It’s no secret that the Nintendo Switch has been a runaway success for Nintendo. With more than 89 million units sold around the world, the Nintendo Switch is one of Nintendo’s most successful consoles. Now, more than 4 years after launch, the Nintendo Switch family of systems has a new member, the Nintendo Switch OLED model.
Rumours had been swirling around the internet for quite some time that a brand new Nintendo Switch was coming. And, in early July, Nintendo announced the Nintendo Switch OLED model. Though, it wasn’t quite what everyone was expecting. Instead of getting a more powerful Nintendo Switch, the Nintendo Switch OLED model comes with quite a few other hardware upgrades.
And, thanks to Nintendo of Canada, I’ve spent the last several days with the Nintendo Switch OLED and Metroid Dread. I’m here to give you my honest opinion and answer any questions you may have along the way. Let’s take a look at what the premium Nintendo Switch experience is all about!
What comes with the Nintendo Switch OLED?
The very first thing I noticed was that the box has been redesigned from that of the Nintendo Switch. It’s much more compact with no wasted space at all inside. Inside the box contains the Nintendo Switch console, left and right Joy-Con controllers, HDMI cable, new Nintendo Switch dock, Joy-Con grips and an AC adaptor.
Everything is packed nice and neatly. It makes getting the Nintendo Switch OLED model out of the packaging and into your hands a breeze!
What new features or hardware does the Nintendo Switch OLED model have?
The main new feature of the Nintendo Switch OLED model is, you guessed it, an OLED screen. The screen is 7 inches, which is .8th of an inch bigger than that Nintendo Switch. When I first turned on the system, I could immediately see a big difference compared to the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite’s LCD screens.
Not only is the OLED screen bigger, it’s brighter, more vibrant and the colours are more vivid with a crisp contrast. Pictures or videos do not do the OLED screen justice. Playing Metroid Dread looks absolutely gorgeous! In fact, any of the games I played: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Animal Crossing New Horizons, Cruis’n Blast, Splatoon 2 and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury all looked fantastic.
Nintendo Switch OLED model’s specs and features
- Screen: 7.0″ OLED touch screen with 720p resolution
- Storage: 64 GB internal system storage
- Weight: approximate weight of 422g with Joy-con controllers attached
- Size: 101.6mm x 241mm x 14mm
- CPU/GPU: NVIDIA customized Tegra processor
- Battery life between 4.5 – 9 hours
Internal storage upgraded
Both the Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite come with 32GB of internal storage. For the Nintendo Switch OLED model, Nintendo has doubled that internal storage to 64GB. While it’s nice to have the extra storage, you’ll still have to buy an SD card for Switch sooner than later. In all honesty, I would have liked to see at least 256GB of internal storage included.
Improved sound
Another new upgrade in the Switch OLED are the speakers. The sound coming from the speakers is definitely louder than either the Switch or Switch Lite. And, the speakers on the Switch OLED are of a higher quality. I wouldn’t say that the sound is leaps and bounds better but there is definitely a difference that is noticeable.
Wide adjustable stand
Next, the Nintendo Switch OLED model comes with a wide adjustable stand from tabletop mode. The Nintendo Switch had a narrow and flimsy stand that quite honestly was awful. With the new wide adjustable stand on the Switch OLED, I felt confident that the Switch was not going anywhere.
Redesigned dock
Finally, the Nintendo Switch OLED model comes with a redesigned dock. Visually, it’s pretty much the same. Except, the back USB port has been replaced with a LAN port. This allows you to use an ethernet cable to connect the unit, when docked, directly to your router. This provides a more sturdy and solid internet connection as opposed to WiFi.
Should I upgrade to the Nintendo Switch OLED model if I already own a Switch or Switch Lite?
The big question I see a lot of people asking is, if they already own a Switch or Switch Lite is the Switch OLED model worth the extra money. The answer to that question all depends on one thing. The amount of time that you play in handheld mode off of the TV. If you spend a good amount of your time, 50% or more, in handheld mode, the Switch OLED is worth the cost of admission.
The OLED screen and enhanced audio are superior to that of both the Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite. As I mentioned earlier, the Switch OLED’s screen is gorgeous. Regardless of the game I played, they looked considerably better with brighter and more colourful visuals. The slightly bigger screen isn’t as noticeable as I initially thought it would be. The sound on the Switch OLED is superior to that of either Switch or Switch Lite. Again, it wouldn’t be the sole reason I would upgrade but a contributing factor.
Nintendo Switch OLED model is a great choice for those who play a good amount of time in handheld mode
I know many were hoping for upgraded 4K graphics with a new Switch model. However, given the current chip shortage, I feel that Nintendo did a great job with the Nintendo Switch OLED model. The 7″ OLED is a big upgrade over the Switch and Switch Lite‘s LCD screens and reason enough for the price of admission.
If you don’t currently own a Nintendo Switch or Switch Lite, want the ability to be able to play on your TV and plan on playing a good amount of time in handheld mode, the Nintendo Switch OLED model is the way to go.
On the other hand, if you don’t plan on spending much time playing away from your TV, you really wouldn’t see any benefit at all with the Switch OLED, except for an extra 32GB of internal storage. And, with SD cards being cheap, you could get considerably more storage by purchasing a SD card and Nintendo Switch for less money.
If you have any questions, let me know in the comments below. I’ll do my best to answer them. Look for my review of Metroid Dread soon on the Best Buy Blog.
+ Gorgeous 7″ OLED screen
+ Wide adjustable stand
+ Enhanced audio
+ Dock comes with integrated LAN port
– Only 64GB internal storage means a memory card is a must buy
– Only 2 USB ports on the docking station
Purchase the Nintendo Switch OLED Model White Console
Purchase the Nintendo Switch OLED Model Neon Red/Blue Console
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How’s the dock when docking the system? The old dock had issues where it would scratch the screen but it was mostly marks on the bezel portion, rather than the picture. Is this dock designed to avoid scratching the system?
Good review. I will upgrade mine next year
I’m looking forward to receiving mine after the release day. Thank you for the great review.
I do really like the look of those white joy-cons and the white dock! Since I typically play on my own I don’t typically use any of the USB inputs, so that doesn’t bother me.
I do however mostly play docked so at this time it might be good for me to hold off on this.
Thanks so much Jon! I’m really looking forward to seeing what you think of Metroid Dread.
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