A couple of days ago, I received an invitation to check out the upcoming Nintendo Switch OLED model at the Nintendo headquarters. Needless to say, I was curious and excited to try out this new family member of the Switch family. Although I thought I knew everything about the model in advance, I was still blown away once I got the system in my hands. On paper, it’s not a big upgrade but after spending some time with the OLED model, I’m convinced this is by far the best model of the Switch line.
Welcome to the family
First things first, let’s discuss the system itself. The Switch OLED Model is the newest member of the Switch line and will be available next to the regular Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo Switch Lite. By adding the OLED model to the line, Nintendo wants to give its customers the freedom of choice when they buy a Switch. The Switch Lite is obviously the cheapest choice and enables you to play all those great Switch games on the go while both the regular Switch and OLED model offer the same kind of experience. Both the Switch and OLED models can be used in handheld, docked, and tabletop mode. So what’s the difference between the Switch and Switch OLED?
Well, as the name already gives away, the bigger OLED screen of the OLED model is its main selling point. On top of that, it has an adjustable stand, LAN-port, and better audio, but more on those later on. It’s clear the OLED model is marketed towards gamers who want to play their Switch games in the best possible way, especially if you’re a handheld gamer or competitive online gamer. Since it’s roughly 50 bucks more expensive, you can easily consider this model as the Switch’s premium version, without altering the actual hardware. There’s no 4K resolution or internal hardware improvements here, this simply is a different version of the console we all know and love, meaning it won’t divide the market with a handful of Switch OLED exclusive games. Every Switch game works on the OLED model and vice versa. Now, that we got that out of the way, you probably want to know if those “small improvements” really change the actual gaming experience.
The OLED screen
When I first noticed the OLED model in Nintendo’s headquarters, I loved the white dock and Joy-Con, really elevating the design to new heights. The white dock and Joy-Con make the console look more futuristic and perhaps even more modern, it will look great next to your black television for sure. The Joy-Con and dock are great but the 7-inch OLED screen is the true star of the system. Compared with the 6.2-inch screen of the Nintendo Switch, you would expect the difference to be small, and in reality, it is a small difference but once you hold the system in your hands, the difference seems a lot bigger. The borders around the screen are a lot thinner which gives more space for the actual screen. While playing I couldn’t shake the feeling that the OLED model gave me the same vibes of the day I changed my regular Nintendo 3DS with a Nintendo 3DS XL. The screen is just a little bit bigger but thanks to the vibrant colors, your games really come to life in the palm of my hands.
During my hands-on I played the classics Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Super Mario Odyssey, both blew me away in handheld mode. First things first, let’s start with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Considering the fact that this was one of my first Nintendo Switch games, it’s an understatement to say I’m rather familiar with the title. The moment I started playing it on the OLED model, however, it really took me by surprise. Never before did Mario Kart look this good in the palm of my hands. The OLED model really makes the colors more vibrant, making them really pop while playing. I’ll even go further by confirming I noticed graphical details I never noticed before, even on my 4K-television. It’s one of those things that you just need to see for yourself to really believe. Sadly I wasn’t allowed to record or photograph the system in action but believe me, you’ll be amazed by the quality of the screen for sure. Although there’s no improvement in the resolution or frame rate, the OLED model really makes you wonder if you aren’t playing with a next-generation Switch console. The OLED screen really makes a huge difference.
This got reconfirmed while playing Super Mario Odyssey. Since OLED screens are known for their deep black and vibrant colors, Mario Odyssey looked stellar on the screen. The dark shadows of the tutorial level really came to life thanks to the gorgeous contrast of Mario’s red overall. While replaying Super Mario Odyssey it came to my mind that I would love to replay a couple of my Switch games on the OLED screen. Games like Luigi’s Mansion 3 or Astral Chain will hugely benefit from this screen without a doubt. So yes, the OLED screen is a rather big deal and feels like a bigger improvement in person than it does on paper. It really alters the way you play your games in handheld mode and thanks to the bigger size of the screen itself, you’ll be sucked into your favorite games instantly.
The new stand
The OLED screen is without a doubt the big star of this new model but let’s not forget the new and improved stand. Compared with the stand of the original Switch, this wide and adjustable stand feels like a gift from the heaves. The stand now covers the entire width of the console itself, including a stylish Nintendo Switch logo on its back. Since it’s a lot wider, it’s a lot sturdier, enabling you to use your Switch in tabletop mode on rougher surfaces too. What I liked most about the new stand however is the fact that it’s fully adjustable. You can place your Switch OLED model in a wide variety of angles, allowing you to find the perfect position for your multiplayer session. This will be of crucial importance for your outdoor multiplayer sessions as you can simply find the right angle to block out direct sunlight on your screen. Thanks to the OLED screen itself, your actual games are a lot more visible from a distance and even if you’re looking sideways at the screen, you’ll still have a good and crisps overview of what’s happing in the game. Nowadays I don’t really use the tabletop mode of my regular Nintendo Switch a lot but this OLED model really changes the game and I can easily see this becoming the go-to multiplayer model, even in tabletop mode.
The dock and enhanced audio
Moving over to the dock, the difference is a bit less noticeable but that doesn’t mean it isn’t important. The Nintendo Switch logo on the front is a bit smaller than the original and the corners of the dock feel a bit more rounded too. That being said, the biggest new feature is at the back of the dock. Unlike the regular model, you’ll click the entire backside off the dock, enabling you to easily access its ports. You’ll notice that you’ll have one less USB connection since this got replaced with a LAN port. Of course, this is an extremely welcomed addition if you play a lot of multiplayer games. We all know a wired LAN connection is a lot more trustworthy compared to Wi-Fi so if you want to make sure you never drop out due to a weak Wi-Fi signal, this LAN port is the thing you need. That being said, everything about the back of the dock is designed to make it as accessible as ever. Since the backside clicks off, it’s easy to access and arrange all your cables. Clicking it back on is easy since there’s a lot more room for your cables to exit your dock in this model. At first, it all looks as feels like small important innovations but it really elevates the accessibly of the system a lot.
And then we got the last improvement (next to the 65-gig internal memory upgrade) in the form of enhanced audio. During my hands-on, I cranked up the volume to test out the new stereo audio and I must say I was, once more, very impressed. I play a lot of my games in handheld mode and use a headset most of the time because I don’t really like the audio of the original Switch model. Especially during dialogues, things can get a bit hard to understand. Well, those problems are entirely gone thanks to the OLED model. The audio really is a huge step forwards and your favorite games will sound as they were designed to sound like, even in handheld mode. I’m sure a lot of gamers will be pleased with the quality of the sound.
Conclusion:
The Nintendo Switch OLED model really is a huge step forwards and offers a big difference compared to the other models. The OLED screen itself really is the big star of this model and really makes the game come to life thanks to its deep black and vibrant colors. After spending a couple of minutes with this new model, I would love to replay my favorite Nintendo Switch games in handheld mode since the OLED screen makes me notice small details I never noticed before in several games. This in combination with the improved audio, dock, and stand make me believe this is without a doubt the best version of Nintendo’s hit console. If you don’t own a Switch yet and have the funds for this model, I think this is the best model without a doubt. October can’t come soon enough!
