Despite having had my Switch since 2017, I am still in love with the console. After a busy life and kids made my Playstation 4 obsolete because it was constantly downloading some massive patch, the instant-on nature of the Nintendo Switch appealed to me.
Sure, the Switch is a little rough around the edges, and the screen isn’t the prettiest thing to look at, but it still looks good and performs well.
Before Nintendo announcing the Nintendo Switch OLED edition, there was talk of a Nintendo Switch Pro. A beefed-up version of the Switch with a better screen, better battery and increased graphical performance. Well, the Switch Pro never came to be, and instead, we got the Switch OLED.
I impulsively pre-ordered the Nintendo Switch OLED when it was announced. It was a $10 deposit, so no big deal. The other day (just a week out from release), I cancelled my pre-order. The time between ordering and shipping made me realise that I didn’t need the OLED, and it offered nothing, making it worthy of upgrading on a whim.
If you own a Switch already, the differences between the new and shiny version and the v1 are not that great. The screen is 0.8 inches bigger and, most notably, it’s an OLED screen. For some, the OLED will be a warranted upgrade. Do you play your Switch in handheld mode that much?
When travel was a thing (remember planes?), the Nintendo Switch was amazing on a plane. There’s nothing better than playing Mario Kart against others on a plane. But then COVID came along, and all of a sudden, travel was cancelled. I don’t play my Switch in handheld mode that much, and even when I do, the screen is good enough on the original console.
I am disappointed that Nintendo didn’t create a revised version of the Switch, to be honest. We are four years into the Switch life, and while it has been a great console with some great games, some more graphical power and a few other improvements would have been appreciated.
The answer is simple. If you don’t have a Switch already, the OLED seems like a no-brainer to buy. If you already have a Switch, unless you have money to burn or you’re a collector, there are very few reasons to upgrade. The internal hardware on both versions is the same (disappointingly).
