Nintendo has unveiled a new model of the wildly popular handheld/home panel hybrid, theNintendo Switch OLED Model. As the proper name implies, this new model boasts a new screen, upgrading the original Switch from an LCD to an OLED brandish. This marks the 3rd available switch model to come to marketplace, after the Switch Calorie-free - which only supports handheld play - came out in 2019. The Switch OLED is expected to go far in October, will cost $350, and has slightly unlike technical specifications than its predecessors.

Although rumors of a so-called Nintendo Switch Pro have been circulating for a long fourth dimension, the new OLED Model does not appear to be what nigh were expecting. Many thought the adjacent iteration of the Nintendo Switch would make the jump to 4K support with more than impressive hardware. Although none have been entirely correct and then far, speculation continues to swirl, with new Switch Pro rumors at present suggesting it volition be coming next twelvemonth.

Instead of a footstep frontwards, this seems to exist another lateral motility by Nintendo, similar to the final fourth dimension a (less drastic) model change occurred. Simply alee of the Switch Lite's release, the standard Switch received a new model number to denote a more efficient chipset being used for the sake of increased battery life. Although an OLED screen is a nice upgrade from an LCD, at that place isn't much of a divergence between the Switch and the Switch OLED. What follows is a detailed comparison of the ii, forth with a look at what sets the OLED Model autonomously from the Switch Lite.

Switch OLED Model Compared To Original Nintendo Switch

The biggest departure between the original Switch and the new OLED Model is, as the proper noun would imply, the screen. OLED stands for Organic Light-Emitting Diode, which is a technical manner to say that each pixel produces its own light. This is not how the original Switch'southward LCD display works, which has a backlights illuminating its pixels. Co-ordinate to TechRadar, OLED screens permit for brighter images while using less power, and true black is possible since pixels can be turned off individually.

The new Switch'southward screen is also slightly bigger, measuring 7 inches compared to the standard Switch'due south 6.2 inch screen. This very slightly increases the length of the entire console by 0.1 inch across, meaning the bezel surrounding the screen will be slightly smaller on the OLED, since the horizontal difference between the screens is greater than 0.i inch.

The other outwardly physical difference between the 2 is the new, sturdier kickstand on the back of the OLED Model. The new kickstand runs the length of the console, providing much greater support than the minor, clip-like stand of the original. These 2 changes to the casing's design have added a piddling weight, taking the Switch OLED up to 0.93 pounds from 0.88 pounds (with the Joy-Cons attached).

As for operation specs, the ii are incredibly like. The new OLED Model comes with 64 gigabytes of internal storage, double the original Switch's - though both all the same back up retention expansion through microSD cards. The Switch OLED declaration fabricated special note of improved audio capabilities, only Nintendo hasn't listed any specifics outside of both models having stereo speakers. Everything else well-nigh the consoles themselves are exactly the same, including their CPU, GPU, video output capped at 1080p when docked, and fifty-fifty their recommended operating environment of 41-95 degrees Fahrenheit between humidities of 20 and eighty%.

Nintendo Switch Docks Comparison

The OLED Model's dock has made a notable improvement over the original, coming equipped with a LAN port, a feature that was rumored for the Switch Pro. Standard Switches demand a peripheral - sold separately, of course - in club to be difficult-wired to the internet. It appears this may have come at the expense of a USB port. The Switch OLED dock has "USB Port (USB 2.0 uniform) x2 on the side," while the original dock comes with "USB Port (USB two.0 compatible) x2 on the side, 1 on the back."

The dock for the OLED Model has also been suitably enlarged by 0.1 inch across in order to adapt the longer console. It is, all the same, thinner overall than the previous iteration, taking roughly that 0.ane inch from its depth. The color has also changed from blackness to white, and the latched door which covers the ports on the back seems to exist slightly different, though functionally the aforementioned.

Switch OLED Model Compared To The Switch Light

For those unfamiliar, the Switch Lite is the colorful, handheld-merely selection when it comes to the iii Switch models. Information technology is incapable of using a dock, and therefore will not display on a TV. It is lighter and smaller than the Switch OLED Model, with only a 5.5 inch LCD screen. The Switch Lite likewise has a slightly shorter battery life, lasting somewhere between 3 and seven hours depending on the game. For comparison, the batteries in the original Switch and the Switch OLED last from 4 and a one-half to nine hours.

The Switch Lite also does not take detachable Joy-Cons, since the unabridged handheld is a single piece of hardware. This could potentially be big inconvenience for buyers, since Joy-Cons are prone to globe-trotting analog sticks, even those congenital into the Calorie-free. Nintendo is usually pretty all-around when it comes to repairing drifting Joy-Cons, but if the issue crops up on a Switch Light, the whole system has to be sent in for repair. Nintendo's Joy-Cons do not appear to take gone through any product changes alongside the OLED model, meaning drift will likely exist a continuing upshot.

Aside from the screen size and the power to connect to a TV, the Switch Lite and Switch OLED are roughly the aforementioned in terms of performance when information technology comes to handheld mode. The Switch Light has less internal storage, just like the original Switch, weighing in with 32 gigabytes, but the games will run roughly the same although they tin can't be displayed in the higher allegiance of docked mode.

Ultimately, the OLED Model of the Nintendo Switch is non a significant leap forrad, and many might question the increased price bespeak for what is essentially the same machine equipped with a moderately better display. It's disappointing to meet Nintendo release a new Switch iteration without addressing ongoing problems, such as opting use the aforementioned delicate Joy-Cons, or maintaining the insufficiently low processing power. The decision of which model to purchase notwithstanding largely comes down to personal preference. The OLED screen might await a petty nicer, merely the games will run the aforementioned way they practice now. The new white color looks pretty sleek, but the announcement of theNintendo Switch OLED Model won't satisfy those looking for meliorate specs.

Next: Nintendo Switch OLED Won't Set up Joy-Con Migrate Either

Sources: Nintendo, TechRadar

Matt Smith Responds To Morbius Flopping & Brutal Critical Response

About The Writer

Kyle Gratton (959 Articles Published)

One of Kyle's earliest memories is of watching his older brother play Ocarina of Time, which probably explains how he ended upwardly equally an Editor for Screen Rant'southward Gaming department. His tenure at SR began in late 2020 as a contributing Game Features writer earlier speedily becoming a Staff Author, a role that gradually progressed into an Editor position. A last Midwesterner who graduated from the University of Kansas, Kyle also has noesis and involvement in literature, pic, motion picture adaptions of literature, and history. When not talking about The Legend of Zelda, Night Souls, Mass Result, or some PlayStation exclusive, he's probably droning on about the works of Cormac McCarthy, Frank Herbert, Stanley Kubrick, and Wes Anderson. Or he'south trying to get yous to sentry Mad Men. He'southward a firm believer in three hours being the perfect length for a pic, only thinks a lot of games are much besides long. When not sedentary, Kyle enjoys traveling to the National Parks, seeing new cities, and has ambitions to explore abroad. Find him on Twitter @KyleGratton

More From Kyle Gratton