The newly revealed Xbox handhelds, in collaboration with Microsoft and Asus, and the recently released Nintendo Switch, boast impressive technical capabilities and are fantastic pieces of hardware for running high-end games effortlessly.
However, both of these handhelds lack one feature that would have truly made them next-gen. In the grand year of 2025, ignoring this feature seems contrary to the premium handheld experience that both devices offer.
While this one feature doesn’t ruin the entire experience of playing games on a handheld, its absence somewhat dulls it, at least visually.
No OLED displays on the Switch 2 or the ROG Xbox Ally handhelds
Both the Nintendo Switch 2 and the ROG Xbox Ally handhelds boast premium features, yet they use an LCD screen instead of an OLED one, when the latter provides better visuals and image quality. But there are reasons why this decision was made for both devices.
In a recent stream (noticed by WCCFTech), Asus Senior Manager of Marketing Content for Gaming, Whitson Gordon, explained that an OLED screen was ditched in favor of an LCD one on the ROG Xbox Ally handhelds due to high power consumption and because features like variable refresh rate (VRR) wouldn’t work without eroding battery life.
Gordon further clarified that Asus loves using OLED displays on their monitors and ROG devices, but they weren’t willing to sacrifice a “must-have feature” like VRR for sharper visuals on the ROG Xbox Ally handhelds.
We did some R&D and prototyping with OLED, but it’s still not where we want it to be when you factor VRR into the mix and we aren’t willing to give up VRR,” said Gordon. “I’ll draw that line in the sand right now. I am of the opinion that if a display doesn’t have variable refresh rate, it’s not a gaming display in the year 2025 as far as I’m concerned, right? That’s a must-have feature, and OLED with VRR right now draws significantly more power than the LCD that we’re currently using on the Ally and it costs more.
Additionally, he stated that OLED displays cost more and including them in these systems would result in a higher retail price for the devices. He understands that since the ROG Xbox Ally handhelds won’t be a player’s primary device, “the vast majority of users are not willing to pay that kind of price.”
When we look at what people are buying in the handheld market right now, both in terms of the sales of our devices and what we see from competitors, it’s pretty clear what price bands people are willing to buy a device like this in, because remember, it’s a secondary device for a lot of people. It’s not their primary device.
To set a reasonable price for both devices, Asus ultimately opted for an LCD, and Gordon didn’t want users putting their entire life savings on these handhelds.
I see a lot of people in feedback saying that they want this exact thing. They say, “I don’t want to pay an arm and a leg for this.” Well, yeah, we don’t want that either. That’s why we’re trying to avoid having it cost an arm and a leg by not putting things in that the vast majority of users don’t need. We’re trying to hit a reasonable price point on these.
Nintendo opted for LCD on the Switch 2 “after a lot of consideration,” and because “a lot of advancements that have been made in LCD technology during development,” according to Tetsuya Sasaki of Nintendo’s Technology Development Department at a hardware-focused Q&A (reported by IGN).
While it is disappointing that OLED displays are still not featured on these impressive pieces of technology, the omission makes sense when you consider the factors stated above.
Will the ROG Xbox Ally handhelds and the Switch 2 get OLED versions?
There is no word on whether the ROG Xbox Ally handhelds will get OLED versions in the future, and details are scarce since both devices were revealed just days ago. However, since other Asus ROG devices do have OLED, who knows? ROG Xbox Ally handhelds could get that upgrade in the future.
On the other hand, the Nintendo Switch 2 most likely will get an OLED version just like the Nintendo Switch. It’s just a matter of time before it’s officially announced. For now, they’ll stick to LCD since Nintendo doesn’t need a great display to sell a console.
Regardless of OLED displays, the Nintendo Switch 2 has already found tremendous success at launch, and the Xbox’s shift into the handheld market is also looking fruitful day by day.
So, what do you think about ROG Xbox Ally handhelds and the Nintendo Switch 2 not having OLED screens? Share your thoughts and opinions in he comment section below.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
