Report: The Nintendo Switch features a multi-touch capable 720p display

After the initial Switch reveal, Nintendo has been nearly silent on what technical capabilities and features its newly announced handheld-hybrid console will feature. The company said there would be no new Switch information until mid-January, but sources speaking to Eurogamer have revealed new details about the system.

Despite not showcasing any touchscreen-centric features in the announcement trailer, sources have said that the tablet-like screen on the Switch is a touch sensitive display. Specifically, the Switch features a 6.2-inch, 720p capacitive multi-touch screen with the ability to read up to ten touch inputs at once.

A touchscreen like this is considerably different from the way Nintendo has handled touchscreens in the past. The DS, 3DS, and WiiU have all used pressure-based resistive touchscreens, without the capability for multi-touch.

The decision to move away from the technology that powered its past handheld hardware brings Nintendo’s newest console more in line with the technology developers have created mobile games for in the past and potentially makes the Switch an appealing option for fans of mobile games. 

It doesn’t seem to be possible to access the Switch’s touchscreen while its docked and outputting to a TV, but the right JoyCon controller has a built-in IR sensor that could potentially interact with a television screen to mimic touchscreen features while the Switch is in its cradle. 

Nintendo declined to comment on the rumored features, but Eurogamer is confident in their unnamed sources who they say tipped them off to the detachable controllers and other aspects of the Switch’s design back in July.