Is Nintendo Switch OLED still worth buying?
For me, definitely yes, but there is one BUT.
Japanese video game company Nintendo needs no introduction. The company has been on the market since 1889, when it started selling playing cards for the game Hanafuda. It entered the video game industry in 1980 when it released its first digital game, Game & Watch. Since then, it has established itself as the world's leading video game company, helped by consoles such as the Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo 64, Game Boy and Game Cube.
After a successful history, Nintendo's new millennium moved away from traditional game consoles, especially after the unconvincing Game Cube, which pulled up short in competition with the PlayStation 2 and the first Xbox.
The Wii's bet on motion control worked out brilliantly (with 101 million units sold, it is one of the best-selling consoles in history). Still, the Wii U successor was not such a success — few changes and poor marketing resulted in confusion among customers, who often had no idea whether it was a new console or a mere accessory.
Therefore, in 2017, the Nintendo Switch came to market, again relying on a different philosophy from its competitors while also being a big bet on uncertainty — would the new type of console be a success?
Will consumers appreciate the unconventional combination of handheld and home console?
And will it be another financial flop?
I won't beat around the bush for long — the Nintendo Switch has been a resounding worldwide success, selling over 93 million units after the first version came to the second generation, which rectified some of the criticisms, especially in terms of battery life.
We also saw a version labelled Lite, which sacrificed some features in favour of a lower price. The latest iteration, with the OLED moniker, clearly declares where the most significant change has occurred. But what else does the Nintendo Switch OLED have to offer? And is it worth investing your hard-earned money in?
Design and craftsmanship
At first glance, the Nintendo Switch OLED doesn't look significantly different from previous versions, and to a large extent, that's true. The capacitive display still dominates the device. Still, it has grown to 7" (the previous version got a 6.2" display, and the Lite has a 5.5" display), which may not seem like a significant increase, but in practice, the difference is discernible.
The physical dimensions of the console with the Joy-Con controllers attached are 102 x 242 x 13.9 millimetres. The weight is 420 grams (without the controllers, the Switch OLED weighs 320 grams), so the console has grown in size compared to the previous version (the previous version was 102 x 239 x 13.9 millimetres and weighs 398 grams). While the difference may seem minor, it's important to remember that some cases and packaging may not be fully compatible.
Once again, Nintendo Switch OLED has relied on plastic materials, which may look cheap in places, but it is a necessary sacrifice to manufacturing costs and overall weight. The console's body has undergone a few changes — the most notable being a new type of kickstand with an adjustable angle, its lock is pleasingly solid, and, most importantly, it's bigger.
The previous version had a stand that was significantly smaller and more fragile and provided only one tilt angle that wasn't very comfortable for gaming. We find a microSD card slot underneath, which will come in handy. The stand is also related to tiny plastic feet, which, although you won't notice at first glance, do a lot for the stability of the OLED Switch.
The speakers have also undergone a less visible change and are louder and of better quality. The detachable Joy-Con controllers (this time in white) still have the exact dimensions of 35.9 x 102 x 13.9 millimetres and weight of 48 and 52 grams, respectively (the left Joy-Con is a few grams lighter), as well as the exact layout of controls, namely the joystick, A/B/X/Y buttons, rear L/R, ZL/ZR buttons and two function buttons.
What I have to criticize about the Joy-Cons is the hand-loop attachment system. This is done by inserting a particular plastic module into the sledge, which allows the Joy-Con to attach the hand loop to the hand and adds the L/R buttons. Although I'm familiar with the common mistake of the user inserting this part backwards (the Joy-Con will, unfortunately, allow you to do this) and then finding it difficult to slide out, I still managed to get it wrong during testing.
I'd expect Nintendo, targeting the Switch console at families, to debug a similar thing better. The dock that allows you to connect the Switch OLED to your TV has also been redesigned. The latter got an extra connection for a classic Ethernet cable with an RJ-45 connector and the ability to hide the cabling in the back.
Otherwise, aside from the black and white colour combination, the dock isn't particularly interesting — it still works the same, it's made of plastic. Once you plug it in, your interaction with it shrinks to sliding the console in and out. The speculated 4K resolution, unfortunately, didn't make it.
Joy-Con comfort and control
The Switch's controls deserve a chapter of their own, as there are multiple ways to play Nintendo's console. The first option is to play through the Joy-Cons attached to the console in handheld mode. As far as convenience is concerned, there is no clear verdict here — the controls are rather titchy compared to the competition and not very ergonomically placed, so people with larger hands may have a problem.
Personally, however, I got used to it quite quickly and compared to the Switch Lite, it is a comfortable gaming experience. If you find the controls uncomfortable, I recommend buying some protective case to improve the ergonomics — in the case of the Switch Lite. This strategy paid off for me. The other gaming option is to have the Joy-Cons unplugged and have the console propped up somewhere using a stand.
This gaming option is especially significant when travelling if you don't want to hold the whole console in your hands all the time and still have at least a bit of space — for example, on a train or plane. With the loops attached, gaming is comfortable, but it's not for several-hour sessions. The third option is to use the Joy-Con grip, which is included and essentially turns two separate controllers into one that resembles classic gamepads.
The word resembles key — while this is the most comfortable way to control and play, it, unfortunately, can't compare to classic gamepads. This brings up the Pro Controller, which needs to be purchased separately. However, I'd only recommend buying one if you're serious about gaming on the Switch OLED.
If you're used to the Xbox or PlayStation controls, for example, it'll take you a while to get accustomed to the slightly different control philosophy — for example, confirmation is most often done with the A button, which is located on the right (the right button with a letter or symbol on competing consoles cancels or returns the selection).
In addition to traditional controls, the Joy-Cons borrowed the Wii motion controls. This works pretty reliably, but you'll only get full use of it in specialized games such as the motion title Ring Fit.
Nintendo exclusives take more advantage of the motion controls and vibration motors (which are great, by the way), but due to the presence of the Lite console, the motion controls are severely limited. For third-party games, using the Switch's strengths is somewhat sporadic. I must also mention a problem that the Switch console, or the Joy-Con controllers, has been solving since the beginning.
So-called Joy-Con drift is a problem where the controller detects movement even when the joystick is idle. In some cases, it was enough to clean the joystick, but in other cases, it was necessary to buy a completely new controller. Nintendo has been silent on this issue for a long time.
However, at the release of the OLED version, they mentioned that this problem should be eliminated. Unfortunately, during my brief testing, I could not determine if this was the case. However, only time will tell how Nintendo has dealt with this issue.
Handheld or console?
The combination of handheld mode and classic TV gaming makes the Nintendo Switch OLED unique from the competition. With the discontinuation of the Nintendo DS and PlayStation Vita family of portable consoles, the era of handhelds replacing smartphones is officially over. However, Nintendo has used its wealth of experience to create a functional hybrid console that will replace both handhelds and the big home console.
Thanks to this unique approach, you can easily take Nintendo Switch OLED on a trip or vacation, for example, while continuing to play comfortably on your TV when you get home. Once the console is docked, the image is projected onto the TV almost immediately, and it works the same way in reverse.
One of Nintendo Switch OLED's substantial competitive advantages is the ability to play a game and then continue playing it on the go. At the same time, the presence of two controllers in the package and the emphasis on motion controls (which the competition hasn't done much with) makes it ideal for weekend gamers who want to entertain themselves with something undemanding quickly.
In my experience, even non-gamers like my parents will quickly pick up on Switch titles. This makes the Switch OLED the perfect console for the family, further reinforced by Nintendo's policy that the company consistently adheres to with its exclusive titles — no unnecessary violence, no foul language, the perfect combination of the challenge for experienced gamers while still being accessible to new ones.
Technical parameters
The fact that I'm only now getting to the technical parameters of the console in this review speaks volumes about a simple fact — Nintendo Switch OLED probably won't impress anyone with its loaded equipment, high teraflops count and graphical orgies in games. Nintendo abandoned the effort to create the most powerful console that allows you to run games with photorealistic graphics some time ago, judging by the success rate.
It can be said that, at least for this Japanese company, this is the right path. But now to the specs — the Nintendo Switch OLED will offer a 7" OLED touchscreen display with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels (1920 x 1080 pixels in dock mode), a customized Nvidia Tegra chipset, 64 GB internal memory (expandable with microSD cards up to 2 TB), Wi-Fi 802. 11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.1, stereo speakers, USB-C, 3.5mm audio jack, gyroscope, ambient light sensor and Nintendo game card slot.
On the technical side, the Nintendo Switch OLED won't sit on anyone's ass. It's all the more admirable what developers with significant hardware limitations can create. Whether it's Mario, Zelda or the new Metroid, virtually any exclusive game proves that more pixels don't necessarily mean a better game. But that doesn't excuse Nintendo, nor does it excuse the technical specifications of the OLED Switch.
While you won't be examining edge sharpness and counting individual pixels while playing on a 7" display, at least Full HD resolution should be the standard. If you have a 4K TV at home, then the offered Full HD in dock mode won't impress you much either — it should also be mentioned that you won't get the maximum resolution always and under all conditions. For example, in docked mode, the latest Zelda only runs at 900p at 30fps.
Battery life
The Nintendo Switch OLED gets a 4,310 mAh battery, which may not seem like much on paper, but in practice, the battery life is sufficient. Nintendo states that the battery life ranges between 4.5–9 hours, and I can confirm these figures from practical use.
Of course, it depends on the brightness settings, wireless connectivity enabled, and the difficulty of the game, but you can play the latest Zelda on the Switch OLED for about five and a half hours before you need to reach for an adapter. It takes about 3 hours to charge the Switch OLED fully.
This is no miracle by today's standards, both in terms of battery capacity and charging speed. However, given that this is a single-purpose device, these values did not limit me in practical use. However, I would appreciate the battery life being more significant and charging faster. However, this is not an insurmountable obstacle.
Games, exclusives and software
Nintendo's most significant weapon in the video game arena isn't hardware but exclusive titles. If you want to play Mario, Zelda, Pokémon, Metroid, Splatoon, Animal Crossing, Kirby or Fire Emblem: Three Houses, you have no choice but to reach for a Nintendo console.
None of the titles offers top-notch graphics comparable to the Xbox Series X/PlayStation 5 or PC (which isn't to say they aren't pretty games), but the level of creativity and gameplay mechanics that each exclusive offers are genuinely breathtaking.
At the very least, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will, in my opinion, justify the purchase of an entire console — for it is not only a tremendous exclusive but also, according to many, the best game of the decade, and I can sign off on that assessment with a clear conscience. However, explaining why the latest Zelda is one of the best games of all time (not to be confused with a perfect game) would take a very long article, so I'll at least include a video that tries to show that uniqueness with a few examples.
Nintendo Switch isn't just about Zelda, though. Mario Odyssey, for example, also handles the iconic game character from a different perspective, which was done to perfection. Throughout the entire playing time, I kept shaking my head, wondering how all the great mechanics, which are exemplarily dosed, could have occurred to the developers.
Also, the latest Metroid Dread is a hilarious addition to the famous franchise, which also, in my opinion, makes excellent use of the OLED display of the newest Switch. The advantage (and for some, disadvantage) of the Nintendo Switch OLED is its single-purpose nature — forget Facebook, Twitter and Instagram apps or a web browser.
The only distractions are the YouTube app and the relatively recently added Twitch. The entire interface revolves entirely around games, which are the absolute centrepiece of the console. Is that wrong? I think — none of us would go a day without a smartphone anyway, and Messenger is nowadays available in the fridge and washing machine with little exaggeration, so the absence of universal apps that have little to do with gaming on the Switch is welcomed with open arms.
On the other hand, it must be admitted that Nintendo is constantly fixing its flaws. For example, one of the latest updates added the ability to pair wireless headphones with the Switch. Yes, I understand how ridiculous that sounds in 2022, but you can't deny Nintendo's efforts.
The Japanese company won't be able to iron out all the problems, but the effort is worth it. Also worth mentioning is the Nintendo Switch Online subscription, which can also be purchased in a more expensive version with the Expansion Pack moniker.
The Expansion Pack expands the range of retro games on the Nintendo 64 and Sega Mega Drive consoles and also brings free DLC for Animal Crossing, but as part of a paid subscription. At the very least, the online play and positional cloud storage make the subscription worthwhile and significantly cheaper, unlike competing consoles.
The retro games are then an exciting diversion that can make memories shed a tear, and which can, in turn, illuminate for the later-born why Nintendo is an iconic gaming company.
Is it worth reaching for the OLED version?
The question of this chapter is also one of the main ones that those interested in the Nintendo Switch OLED will be asking, and there is no clear-cut answer. If you're considering buying a console from Nintendo, don't own any previous versions, and aren't concerned about budget, then the answer is a simple yes.
Suppose you're not too impressed with the OLED display and plan to use the console primarily at home. You can save up for a second-generation Nintendo Switch without the OLED moniker and without missing out on essential functionality. But if you own a different version of the Switch, the answer is a little more complicated. In the case of the second-generation Switch, it's worth carefully considering whether the slightly larger OLED display and better kickstand will justify buying a virtually identical console.
After all, you'll only use all the new features on the go and won't even notice them in docked mode. If you own the first generation Switch, you might also be convinced by the longer battery life, comparable to the second generation and slightly better than the Lite version. For Nintendo Switch Lite owners, getting the OLED model is a real headache.
The Switch OLED will offer a better display, a little more battery life and, of course, the ability to connect to a TV and use the detachable Joy-Cons, for example, to play with friends. On the other hand, the Switch OLED is noticeably bigger and heavier, so it's less suitable for travel than the Lite variant. In this case, I recommend considering whether you'll use the added value of the Switch OLED.
The ideal reason to get a Nintendo Switch OLED is if you own another gaming console (or gaming PC) and are looking for a travel companion or to play exclusive games. Likewise, the Switch OLED is an excellent choice if you want a console to play with your kids.
Final review
The Nintendo Switch OLED is the addition to the Switch family of consoles that no one wanted — fans were expecting a better-equipped successor. However, they only got a slightly upgraded version that doesn't bring enough groundbreaking news to convince anyone of the sheer necessity of its existence. Despite these hard facts, it can't be said that the Nintendo Switch OLED is wrong and won't find its fans. Some games shine through on the OLED display, but the usability of better speakers is debatable.
Still, we certainly can't be angry about them, and the improved kickstand is something fans have been calling for since the Nintendo Switch first launched. The minor changes to the dock are also appreciated, though a wired internet connection isn't necessary these days.
The promise of solving Joy-Con drift is admittedly a harder-to-market novelty, but it will probably have the most significant impact in the long run. What speaks against the Nintendo Switch OLED, mainly, is the few changes from the second generation. Conversely, some changes, such as the slightly larger size, are counterproductive given the backwards compatibility of accessories.
The technical obsolescence of the whole solution is better not to talk about. Despite all the shortcomings, this is a revolutionary console, thanks to which Nintendo has once again proved that it understands games and gamers. If you don't plan to use the console on the go but are in TV connection mode, then the Nintendo Switch without OLED display will be sufficient for you given the hardware, and for the money you save, get a game.
Thank you for reading this article! If you enjoyed it, please leave me 👏🏻 and follow me for more content like this! 😊👍
