You've just got your Nintendo Switch OLED model, but the screen is not quite what you expected it to be? Don't worry, Nintendo Life's American-based video producer, Zion Grassl, has got a fix!
Check out the video above, or scroll down for written instructions.
How to change Switch Screen brightness settings
Before we start, be warned - by changing your screen brightness settings on this new OLED model, you do potentially increase the risk of screen burn-in. (Although YouTuber Bob Wulff conducted an experiment and found no noticeable burn-in after 1800 hours of continuous use — take that as you will.)
With that out of the way, here are some ways you can improve the brightness of the screen:
- Hold down the HOME Menu, adjust the brightness, and turn off the 'Auto-Brightness' setting.
Alternatively, you can follow the next lot of steps and change the brightness settings the long-winded way:
- On the HOME Menu, go down to the 'System Settings' icon, scroll down to 'System', scroll down to 'Console-Screen Colors' within this menu, and swap from 'Vivid' to 'Standard'.
"You'll notice that the screen looks a lot more normal, a bit more softer on the eyes...depending on the game that you're playing, you may want to change it back to vivid."
Again, do all of this at your own risk - but hopefully, these extra options can make your own time with the new Switch OLED model a bit more comfortable.
Let us know if this helped you out in the comments below.
Comments 68
I would hope that since these are standard features on the system there wouldn't be any risk involved in using them. If there were, I'd think Nintendo would disable those features or have Wii wrist strap type warnings when you use them.
Thanks for the heads up! If I got an OLED this will help.
I'm confused as to why the product doesn't work as it is intended, out of the box. Why would a standard feature risk damaging the unit that it runs on? Shouldn't that feature be removed?
@BloodNinja @NEStalgia running the screen hot for too long is a weakness for every oled, both TV's and phones and anything else with the tech are every bit as susceptible to the burn-in that ensues if you're not careful. If it's just for a little while it's not a big deal to crank your brightness but if you play for extended periods where there is a persistent shape somewhere on the screen eventually (a year or two down the road) that shape will become a permanent ghost on your console.
All the talk about burn-in just reminds me of the one random time that, after booting up Shin Megami Tensei on NSO, a face from the game just stayed on screen for about a half an hour. Nothing managed to get rid of it, even after closing the app, it still showed up. Weird times.
I've already considered going the scalper route... I hope this doesn't end up being like PS5/xbox sx... Here's hoping that people can walk into a store and buy an OLED Switch soon!
@alexybubble That's the perfect game for something weird like that to happen with
@BloodNinja I think people forget that Nintendo do vigorous product testing. Unless Nintendo warn you about it, it's not an issue. I don't know why there's such a fuss about it
@NEStalgia you are correct
@SpaceboyScreams Although I do agree - I have an iPhone X which is almost 4 years old and it has an OLED screen which I have on the highest brightness and it is on permanently (yes permanently) as I use it for a device control. it has still to this day, not shown any issues. I’m not saying the issue isn’t real, but clearly it depends on the device / type of screen etc, as for my iPhone at least, there’s literally no ‘noticeable’ issue whatsoever.
@digimaster7 they said that to consumers? Or to the writer of an article titled "Nintendo Switch OLED screen burn-in: Why you shouldn't be worried"
@Scapetti How does a simple question turn into "a fuss?" I'm just doing research, at this point.
@SpaceboyScreams Wow, that's pretty terrible. Thanks for explaining that. I don't own any OLED tech, never saw the need for it, anyway.
@BloodNinja it doesn't, I was saying people are making a fuss about the burn in. Not you're making a fuss with your question
@Scapetti thanks for clarifying!
@Scapetti They said it to T3:
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. However, users can take preventative measures to preserve the screen by utilising some of the Nintendo Switch console’s included features, such as using auto-brightness to prevent the screen from getting too bright, and enabling the auto-sleep function to put the console into “auto sleep” and turn off the screen after short periods of time."
Without auto brightness, Youtube videos look like HDR.
So you want me to set the screen to be darker than the og Switch? I’ve had my oled tv for nearly 3 years and there’s 0 burn in, even though I use it on PC so often have static images. Don’t panic, your oled switch will be fine.
@Kid_Sickarus Why not just link to the article that's from https://www.cnet.com/tech/gaming/nintendo-switch-oled-screen-burn-in-why-you-shouldnt-be-worried/
@liam “but the screen is not quite what you expected it to be?”
Care to elaborate on exactly what it is that you mean here?
@FTL it's also how you use it. If there's no persistent shape/logo/number/whatever left on for large amounts of time the screen is on each day then it's less susceptible. My OLED tv of a few years has no burn-in but I don't watch the news or play the same game for several hours every day so I'm the exception not the rule. It's not a "defect" per se it's just the nature of the tech. Pretend your phone is a tv, give it to someone who watches the news for a couple hours a day and you'll have a permanent logo/ticker in months, there's just no getting around it.
Screen burn isn’t covered by warranty ?
@Scapetti "I think people forget that Nintendo do vigorous product testing. Unless Nintendo warn you about it, it's not an issue".
Joycon drift has entered the chat.
The auto brightness toggle is a good tip, but advising readers (and viewers) to switch off vivid mode is a little irresponsible when even the folks at Digital Foundry say it looks better with it on.
There’s no description as to what the “vivid” mode actually does (I highly doubt it’s akin to the crappy modes found on TVs as it’s much more subtle), but there is a theory doing the rounds that it’s expanding the RGB spectrum of colours a little to account for the new OLED tech - which in my opinion is enough to keep it on for good.
@blockfight i was about to say they didnt test for drift on the OG systems did they? 😂
Anybody who uses full brightness on any device, wether it be a Switch, mobile phone or a TV is a psychopath
Well, every big company have to make disclosures, but for like 99.8% of the end users it will never be a problem with burn ins.
@Scapetti because I already gave the full quote and I’m not google? What a strange reply.
@SpaceboyScreams Yep, as I said I agree.. but at the same time; the iPhone I mentioned, sits on an app for 80 percent of the time with icons... so I assume iOS must have some software based anti burn in process also, but it’s not something that is obvious. My point was just that results may vary.
@Scapetti "Nintendo do vigorous product testing".
Is that a joke or do you mean the Nintendo of the 90s?
My previous and my current phone are both Oled and I always keep the auto brightness ON, even when playing games, what videos on Youtube and is it perfectly fine. I disable only to watch some animes, 2-3 episodes in a row max, and it is perfectly fine. It will be the same for the Switch Oled, unless you leave the screen auto brightness off for like at least 6h on the same scree, you'll all be fine.
I would think there would be some "click ok" warning message to release them of liability of usage habits (lesson learned from joycons) if burn-in was that sensitive of a potential event. Reading some professional tech websites it seems the platform manufactures have modified light distribution patterns to avoid burn-in much like LCD has modified itself to avoid Dirty Screen Effect.
@120frames-please Amazon have the Red/Blue model in stock (although not many), no whites though.
@Hughesy the other side of the coin....... I got rid of our LG TV because it suffered badly from screen burn, and it was only two years old.
Replaced it with a Samsung because they offered a warranty for burn with their TV's.
I don't think they fixed the burn issue, but so that sales weren't affected it would be cheaper for them to replace a TV with burn, than loose sales.
@BloodNinja Where does Nintendo say it will damage it?
@teamdoa +1. If Nintendo has documented this somewhere, then it could be considered as normal wear and tear or extraneous use w.r.t. warranty support. If they haven’t then, I would argue that it’s covered to some extent.
Here-say claims in a 3rd party article are irrelevant.
@BloodNinja
Any type of LED screen, ESPECIALLY OLED screens, are more prone to screen burn-ins than LCD screens. It's the reason why Samsung is quite notorious for having the issue of burn-ins on both their phones and TVs, often being the ones to first bring up a new type of LED and facing a lot of burn-ins.
I wouldn't worry about it, considering I doubt anyone would ever want to play at max brightness.
@Kid_Sickarus I already saw it when the other guy posted it. Nothing strange about it. Just asking you to provide a reference or the quote is meaningless
@Scapetti you missed the part where i said it was on T3? Its a comments section not a dissertation:)
@ModdedInkling Now I know why my mom's phone has a giant hole like black void in it, Thanks!
@Kid_Sickarus stop assuming that I'm missing stuff. It's very rude why are you being so defensive?
@EveryGameBeLike
Now that is a defect on a whole different level. What kind of phone is it?
BURN-IN curse is back...
@Scapetti you said “ Unless Nintendo warn you about it, it's not an issue” multiple people pointed out where nintendo issued a warning and you pivoted to trolling folks pointing it out. Just take the L and move on my dude
@Kid_Sickarus then you should read my reply to the "multiple people" because it's still relevant a quote by Nintendo to a writer of an article who literally said it's nothing to worry about. Not even directed at us the consumer
I'm not sure why someone would want to turn off a main selling point of their OLED Switch, but it's not really hurting anything being there I guess.
@BenRK
Having multiple options is better than nothing, even though no one would use it.
@Scapetti @Kid_Sickarus
Seems like this is becoming less about the topic and more about the delivery of the topic. Which one of you two would stop first?
@ModdedInkling a 2004 Samsung phone LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
@ModdedInkling i’m done
@EveryGameBeLike
Sounds like you just have a broken phone lol
I always turn the auto brightness feature off, as it seems to add a tint to the screen, very obvious on a white background, so in manual mode I have the brightness to just over half way on the OLED, and I also turn the vivid option off too, the image just looks so unnatural and over saturated to my eyes.
The more natural image just looks so perfect on the new OLED screen, and the size is a big upgrade too.
No point worrying about it. Today's OLED panels are very resistant, and the Switch Oled screen isn't even very bright at peak setting compared to something like most smartphones. Yeah, some will get burn ins in the coming years, just like some gets dead/stuck pixels on consoles with LCD:s. That just the way it is.
But if you play in handheld the way I suspect most plays, like 3-4 hrs per day at most, the risk of burn ins are probably very slim.
@MrClump Whenever I've checked amazon they haven't had any. I've checked like 5 different times. It's ok though, because I ordered a white OLED a few minutes ago. Now just have to wait for shipping...
@120frames-please Here's hoping because I plan on trading my Lite for one in December. It takes $120 off.
@120frames-please the Switch is finished. This is one last hurrah, can't see any issues with stock unless Nintendo purposely limit numbers going to stores to make it look sold out.
@JustMonika I guess we'll see how things are going soon enough
@liveswired hopefully. It's nice to have the consoles on the shelf
Thanks for the video but it seems like more reasons not to get an OLED
Question for anyone with one of these but not an OLED TV, does it feel a bit of a disappointment/downgrade going from handheld to TV play? I've seen neither in person so have no idea how much better things look on an OLED screen, but from what I'm reading the Switch OLED makes games look way better. If you then play it on a regular LED TV, it's gonna be like going down a notch right?
Be warned. This is secretly a "change brightness" tutorial. This applies with anything (except a Switch Lite, the Auto-Brightness isn't there, from what I recall).
@Scapetti Nintendo does vigorous product testing? I guess that's why we have joycon drift years after the console launch.
I have my brightness all the way up it looks too good not to and I've tried the regular screen color mode and it just looks so drab to me it's ugly yes vivid is oversaturated but it looks better than that drabness to my eyes it's like the setting on the psp 3000 or vita where you can make it look like the older screen......yeah never do that it doesn't look good lol
@Baker1000 I have oled and lcd tvs in the house I dont know about down a notch it's hard for a 7inch screen to compete with a tv even if it's oled I never play my switch on the TV tho because I love portables now that I think about it I already had an oled switch if I would have just hooked it up to my TV 🤯🤑 they got me
@Scapetti Joy-Con analog sticks say hello.
Its set to Auto brightness per default. At least with mine when I got it.
I am super happy with it. The screen is gorgeous and the batterylife really is amazing (more than double), coming from Launch OG Switch.
Having played around with a few different games I prefer the 'Vivid' setting OFF! Just find Vivid too saturated on almost everything I've tried.
You run the risk of burn in even with auto brightness on. That is why early adopters often even up paying the price for early adopting. LTT experienced burn in on LG screens after only a year for PCs. So it really comes down to your use case more.
First of all, the screen looks odd because you are the using the default white theme.
Second of all, the OLED’s Auto-full brightness setting has been fixed with a patch.
Third of all, the correct way to set your Nintendo Switch’s brightness settings: go to a dim lit room & find the “manual”brightness zone that is on par with the auto-brightness no longer changing brightness upon turning it on in the same dim lit room. That should be used saved as the default for dim or dark rooms., with auto-brightness off. In well lit areas, do not change your preferred setting, as in these areas only the brightest setting would help, the Auto-brightness should only be used to turn the brightness to full in these areas, which it does in well lit areas/outdoors.
My suggestion:
When playing in dim to dark areas, use your preferred “manually set” brightness settings with Vivid turned on, to take full advantage of the OLED.
When playing in well lit areas/outdoors, use Auto brightness with Standard Colors on, while not touching your preferred set setting.
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