It is not uncommon for console makers to release updated hardware at the end of the life cycle of a device: the countless versions of the Nintendo Game Boy Advance, DS and 3DS are good proof of this. So now that the Nintendo Switch turns five, And since the rumors of the pro version are still just rumors, Nintendo is clearly trying to rekindle hardware sales for the holiday season with the Switch OLED. It’s not a huge update, but if you’re one of those who mostly play the Switch in its portable mode, this better screen is a real treat that will be hard to resist.
Those who have enjoyed Nintendo handheld consoles for decades are well aware that the company is not one to go for the latest displays. The screen of the original Game Boy was an eyesore, and the screensthere doubles of the Nintendo DS seemed three generations older than Sony used in your PSP. So while it was disappointing that the original Switch, and even the Switch Lite, had LCD panels, it’s good to see that Nintendo has finally decided to go for an OLED panel. Regardless of what turns out to be the new Switch generation, we can assume that Nintendo will use an OLED screen; and now that the players have seen the difference, there is no more vuelta back.
That screen is beautiful
There are a few reasons to justify the € 50 raise of the new Nintendo Switch OLED (€ 350) over the old Switch (technically the second generation modelon) but none are as compelling as that new OLED screen.
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At 7 inches, the OLED screen is larger than the 6.2-inch LCD on the original Switch and dramatically reduces the black bezel around the screen. The original Switch and the new OLED Switch are nearly identical in size, so those reduced bezels make the on-screen improvement even more noticeable.
It doesn’t take long for your brain to adapt to the larger screen size and you will stop noticing it, pbut even after a week of playing my eyes still marvel at that OLED screen. By now we all know the benefits of OLED displays: higher color saturation, brighter whites no strange color casts and exceptional contrast, but seeing it on a Nintendo handheld is simply magical. I suspect my eyes and brain have been trained not to expect too much from one of Nintendo’s screens, and now they are enjoying it with this update. The bar has risen significantly.
Now the darkest areas of the screen disappear completely and blend into the black bezel. And the improvements in color saturation are a treat every time I turn on the console. Even the icons on the home screen look more attractive. But best of all, colorful games like Super mario odyssey they seem like a completely new experience on the OLED Switch. It’s like the red of Mario’s jumpsuit is burning my retinas while I play. Not only do I love the change, but I also feel sorry for what my eyes had to endure with the original Switch. (Ok, okay, the original Switch wasn’t that bad, but the difference is really noticeable.)
What has not changed is that in portable mode, the Nintendo Switch OLED It only offers 720p resolution, which is less than what you will get even playing on a smartphone. Apparently Nintendo didn’t want to adjust the console’s processing power to bring 1080p gameplay to its built-in display, which will presumably also be a success for the duration of your battery. In that sense, we will still have to keep our fingers crossed that the next generation of the Switch, which we have been talking about for a long time, offers better graphics.
A kickstand that is no longer unusable
I often compare the original Nintendo Switch’s kickstand to the papers I wrote in college – it seems like it was done at the last minute just to get the job done. But although I normally border on the notable with my works, this old foot of is close to dsuspense.
It was flimsy, it only offered an angle of support, and to be honest, it wasn’t worthy of its own mention as cofficial feature. I tried it once after my Switch was first released four years ago, I decided it wasn’t worth risking my $ 300 console with that scrawny plastic leg, and I haven’t touched it since.
The kickstand of the OLED Switch has been completely redesigned and is … fantastic? It takes up the full width of the back of the console and uses the same style of hinges that you would find on devices like the Microsoft Surface.
A new dock
Although the new OLED Switch is also available in a version with the Joy-Con controllers in neon blue and red and with the bAs gray, the new white console is the one that best suits the OLED screen.
As far as functions are concerned, the base is the same, you simply have to place your OLED Switch on it (it is also compatible with the original Switch) and your game will be redirected to whatever screen you have connectedto via HDMI. It’s pretty much the same aesthetically, but the biggest improvements are at the rear.
Instead of a hinged doors previous, which was sometimes difficult to open depending on where it was Once the base is in place, this new one has a snap-open panel that opens all the way, which will give you a little easier access to the USB-C, HDMI ports and the new ethernet connector. Yes always you have had problems with your Wi-Fi network on the Switch, probably thank you for the update, though maybe it is not the speed of your wireless network that makes downloading Switch games from the Nintendo online store such a long and exhausting process.
Other tweaks, improvements and updates
There are some less obvious improvements to the OLED switch, and although they do not necessarily justify changing one console for another, several of them they are very well received.
The power and volume buttons on the top of the console have been lengthened to make them a little easier to differentiate and operate, while the OLED switch sees your internal storage 32GB to 64GB. The battery is also the same which was introduced with the update of the Switch in 2019, which promises between four and nine hours of I play according to the title that is and the brightness of screen. But that will surely be at the longest end of the scale Of the new Switch, since OLED screens are much more energy efficient than LCDs.
As soon as to the drift of the Joy-con, nor there are indications that Nintendo has solved the problem, which is a huge disappointment. Sell a new console that in all likelihood will develop the same problems that the older generation is difficult.
Is the upgrade worth it?
If you already have one Switch or Switch Lite previous and you don’t have 35€ 0 to spend on a new console, so no I don’t needace the OLED switch. The same happens with the playersI know that, like me, prefer to place it on the dock: no you will see no improvement in the game fps or the graphics just to have a pantaLla more grwalk corn the new OLED Switch.
However, if the Switch has been withpoured into your device quintessential laptop and you always play with it separate from the dock, that new screen makes the OLED switch feels like a whole new device, even evenu really no be.
