The larger, better display and excellent stand make it an excellent handheld gaming system, but if you keep the Switch docked all the time, you will never notice.
The OLED Nintendo Switch has a larger and better display effect. But its improved stand also means that the desktop mode is now more meaningful.
I will briefly explain for you: Switch OLED is currently the best Nintendo Switch. But your children will not care. Or, at least, mine didn’t.
When I took the OLED screen Switch downstairs to show my children and got a cold, indifferent shrug, I learned this in a difficult way. My youngest child wants a Switch that can be folded up and put in his pocket. My eldest kid thinks it is better, but also said that he is very good with the Switch he owns. This is the latest Switch update: subtle upgrades are great, but they are also more like what the original Switch should have.
The latest version of the Switch is the most expensive: $350, which is $50 more than the original Switch. Is it worth it? For me, yes. For my children, no. But I am old, my eyes are not good, and I like the idea of a tabletop game console.
I bought a Kindle Oasis midway through the pandemic. I already have a Paperwhite. I read a lot. Oasis has a better, bigger screen. I do not regret.
Switch OLED is like the Kindle Oasis of Switch. Larger, more vivid OLED displays are clearly better. This is why many people at CNET (though not me) have OLED TVs, and we have been talking about the advantages that OLED brings to mobile phones for many years. (One thing I don’t know yet is whether there are any issues about screen aging.) If you play a lot of Switch games in handheld mode and want the best experience, that’s it. I have been playing for a week now, and I obviously like this Switch the most.
I have always wanted a Vectrex, an old game console from the 80s. It has vector graphics and looks like a standalone mini arcade machine. You can stand on the table. I once put the iPad in a small small arcade cabinet. I like the idea of Arcade1Up’s Countercade retro machine.
Switch has two clear game modes: handheld and docked with TV. But there is one more. Desktop mode means you use the Switch as a support screen and squeeze it around it with the detachable Joy-Con controller. This mode is usually bad for the original Switch, because its fragile stand is bad, and it can only stand at an angle. The original Switch’s 6.2-inch screen is better for viewing at shorter distances, and tabletop games feel too small for collaborative split-screen games.
The old Switch has a poor stand (left) and the new OLED Switch has a beautiful, adjustable stand (right).
The display effect of the 7-inch OLED Switch is more vivid and can show the details of the mini game more clearly. In addition, the rear bracket has finally been improved. The pop-up plastic bracket runs through almost the entire length of the fuselage and can be adjusted to any subtle angle, from almost upright to almost straight. Like many iPad stand shells (or Microsoft Surface Pro), this means it can finally be used. For games like Pikmin 3 or board games like Clubhouse Games, it just makes sharing games on that screen more fun.
See, for multiplayer games, you still want to dock with the TV. The desktop mode is indeed a niche third form. But if you travel with kids, you might end up using it more than you think (for airline table games, this seems like a great thing).
The OLED Switch is larger and heavier than the original Switch. Nevertheless, I was able to compress it into the basic carrying case I used for the old Switch. The slightly changed size does mean that it will not slip into those old foldable Labo cardboard items (if you care), and may make other more fitting accessories and sleeves not fit. But so far it feels like using the older Switch, just better. The way Joy-Cons are connected to both sides has not changed, so this is the main thing.
There is no doubt that the OLED screen switch (bottom) is better. I don’t want to go back to the old Switch now.
There is no doubt that the larger 7-inch OLED display is better. The colors are more saturated, which is very suitable for Nintendo’s bright and bold games. The Metroid Dread I played on the OLED Switch looks great. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Luigi’s Mansion 3, Hades, Super Mario Odyssey, Untitled Goose Game, Zelda: Skyward Sword, WarioWare: Get It Together, and almost everything else I threw at it.
The bezel is smaller and the whole thing now feels more modern. You can’t even see how good the monitor looks in these photos (photos are not easy to tell a story with a monitor). Moreover, the jump to a 7-inch display is not a leap experience.
For example, the recent iPad Mini has a larger screen. The 7-inch display looks better in all games, but it is still a bit small for me and my tablet-based life. The 720p resolution is low for a 7-inch monitor, but I really never noticed that much.
One thing I know is: I don’t want to go back to the old Switch now. The display looks small, and obviously worse, the OLED display has already bored me.
The new OLED Switch (right) fits the old Switch base. The old Switch (left) fits into the new Switch docking station.
The new base with Switch OLED now has an Ethernet jack for wired internet connection, which is not anything I need, but I think it helps just in case. This jack means that one internal USB 3 port has been removed, but there are still two external USB 3 ports. Compared with the previous hinged door, the detachable rear dock cover is easier for cables to access. The dock is only used to connect the Switch to your TV, so if you are a handheld-only gamer, then this strange box with a slot is used for this.
But the new Switch also applies to the old Switch base. The new terminal is not that new. (Although, new docking stations can get upgraded firmware-this may mean new features, but it is difficult to say now.)
OLED Switch is suitable for older Joy-Con, which is the same as Joy-Con. convenient! And it’s a pity that they haven’t upgraded.
Switch OLED can use any pair of Switch Joy-Con around you as usual. This is good news, except for the Joy-Con that comes with the new Switch. I have to try the new black and white model with the white Joy-Con, but apart from the color change, they have exactly the same functions-and exactly the same feel. To me, Joy-Cons ultimately feels old compared to the rock-solid and comfortable Xbox and PS5 controllers. I want analog triggers, better analog joysticks, and less Bluetooth delay. Who knows whether these seemingly similar Joy-Cons are as easy to break as the old ones.
Items in the Switch OLED box: base, Joy-Con controller adapter, wrist strap, HDMI, power adapter.
The fan on the Switch I bought last year sounds like a car engine: I think the fan is broken or damaged. But I am used to the enthusiasm of fans. So far, Switch OLED seems to be much quieter. There is still a heat dissipation hole on the top, but I did not notice any noise.
The 64GB basic storage on the Switch OLED has been greatly improved compared to the 32GB of the old Switch, which is good. I downloaded 13 games to fill it up: Switch digital games range from a few hundred megabytes to more than 10GB, but they take up less space than PS5 or Xbox games. Nevertheless, there is a microSD card slot on the Switch as always, and storage space is also very cheap. Unlike PS5 and Xbox Series X storage expansions, using additional storage drives does not require any special settings or lock you to a specific brand.
For me, it is clear that the OLED Switch is the best Switch, based only on specifications. However, a slightly larger and brighter screen, those better speakers, a slightly different base, and a recognized very good new stand, if you have a Switch that you are satisfied with, this is not an important reason to upgrade. The Switch still plays the game as before, and it’s exactly the same game. The TV broadcast is the same.
We have entered the life cycle of Nintendo’s Switch console for four and a half years, and there are many great games. But, again, the Switch obviously lacks the graphical impact of next-generation game consoles like PS5 and Xbox Series X. Mobile games and iPad games are getting better and better. There are many ways to play the game. The Switch is still a great library of Nintendo and indie games and other things, and a great home device, but it’s only part of the ever-growing gaming world. Nintendo has not upgraded its console yet-it still has the same processor as before and serves the same audience. Just think of it as a revised edition, and it checks a bunch of our wish list features from our list. But not all.
Post time: Dec-01-2021