Home | Articles | Gaming
Nintendo Switch OLED Review

Nintendo Switch OLED Review

Posted on 14 Oct 2021

Setting up my filthy casual stall...

So let me set out my stall here; I'm a (filthy) casual gamer who loves tech, as such I tend to pick up at least one of the latest generation of consoles, sometimes more, and I'll get through maybe 2-3 AAA titles a year, with lots of casual gaming where I can fit it in - stuff like Child of Light, beat-em-ups I can dip in and out of and the occasional racing game. Basically, I'm not a "hardcore" gamer in any sense, but I love seeing what's possible, particularly in the handheld arena, where I'm a bit obsessive.

Over the last 10+ years I've been a huge fan of Sony's handhelds - even the PSP Go - and have amassed a huge library of games for them. And  shamefully maybe played 1/3 of that pile.

The PS Vita was an elegant system with a killer screen that felt premium in the hand. Despite what a lot of so-called "mainstream" gaming press sites would have you believe, one thing the Vita was never short of was games. Perhaps not AAA titles (though Uncharted, Killzone, Gravity Rush, Borderlands, Persona 4 and Soul Sacrifice among others were certainly up there) but it had a plethora of excellent RPG's, shooters, fighters and a vibrant indie library. I'd argue that even now it has a better overall library than the Switch does today, though Nintendo's effort does have the edge on truly premium titles such as Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8, Smash Brothers and Astral Chain.

And that's why, despite my undying loyalty to Sony's efforts, I've also had a Switch from launch.

So I thought I'd share my impressions as someone who is, at best, a pretty average gaming guy. While the more technically savvy Youtube gamers talk about the 4K chip they've unearthed, or how the USB C is affecting the network standards, I just want to look at the unit as the uneducated pleb that I am and see if I think the unit represents enough of an upgrade to warrant the extra cash and trading in a perfectly good console.

To OLED or not to OLED?

Now that the OLED model has arrived, I had to make a quick decision; buy one while I can, or wait until after Christmas when the scalpers haven't sucked them all onto Ebay. I chose the former, mainly because I'm big on handheld gaming, and that's where my Switch gets 90% of it's use. The OLED screen is a massive update for my needs and will actively encourage me to pick it up more often. 

First impressions out of the box were that I liked how the main unit feels. It has heft, the quality of the plastics feels good in hand, and the new kickstand is light years ahead of the old "stick under a box" look of the old system. Opening up the Joy Cons, I was less impressed. The white and black designs look and feel cheap to me, like some Chinese knock-off Joy Cons. I liked the grey ones from my original unit, so much so that when I gave the old unit to my fiance's sister and their family, I gave them the white controllers and stuck with the more dignified grey. Coupled with all that extra screen, it looks far more cohesive and upmarket. It also makes the console less attractive to thieves if it's not sporting the obvious white controllers that scream "this is the OLED one, nick it!!!"

Despite my disdain for the controllers, I do like the new docking station a whole lot. Here the white plastic doesn't feel cheap, and the extra attention to detail looks great on the shelf. Like before, the Switch nestles comfortably between the plastic supports and all the wires tidy away niceley behind the removable back section. No need to switch out the wires that were already there, it's all the same HDMI and power, so an easy install there for me as I also passed on the new cables with the old unit.

So in terms of looks it's a mixed bag, but easy(ish) to fix on the Joy Con side. I'm a bit miffed that Nintendo has ditched the grey Joy Cons from store shelves to restrict their offerings to the gaudiest day-glo horrors imaginable - I'm 42 for goodness sake, I don't want my console to look like a toy. 

The OLED Switch
The 101 Dalmations Joy Cons make the controls look cheap in my opinion. The rest is gorgeous.

But turn it on, and the annoyances fade. What a lovely, lovely job Nintendo have done with the screen. Filling nearly the entire surface now with only minor bevels in place, it lights up your face like that scene from Raiders, only without the nasty side-effects. It's very bright, but the blacks are now inky as only OLED can deliver - and I'm only on the menu screen!

Fire up a game like Astral Chain or Breath of the Wild and you instantly understand the gravity of the upgrade - backgrounds are now easier to see, the field of vision feels far more expansive than the minor millimeters on the specs suggest and it all just looks so glossy. The game remains the same, but it's like looking at it clearly for the first time. So yes, colour me impressed.

The rest of the user experience

Plenty has been said about moving your data on a Nintendo device - yes, it's bloody awful and I had to download my entire library again because it wouldn't take the data on my Micro SSD, but after a long download session it was ready to go. It makes upgrading a less than stellar experience, but I will say that the simple interface did it's job clearly and efficiently, even if that efficiency included nuking your old model's data. It feels mean-spirited, which isn't very "family friendly Nintendo."

The kickstand is far more secure, operating very much like my Microsoft Surface Pro, with smooth deployment and plenty of movement to find the perfect angle. It feels premium in a way that I like from my kit, and I'd say that for £300, you're getting some very nice hardware here.

Worth an upgrade?

That is of course the main question here. For anyone looking for their first model, this is the premium edition for handheld use, and as such I think it's a great piece of kit, worth its money and then some. Upgrading is somewhat trickier - certainly if you mostly use your Switch on the TV, don't bother, as the meat of this upgrade won't provide you with any benefit. 

This is an upgrade for those that, like me, appreciate the finer things in life. It does enough through incremental changes to make it worthwhile, especially if you have the first edition model because of the improved battery life found in this unit. For others, it's down to how much of a difference the visuals make, and whether you'd rather buy six AAA games or another console to enjoy your existing collection on. 

Shallow as I am, I'm in it for the visuals and the extra incentive they provide to get me picking this unit up, especially important with the Steamdeck coming soon and vying for my attention!

Follow A.I. on Twitter and Like us on Facebook to get all the latest site updates

Also Happening:

Gundam SEED Freedom Review
posted on 26 Mar 2024
Metallic Rouge First Thoughts
posted on 27 Feb 2024
Delicious in Dungeon First Thoughts
posted on 15 Feb 2024
Bang Brave Bang Bravern! First Thoughts
posted on 06 Feb 2024
The AI translation fascination
posted on 08 Jan 2024
Pluto First Thoughts
posted on 10 Nov 2023
Correcting clickbait articles comparing She Hulk and One Piece salaries
posted on 18 Sep 2023