Nintendo Switch OLED is a boon for portable users but skippable as a home console upgrade – TechCrunch

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The new version of Nintendo’s successful Switch console is different enough to justify itself, but hardly a must buy for any of the millions who bought the launch version. With a bigger, brighter and better screen, it’s a good choice for those who buy now and intend to use it primarily as a portable device, but if you’re planning or already using your Switch primarily as a stationary console, there’s virtually no reason. to update . However, there will likely be many units moving around during the holiday season.

Even in the best of times it can be difficult to tell what Nintendo’s hardware strategy is or if there really is a strategy. The $ 350 OLED Switch provides a perfect example of this: At a time when rivals Sony and Microsoft are struggling to prove their next-gen console is the most powerful, Nintendo releases a nearly identical version of a console that was underpowered. when she left. five years ago. Is it faltering? Or is it just so sure?

The signs indicate neither the rumor that a new Switch, with updated interiors and a new screen but identical form factor, was planned for this year, but the pandemic and the shortage of chips made it impossible. Making the most of the situation or so they say, Nintendo has slapped OLED screens on the original hardware and is selling it as a minor quality of life upgrade, in the way it has been doing for years on the 3DS. Nintendo has virtually denied all accounts and speculation, but this story (again, just rumors) smells right.

It’s hard to know what to say about the result; on the one hand, it is clearly better than the original. On the other hand, it is better than just a small amount and, for some people, no amount.

The screen itself is obviously the biggest improvement. I had the pleasure of playing Metroid: Dread on it, and the fast-moving, colorful, high-contrast environments looked great on it. The darker shades of the OLED screen made the light areas and colors stand out more (although measurements showed that peak brightness is actually lower) and the additional screen space, while appearing minimal in photos, is actually important to person, making the details, UI and text much more understandable.

Oh, and the dust it attracts really stands out on that all-black facade.

Image credits: Darrell Etherington

Sharpness seems enhanced in motion by the faster single pixel refresh rate of the OLED, leaving less of the feeling of a blurry frame in the next. The original Switch’s screen is fine, to be clear, but it’s clearly outdated here.

The color has a different tinge to the original’s LCD, but in games most people won’t notice – a shift towards green where the old tends to magenta for my eyes. Interestingly, there are “vivid” and “standard” options on the OLED model in depth in the settings; “Vivid” was preselected and I certainly found it pleasant, giving a little more saturation to the image but not to the point of being annoying.

Image credits: Darrell Etherington

Other than that, the build quality is generally better. The flimsy kickstand has been made much sturdier and more adjustable, and the whole feels better put together. While there aren’t any significant changes to the interior, a slightly improved thermal profile should mean it runs a little cooler and uses the fans more sparingly. The speakers have supposedly been improved, but they are still pretty much a last resort.

The Switch OLED comes with 64GB of internal space, which is a good upgrade from the original’s 32. Of course everyone will insert a micro SD card anyway, but the system volume is preferred and now there’s just a lot less need to store old games.

If you’re someone who plays their Switch games primarily on the device itself, or plans to do so, the Switch OLED is simply a superior device. I wouldn’t say it’s worth paying full price for the upgrade again, but it’s definitely worth spending the extra $ 50 if you were to buy a new console after giving away or selling your first one. (It’s $ 150 more than the portable-only Lite, but for me the trade-off of no TV mode has always been too much to justify.)

Image credits: Darrell Etherington

Of course, if like me I tend to always keep the Switch in its dock, except when traveling, almost nothing will change. There is technically a new dock, even a little more solid and equipped with an ethernet connection for those who love cables, but pretty much everything else will be the same for you.

There’s no question that Switch OLED is the best way to play Switch games right now, but even so no one should feel the need to upgrade. Who knows when the next generation of Nintendo consoles will arrive? I think even Nintendo isn’t sure enough. So save your money for now unless your existing Switch is battered or would no longer do well in someone else’s hands.

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