So basically in their own investor briefing, Japanese LCD manufacturer Sharp stated they are working on new LCD panels for an upcoming new game console. The only game console Sharp supplies displays for is the Switch. They are going to launch "pilot LCD panel production lines" for this new game console this fiscal year, so it sounds like they are beginning early production of LCDs for this console sometime between now and end of March 2024. 

Sharp has been a close partner of Nintendo since forever, they supplied everything from the Game Boy to the Switch. They are basically Nintendo's go to for all portable game machines aside from the new OLED display. 

Sharp Chief Executive Officer Robert Wu said the Japanese firm, which is owned by Taiwan’s Foxconn Technology Group, has been working closely with an unnamed company on developing a gaming console since it was in the R&D phase. Sharp plans to launch pilot LCD-panel production lines this fiscal year for the new device, he said.

Sharp has worked with Nintendo before. Investors have anticipated that Nintendo will update its six-year-old marquee device next fiscal year, which could catalyze a flagging stock price.

The downside for this it sounds like the Switch 2 (if this is indeed Switch 2) will start with a LCD screen again and not OLED, which sorta sucks, but I kinda figured Nintendo would save an OLED display model for later on down the line when they can charge more money for it now that consumers have shown they will pay more money for an OLED model. 

Isn't March 2024 too soon? I'd imagine they would need more time to prepare all, especially if they want software to be launched relatively soon after the launch. The Switch's first year was great because it had hit after hit on a monthly basis, not sure if they have enough time to do the same if the launche is March 2024...

Nintendo said new hardware isn't coming this fiscal year. This is more likely for a new AYA Neo, new GDP win or any other new handheld PC.

Yeah if this means the screen is gonna be a step down from Switch's OLED that is pretty disappointing for the successor. If anything I expected a step up from Switch's OLED screen. If true, sounds like Nintendo is gonna be targeting more like $300, rather than the $400 some people are predicting. A lower end screen definitely means they are going for a cheaper price and probably trying to keep next-gen prices roughly what current gen prices were.

It's not saying the system is launching March 2024, it is saying Sharp is beginning production of screens this fiscal year, meaning their screen productions will be up and running by March. That makes sense if this is referring to Switch 2 and Nintendo plans on releasing it second half of 2024.

This lines up with what Nintendo said though. 

Sharp is saying *pilot production* starts this fiscal year, pilot production means basically a manufacturing test run for something new and usually is done when you are mass producing something at a high quantity on new production lines and need a testing period. 

So if they are doing pilot production this fiscal year, that means likely full blown production will follow the next fiscal year. 

It's pointing to a product which will launch next fiscal year. 

I'm 90% sure this is Switch 2, Sharp doesn't work with any other game console maker and has a long, long term relationship with Nintendo. They made the screens for Game & Watch, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, DS, 3DS, and Switch, heck they've worked with Nintendo even before they were in video games. They also specify this as a "game console" that they have been involved with since even in its R&D phase and not a portable PC or something like that. 

If I had to guess I'd probably say maybe this is some kind of new LCD technology which is more battery efficient per Nintendo's request (since I don't think the 3D screen thing is coming back). 

By the way, researching what Sharp has been up to ... it turns out they have just recently started making Sharp OLED displays (and something called XLED too). So maybe we jumped the gun in assuming the display is LCD. Sharp didn't say LCD display, they just said "new kind of display" for a "new game console". 

It would also explain why they may have to do a pilot production test run if they are supplying Switch 2 with the OLED/XLED display, this is something new for Sharp and they probably would have to do a test run as they've never made OLED/XLED panels at the volume Nintendo will need (million+ per month probably). Samsung has been making OLEDs for ages, but Sharp is kinda a newcomer to OLED production, they are just entering the US market for OLED TVs this year for example (will be sold under the Roku brand it looks like). 

Sharp moving in and bumping out Samsung as Nintendo's OLED supplier would also echo Nintendo's history (Samsung makes the OLEDs on the current Switch OLED) ... Nintendo actually made a deal for the Game Boy to use a Citizen screen, but Sharp used their contacts with Nintendo to weasel in and at the last minute steal the contract away from Citizen (Citizen, angry over this then went to Sega and that's where the Game Gear screen came from, lol).

So I wonder if what happened here is Nintendo always goes with Sharp for their portable displays, but went with Samsung for the OLED model since Samsung has more experience with OLEDs ... Sharp probably goes "what the fuck, we can't lose our Nintendo business" and they go back and get the contract done for Switch 2 with possibly an OLED or XLED screen? They maybe offered Nintendo a better price and/or better tech?

Just speculating on that, but that would make sense, if I'm Sharp, I'd be very upset with being cut out of the Switch OLED, a big part of Sharp's business is basically Nintendo portables.

Samsung use to made great OLED for their phones, then I ended up with a Note 8 which apparently used a new form of manufacturing and that has been terrible and suffered screen burn. I haven't kept up as I haven't bothered upgrading my phone yet mainly cause they removed the micro SD slot. 

Hopefully they ironed out the issues and the Switch won't suffer like my phone as I recently upgraded to a OLED model.        

I've had the OLED Switch since launch ... the screen is still great ... light years away the best screen on a Nintendo portable ever. Just makes the device feel so much more premium. It's actually kinda jarring going to a Steam Deck and seeing it has a non-OLED display, it's one of the rare times in modern history where a Nintendo system (in one respect anyway) feels much more high tech than a newer device. 

So it's going to kinda suck if Switch 2 goes back to Sharp LCD, though not entirely surprising. LCD is probably cheaper and that likely matters as the Switch 2 chipset is probably going to be a bit pricey. But again, Sharp has just recently started making OLEDs themselves (and something called XLED which I believe is even better more akin to mini LED?). So maybe OLED from Sharp is still possible. 

I guess you can have a better screen but worse specs or better specs but worse screen until an OLED model comes out 2 years later after launch. Fine whatever with me. Just give me 1080P 60FPS games on TV. Give an update for TOTK to run better.

"sharp plans to launch pilot LCD-panel production lines this fiscal year for the new device,..."

This means, they will be testing out the production line, to see if they can mass produce (high volume) without too many defects.
It allows them abit of time to tinker, with the production line, to work out kinks, before its needed to be in a high output state, and working near flawlessly.

So lets say a few months from now they start testing it.
Then spend a few months again fixing errors they run into.
And then ramp up production near end of the year, so that they have a huge stockpile ready for mid-late 2024, when someone.... say nintendo, asks for first shipment of x million of these things, they can supply them.

Nintendo gets them, and other parts of hardware needed, and assembles a new Switch, and launches it in say early 2025.

"Nintendo said new hardware isn't coming this fiscal year. "

Also noone wants to come out and say "near hardware comeing soon", as it results in less hardware sales. Because potential buyers will put it off, and wait for the next thing. Like, all it takes to get around this is.... "we decided to move our plans up abit, as sales in hardware were dropping faster than we expected it too" reply afterwards, and you can get away with a slight hoodwink, of people.

I dont expect nintendo to go any later than early 2025.
Its 6 years (and 2 months) old by now, and I doubt, Nintendo go 8 years without a launch of a new system.