The Nintendo Switch OLED is the Pro model
(Image credit: Nintendo)
The Nintendo Switch OLED is the third variant of Nintendo’s hybrid console the switch, and will be sold alongside the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite.
Nintendo revealed the new console on July the 6th on its official Twitter account.
Nintendo Switch OLED specs align with some of the rumors we’d been hearing about an updated console, it comes with a 7-inch OLED screen, which is slightly larger than the Switch’s 6.2-inch LCD display.
Nintendo Switch OLED: cut to the chase
- What is it? It is essentially The Nintendo Switch with an upgraded OLED screen
- When is it out? October 8, 2021
- How much does it cost? $349.99 / £309.99 / AU$539
NINTENDO SWITCH OLED RELEASE DATE AND PRICE
The Nintendo Switch OLED will be available on October 8, 2021, and it costs $349.99 / £309.99 / AU$539.
It means the Nintendo Switch OLED costs $50 / £30 / AU$90 more than the standard Switch model, which isn’t a massive premium to pay for the improved screen.
Nintendo announced: “We also want to clarify that we just announced that Nintendo Switch(OLED Model) will launch in October, 2021, and have no plans for launching any other model at this time.”
NINTENDO SWITCH OLED FEATURES
The Nintendo Switch OLED’s main upgrade is its organic light emitting diode display, or OLED for short. OLED is widely regarded as one of the best display technologies around, as unlike an LCD screen, it doesn’t rely on a backlight to display images. Instead, it displays images using light emitted by each individual pixel, which means you can get perfect blacks and higher contrast levels.
The display size of the Nintendo Switch OLED is slightly larger than the original Switch’s LCD screen at 7 inches.
The switch oled has a wider stronger, adjustable stand, and enhanced speakers on the unit itself they have been upgraded for a better experience when you’re playing in handheld or tabletop mode.
Another new addition is wired LAN support, which will come as a relief to those who feel Nintendo Switch’s online games aren’t the most stable or reliable when played over Wi-Fi. This will greatly benefit online compettive players fo games such as “Super Smash Bros”, “Ultimate” and “Splatoon 3”, the latter of which is due to be release in 2022.
The dock’s built-in wired LAN port allows for more stable online play when playing in TV mode, and replaces one of the three previous USB ports. This dock and the previous one are interchangeable, and either will work with Nintendo Switch (OLED model) or the Nintendo Switch console.”
The Nintendo Switch OLED has 64GB of storage compared to the 32GB on the original Switch model, and there’s still support for compatible microSD cards.
NINTENDO SWITCH OLED TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Size: 9.5 x 0.55 x 4 inches (w x d x h)
Weight: Approximately 0.71 lbs / 0.93 lbs with Joy-Con controllers attached
Screen: Multi-touch capacitive touch screen / 7-inch OLED screen
Resolution: 1280 x 720 (720p)
CPU/GPU: Nvidia Custom Tegra processor
Storage: 64GB (can be expanded using microSDHC or microSDXC cards up to 2TB)
Wireless: WI-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac compliant)
Video output: Up to 1080p via HDMI in TV mode, 720p in handheld mode
Audio output: 5.1 Linear PCM
Speakers: Stereo
USB connector: USB Type-C for charging
3.5mm headphone jack
Battery life: approximately 4.5-9 hours
Charging time: approximately 3 hours
IS THE NINTENDO SWITCH OLED 4K?
One of the biggest features the Nintendo Switch Pro was tipped to have, was a 4k output when docked, but the Switch OLED will only output at 1080p, just like the regular Switch.
It’s likely that the Nintendo Switch OLED display will stick to the 720p output of the original Switch too, as it means existing Switch software won’t have to be upgraded. This means that rumors of Nvidia DLSS support, which using AI upscaling to help games achieve 4K, is off the cards.
WILL EVERY SWITCH GAME WORK ON THE SWITCH OLED?
Every Switch game is compatible. However, Nintendo notes that some game experiences with the Toy-Con accessories from the Nintendo Labo series may differ due to the Switch OLED’s larger screen.
Existing Switch accessories will also work with the Nintendo Switch OLED model, according to Nintendo, screen protectors wont be compatible due to the Switch OLED’s larger screen.
WILL OLED BURN-IN BE A CAUSE FOR CONCERN?
OLED displays can be susceptible to screen burn. Screen burn is when a static image is left on the screen for too long and a slightly opaque image is burnt permanently on to the screen.
Nintendo said “We’ve designed the OLED screen to aim for longevity as much as possible, but OLED displays can experience image retention if subjected to static visuals over a long period of time.”
WILL JOY-CON DRIFT BE FIXED ON THE SWITCH OLED?
Nintendo has confirmed that the Joy-Con controllers that ship with the Nintendo Switch OLED haven’t been updated or changed in any way. This means that the dreaded issue of Joy-Con drift could still occur, which is disappointing.
NINTENDO SWITCH OLED HANDS-ON IMPRESSIONS
A number of people have gotten to play the Switch oled early and the general consensus appears to be that while the OLED display is certainly an upgrade over the LCD panel, it isn’t an essential purchase for existing owners.