%) Switch users say they’re likely to upgrade, overshadowing the 25% of general gamers who say they’re keen to purchase.
Updates over the original Switch include a larger seven-inch 720p OLED display, adjustable stand, improved audio and larger storage capacity. The improved screen size and fidelity was long rumored to be coming and 46% of consumers in the US who heard about the announcement – and 51% in Britain – say it’s the aspect they are most excited about. Expanded storage is also exciting for potential Switch OLED buyers, with 22% of Americans and 25% of Brits suggesting that’s the most exciting feature of the forthcoming device refresh. A marginal proportion of consumers in both markets seem excited about other aspects including improved audio and wired ethernet port for TV gameplay.
YouGov research also delved into what will stop consumers from picking up a new Switch. One in five Americans (20%) and roughly a quarter of Brits (24%) unlikely to shell out for a refreshed Switch say the device – priced at US$349.99 – is too expensive. In the US, one in five of those not likely to get a new Switch say it’s because the refreshed model isn’t different enough from the original, a sentiment that is not shared by nearly as many Brits (8%).
Among Switch or Switch Lite users, 44% in the US and 25% in Britain say the changes to the midcycle refresh aren’t enough to justify a purchase in the next six months.
Rumors have been circulating for months about a new Switch, and YouGov data shows 30% of Americans and 22% of Brits (both gamers and non-gamers) had heard at least a little about the announcement. Nintendo didn’t unveil the console with a splashy live event, but rather relied on a short video on its social channels to get the word out. It will be available from October, ready for the holiday battle with PlayStation and Xbox.
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Methodology: YouGov polled 1,291 US adults online on July 6, 2021 between 12:12 p.m. and 1:45 p.m. ET. The survey was carried out through YouGov Direct. Data is weighted by age, gender, education level, political affiliation, and ethnicity. Results are nationally representative of adults in the United States. The margin of error is 3.7% for the overall sample.
YouGov polled 1,500 British adults online on July 6, 2021 between 5:08 p.m. and 6:09 p.m. BST. The survey was carried out through YouGov Direct. Data is weighted by age, gender, education level, region, and social grade. Results are nationally representative of adults in Great Britain. The margin of error is 4.3% for the overall sample. Learn more about YouGov Direct.
Image: Nintendo
