If you’re a fan of the color red, this Nintendo Switch OLED is for you.
Editor's Update 8/31: The leak was mostly accurate. While the original leak said that there was no Mario-themed branding on it, there is. It's just subtle.
There is a little Super Mario silhouette on the bottom backside corner of the dock. If you open the back panel that holds all of the cords and ports, there are a ton of coins printed in there. It's meant to evoke the underground hidden chambers from classic Mario games.
The red on the controllers and dock are both definitely meant to be similar to the Neon Red of classic Joy-Con controllers, as well. It's slick as heck.
Original story:
Yesterday, Nintendo announced that a Super Mario Wonder Direct is slated for August 31st and will take around 15 minutes to watch. While it was assumed it would be all about the game itself, it’s now plausible that it could also show off some fresh hardware.
According to an alleged leak from billbil-kun on Dealabs Magazine, we should be seeing a “Nintendo Switch – OLED Model – Mario Red Edition” here soon. The special edition would add a splash of Neon Red paint to the dock and Joy-Con controllers.
According to the report, the console won’t have anything super special or anything. It’ll be the same shade of red as the Neon Red Joy-Jon controller that comes in the standard red/blue edition. But, it’ll be on both controllers and cover the entire dock. There won’t be any Mario branding on the system, however.
This is very similar to the 25th Anniversary Nintendo Wii that was entirely red, released back in 2010. The console came in a shiny red coating with a red Wii remote and Nunchuck. It had no additional branding on the console itself, similar to the reported Switch OLED.
That Wii system came with Wii Sports (as usual), as well as New Super Mario Bros Wii. It’s possible that the Mario Red Switch OLED could come with a copy of Super Mario Bros Wonder.
The Nintendo Switch OLED normally comes in two flavors. The first is the Neon Red and Neon Blue Joy-Con console that comes with a black dock. The other has an entirely white-colored dock and Joy-Cons, for those who don’t enjoy eating Cheetos while playing their games.
Nowadays, their special edition consoles come in the OLED variety, such as the Tears of the Kingdom-themed one that you can find in stores lately. So, having a special edition for a major Super Mario release makes a ton of sense.
According to billbil-kun, the Mario Red edition is certain to be released “before October”. This lines up with Super Mario Bros. Wonder’s release on October 20th, 2023, if it comes with a digital code for the game or something.
As always, take any leaks or rumors with a grain of salt. But, this one makes sense to possibly be real. The Super Mario Wonder Direct is tomorrow on Nintendo’s official YouTube channel.