It was touch and go at first sight but there’s no buyer’s remorse here. Switch OLED has given my Switch library a new lease of life this week.
We were all disappointed when this was announced in place of the longed for Switch ‘Pro’. Now I’ve bought this I can only hope Nintendo doesn’t make the cruellest move and release that mythical upgraded console next year.
I upgraded to the OLED from the launch model. After more than four years of incredible service, it felt like it was time just for fear of losing 1000 hours of Splatoon 2 playtime and progression. It hasn’t been a transformative experience in all cases but introducing Metroid Dread to an OLED display absolutely was that. Even with Nintendo now two generations behind PlayStation and Xbox, Switch games can still have a wow factor.
It comes set to ‘vivid’ display by default. While this looks stunning for Metroid, it can make a game like Animal Crossing look oversaturated to me and you might want to swap to ‘standard’ display in the settings for some games. Standard is still superior to the old Switch but I’d love to have a slider to be able to choose a more personal preference. On some level it’s like having a colour option of 50 and 70 on your TV and nothing in between.
The battery life is a welcome upgrade as well. I was playing last night at around 25% and expecting the warning to come up but it lasted a lot longer than I’m used to. As a handheld, a screen that’s easier to see outside (still unfortunately reflective, though) and a battery that lasts longer make this a fantastic upgrade.
For those who play exclusively or mainly docked, it offers next to nothing. The dock now comes with an Ethernet LAN port but anyone who cares about that must already have the dongle by now. Even so, it has always been far better for online games. And while the white dock looks fresh and cool in photos, in all honesty it kinda looks and feels cheaper to me in real life. The bezel around the OLED screen is thinner which makes for a larger screen and just makes the Switch looks classier. This is another obvious upgrade but it also means the actual screen rather than the bezel now touches the dock as you slide it in and out.
On top of looking better the OLED screen is also less prone to scratches. Having been docked and undocked many times since 2017, my Switch never actually got any scratches to worry about. That said, it has been an undeniable problem for some and rubbing the screen against the dock doesn’t feel great. The dock should have been improved further, basically.
The speakers have also been improved but it’s not something to get excited about and I’ve carried on using headphones anyway for the best experience. Similarly the kickstand has been upgraded. It’s much larger and more robust and can now rest at various angles. Again, while it’s an undeniable improvement, I never had a problem with the old kickstand.
As for actual cons, some have said the game card flap is harder to open. I can see why it might be but its not a complaint I share? My nemesis is dust. This thing is currently a dust magnet and the tiny gap between the screen and unit is collecting some of that dust which is difficult to clean out.
There’s a lot to be frustrated at Nintendo with. This wasn’t the new Switch we expected to be buying in late 2021. Switch OLED is a genuinely fantastic handheld but the TV aspect of the hybrid console is falling farther behind. But we can never stay mad at Nintendo for long because Metroid Dread is one of the games of the year and they’ve found a way to make it look fabulous up against Ratchet & Clank and Forza Horizon 5.
An absolutely essential purchase? Not really. One I’m glad I made anyway, despite the heavy price? Yes. With Breath of the Wild 2, Splatoon 3 and Bayonetta 3 headlining 2022, the future on Switch OLED is bright … and colourful.
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Customer reviews
Amazing Switch, exactly the same (well, almost!) as the original but now with an OLED screen. The first thing you notice is the build quality of the Switch OLED, which is a lot more premium.The screen is gorgeous and colours really pop. I’ve noticed the pixels are more noticeable as the resolution is the same, but the screen size has gone up to 7”. The screen however is now more laminated (and made from glass instead of plastic) which is excellent.The kickstand is a real “standout” feature as well. Fully adjustable, made from metal and much more sturdy. It’s really changed the way I play my Switch, as I hardly ever used the original kickstand as it was quite poor/flimsy.The new white joycons are really nice (although mine were a little scuffed from the box, which was disappointing…).Overall, definitely worth buying over the original V2 model. It’s still the same Switch we know and love, and plays all of your Switch library. If you play both docked mode and need portability, this is a great console. If you only play portable, the lite may be worth considering instead.
Images in this review
Top reviews from United Kingdom
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Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 October 2021
Platform For Display: OLED WhiteEdition: ConsoleVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 October 2021
Platform For Display: OLED WhiteEdition: ConsoleVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 October 2021
Platform For Display: OLED WhiteEdition: ConsoleVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 October 2021
Platform For Display: OLED WhiteEdition: ConsoleVerified Purchase
Amazing Switch, exactly the same (well, almost!) as the original but now with an OLED screen. The first thing you notice is the build quality of the Switch OLED, which is a lot more premium.
The screen is gorgeous and colours really pop. I’ve noticed the pixels are more noticeable as the resolution is the same, but the screen size has gone up to 7”. The screen however is now more laminated (and made from glass instead of plastic) which is excellent.
The kickstand is a real “standout” feature as well. Fully adjustable, made from metal and much more sturdy. It’s really changed the way I play my Switch, as I hardly ever used the original kickstand as it was quite poor/flimsy.
The new white joycons are really nice (although mine were a little scuffed from the box, which was disappointing…).
Overall, definitely worth buying over the original V2 model. It’s still the same Switch we know and love, and plays all of your Switch library. If you play both docked mode and need portability, this is a great console. If you only play portable, the lite may be worth considering instead.
The screen is gorgeous and colours really pop. I’ve noticed the pixels are more noticeable as the resolution is the same, but the screen size has gone up to 7”. The screen however is now more laminated (and made from glass instead of plastic) which is excellent.
The kickstand is a real “standout” feature as well. Fully adjustable, made from metal and much more sturdy. It’s really changed the way I play my Switch, as I hardly ever used the original kickstand as it was quite poor/flimsy.
The new white joycons are really nice (although mine were a little scuffed from the box, which was disappointing…).
Overall, definitely worth buying over the original V2 model. It’s still the same Switch we know and love, and plays all of your Switch library. If you play both docked mode and need portability, this is a great console. If you only play portable, the lite may be worth considering instead.
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 November 2021
Platform For Display: OLED WhiteEdition: ConsoleVerified Purchase
