Nintendo Switch OLED Screen: Why Is OLED Better Than LCD?

As someone who's owned both a launch Vita with the OLED screen and the Slim one with the LCD screen it does make a difference, especially in regards to games I played like Tearaway, Gravity Rush, Persona 4 Golden and Killzone Mercenary. The colors just pop a lot more even if LCD isn't that much of a downgrade by comparison and the Switch's screen as is still looks great for a handheld

Again though it kind of sucks that there are basically no new upgrades for people who game in TV Mode primarily. I was at least expecting an update to the dock output if anything at all, not necessarily a spec bump or anything

This new OLED screen finally lets me believe my eyes have the right to exist

People out here pretending like the OLED screen isn't a big deal... If you have an OLED TV you know what kind of massive deal this is. But hey, hot take city needs stops... have at it.

So unless you're a heavy handheld mode user this isnt worth upgrading to

@Rika_Yoshitake OLED's big but honestly for those not upgrading or waiting for a bit later to jump in the LCD on Switch as is looks really damn good. It's not an incredible jump but it is a notable improvement in the way the screen displays colors and color depth

@Slowdive

I had an OLED Vita and the screen looked great, but since this new Switch is virtually the same as the original aside from the OLED, I wouldn't consider it worth upgrading if you already owned one.

@KillerBOB I feel you're only going to really get mileage out of this new Switch if you primarily play in handheld mode. It's tricky with the Vita for me because I loved the OLED screen but the Slim model just felt better in the hands imo thanks to the larger grips on the back and the softer finish

i never listened to the rumors. the switch 2 will be the really big changes. the small improvements are just what the switch needed. glad we got such good improvements.

I have a calibrated 60’’ 4K OLED TV. I was hoping for a 4K-capable dock. As it is now, it’s more fun to play handheld than on TV already…

Always liked the screen on the Vita, it just didn't have enough games for me to stick with it and always played my 3DS more. But yeah, will be nice to have a system with an OLED and tons of games to take advantage of it.

Man I can't wait to play clubhouse games on this 😄 🎰

What about docking a standard switch in the new dock, does that give it wired ethernet?

Thanks for the article, was wondering about the improvements. Nice write up about HDR as well as everyone has a 4k tv now so the improvements in HDR seem to be the big draw w/ Dolby Vision vs HDR10+. Not here though. Didn't even know about the dock being only 1.4 and therefore no HDR. No reason for devs to put HDR in any games then.

Whether or not it's worth it is an individual choice but it was still an all around informative article. 👍

Since I'm here - are we calling it "Switch Oh-led" or "Switch "Oh-el-ee-dee"?

@BoFiS Yes, it does. https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Nintendo-Switch-Family/Nintendo-Switch-OLED-model-/Nintendo-Switch-OLED-model--2000984.html

I'm actually more in support of the extra internal storage. My 500 gigs of additional micro SD meant nothing once my save data maxed out the orig switch's internal storage.

OLED screen is more suited for Lite model. this feels like a not consistent hardware design right from the start.

It's also worth stating that screen burn in is not as much of a problem as it used to be. Even then, my OLED Vita, which uses one of those earlier screens, never had burn in after many years. Same thing with my newest phone, no burn in after a year, and that is with a newer panel. I wouldn't stress too much about it, especially on a handheld display - you won't be having the screen on for as much as you would on a TV.

@rjejr Oh-led is the common way to say it as far as I know, the other way is just a bit too clunky you know?

Not limited to here or limited to Switch...

Just calling something better based on personal taste and previous experience, despite people have different taste and we have a industry standard to test a particular screen is good or not.
Simply calling OLED is better than LCD without comparing the actual OLED used on the device with the old LCD used on the older model.
Also without professionally test the performance of the actual screen being used like color accuracy and state the Delta E number etc.
And only mentioning the pros without mentioning the cons of OLED.

...Fine...

@BoFiS Since that's a very busy page @chardir linked to, here's the relevant info.

"Q2. Can the Nintendo Switch dock (with LAN port) also be used with Nintendo Switch?
-
Yes, the dock can be used, including the LAN port.
Please note: a system update may be required."

Considering you can use a LAN adaptor w/ the current dock and Switch - I did for awhile before I realized the WiFi was faster than my old Wii adaptor which was only 10 - I think it would have been an effort for them to make it not work. So I'm glad they didn't make the effort, like they did w/ TV out on the Lite.

Now if only it said somewhere what speed the LAN port is, Fast 10/100 or gigabit? I have 300 in my house, several companies are offering gigabit to homes now. I'd bet 10/100 though, I think gigabit would cost them more. Though for the extra $50 on the 4 1/2 yr old system 1000 would be nice.

Nintnedo's website says LAN port, it even has two **, but even the asterisks don't say the speed, just trying to sell us NO.

"Built-in wired LAN port
Connect online** using the dock’s LAN port when playing in TV mode."
"** Nintendo Switch Online membership (sold separately) and Nintendo Account required for online play. Not available in all countries. Internet access required for online features. Terms apply. nintendo.com/switch-online"

https://www.nintendo.com/switch/oled-model/

@Orpheus79V Thanks. I already told my wife I was just calling it "Oh-led" b/c Switch O-L-E-D was too hard to say every time, but it's Nintendo, so they may have their own pronunciation once they start doing American tv commercials for it. Though I agree Switch o-led does make the most sense. Though "New Switch" may have been a better marketing name.

Maybe they can get George Takei to make commercials for it -

Switch OLED? Oh my.🤣

I really want one, but really there’s nothing wrong with my current model, and I can’t justify shelling out for this at the minute. Now, if stores do some sort of trade-in-your-old-Switch deal… then maybe I can do it sooner rather than later 😊

AFAIMC - OLED does nothing to make inroads. We can compare vita OLED til the cows come home but guess what Vita is DEAD sony made sure of that. OLED has "0" value when docking what would've had more value was the 4K Docked mode. But since this model has none - it's value is same as the stock 1 Gen before rev2 came out Switch value $299.99 and nothing more. Playing MHS2 on my Genki Dock Converter on my GPU gaming laptop and that looks just fine.

Literally created an account just to post this: I think it's better to save all the hardware upgrades (4k, HDR, better CPU and GPU, DLSS, etc) to a possible Switch successor. I personally think with the Switch sucessor we could see some expanded VR funcionality, but honestly with Nintendo you never know. Also, it makes way more sense for them to not segment the market like their previous "pro" consoles did (like the DSi and New 3DS, with some games being exclusive to them, thus limiting their sales). I'm just happy there's not a Pro model right now tbh.

I feel like this screen is more vulnerable to dead/stuck pixels or whatever. Always had had an LCD TV and there were no pixel issues at all. Now I've had an OLED TV for over a year now, and it has a semi-dead pixel on it. (with stuck pixels appearing every now and then...)

...Also the TV gives off some heat...so, have fun with that on the Switch. lol

NL should include why OLED is not better than LCD

@Slowdive @Rika_Yoshitake I've owned both Vita's and settled on the far more ergonomic, lighter and better looking Slim model. Too me OLED is no big deal and I don't really like the more saturated colour as they look less natural. I'm still the proud owner of an absolutely beautiful Neon Orange Vita Slim Japanese import and would never go back the clunky OG Vita. Anyway I'm not trying to be controversial and each to there own, but thought I'd share a different view on OLED. Having seen it, LED is fine for me.

Also, NL is playing it down here but the decrease in PPI on this model IS a notable downgrade and the 7" screen will be noticeably less sharp for it.

OLED is great, but to be honest I'm fine with the Switch Lite's screen.

I don't have a 4k TV in my household, so no output to 4k is just fine. I loved my OLED vita, so looking forward to the improved screen when using handheld.

This screenshot looks kinda HDR to me:
https://images.nintendolife.com/65bc910df8699/joy-con-03.original.jpg

@rjejr But for gaming the latency is much more important than overall download speed, so a 100Mb wired connection is likely to be better than a 300Mb WiFi connection.

@chardir Thanks, that's what my kid kept telling me, they wanted the old 10 adapter back on rather than the wireless. I'm still not putting it on, but I can see how that would work. Maybe if I can buy the dock for $50 and put it in their room for while I'm playing on the PS5.

If we had a 100 adapter I definitely would have left it on, the 10 year old 10 speed from back in the Wii days was just annoying.

Thing is, some folk are disappointed when compared to some of the rumours (many of which were based on OLED related leaks). That's not really Nintendo's fault. This is clearly an upgrade, whether it's what some of us expected/wanted based on some rumours or not.

Do we actually know whether the screen is any brighter? OLEDs typically suffer with maximum brightness, so if I’m trying to play the switch outside of the home, the screen may not even be that much of an upgrade.

the most important question of all - IS IT PENTILE? if so it's pretty poor for a OLED of this pixel density.

Oled looked great on the early ps vita.
Definitely a nice upgrade for handheld mode play at least.

@RupeeClock this is Nintendo so yes it will have that problem as Nintendo will have sourced the cheapest and oldest oled tech available.

@Nookingtons Sharper picture? Well it is a lower pixel density and some games were already pushing the boundary of acceptable in handheld lol.

I don't think Oled burn in will be much of an issue, the same with plasma. Plasma was tainted by incorrect use of early tech and by tech giants like Samsung, LG and Sony unable to compete with Pioneer. So they continuously pushed Plasma burn in as a thing until cheap to manufacture LCD took supreme lead. Even now Digital Foundry Oled is being compared to Plasma in terms of rich colour, contrast and deep blacks.

My 60" 1080P Pioneer KRP600 is over 10 years old and going going strong. Ended up putting my new top of the range Samsung hdr 4K QLED in the kitchen as the picture quality is no where near touching plasma, and not deserving in a cinema room.

OLED can burn in screen.
QLED does not burn in.

So why did Nintendo go for OLED?

@Rika_Yoshitake my oled TV is amazing when it's running 4K HDR content. When it's playing normal content it's much less noticeable of a difference except the dark blacks. This is a 720 screen without HDR, hardly a treat no matter what tech the screen itself is pushing.

@Ventilator OLED is prettier and shouldn't burn in if you're taking caution to not leave static images running for hours at a time for several months

I can't wait to buy a refurbished OLED Switch from Nintendo's website so I don't have to spend $349.99 on accessories I already own.

I'd rather they sell the main unit as a separate SKU - don't need the dock or more Joy-Cons.

I wonder if you could buy the OLED Switch on it's own without a dock (probably not because it's Nintendo)? As the price is expensive considering the dock and TV resolution is the same. The price would definitely be more affordable for existing switch owners encouraging them to upgrade.

The LAN support and extra 32GB are nowhere near good enough incentives for docked fans to take the plunge at that price. It's very underwhelming compared to what the DSi and New 3DS brought to the table I feel

the OLED switch also benefits greatly in the heat department.
LCD screens emit traditionally a 'lot' of heat while OLED screens stay FAR cooler.
The fans don't have to go constantly nuts and that will also save tons of energy/battery life.

Oled looks better but that is where it ends. Screen burn in is very common on OLED screens. I can see this being a problem in the future.

At first I was like, do I need this? Then I realized I checked this news on my phone while my switch was in front of me, on the train, which I take twice a day to work and back... Yes... yes, I fear I need this.

@peppermillian
>OLED is considered a premium feature, so it wouldn't fit within the more budget-oriented Switch Lite branding and design language.

well, okay, but who considers OLEDs as premium, though? me? I don't. I totally see it just as an alternative to LCDs, with its own set of upsides and downsides.

@SpaceboyScreams Yeah. Probably a bigger problem on TV and monitors.

There’s something here that no one’s talking about. OLED has nearly instant pixel response time. Sounds good doesn’t it? Actually not necessarily. With low FPS (30fps) gaming LCD’s slower pixel response ‘blends’ consecutive frames together to form a slightly smoother transition. I’m not talking about the sample-and-hold nature of modern displays here, which are common to both display types but raw pixel response times.

This is clearly noticeable going from a plasma to an OLED TV - without extra laggy (unwanted) processing, 30fps games definitely look more slideshow-esque. I’ve experienced this directly going from a plasma to an OLED. For me, 30fps games like Last of us 2 are almost unplayable

Couple this with the inevitable lower pixel density of the larger OLED screen (potentially significant due to the comparatively low resolution), and some people might prefer to hold on to their original switches.

@YoungLink64 Yeah. I still find it weird that Switch is still using a GPU from 2014.

AMD already have a handheld CPU/GPU already that can even run PC versions of Cyberpunk 2077, GTA 5 and Doom Eternal natively.
The handheld were released late 2020 or so.

"Aya Neo" Handheld is the first to use it.
In fact Aya Neo is so powerful it can emulate Switch. lol
Just shows how far behind Switch is on portable power.

You can find lots of videos of this on YouTube.

If my experience with OLED TVs is any indication, my sensory processing just isn't made for it.

@liveswired well at least someone knows a good screen when they see one. top end Plasma still makes current screen tech (over a decade later) look inferior. even OLED crumbles when looking at the motion handling aspect.

@Gwynbleidd Well it still looks pretty. At least the OLED screen will give closer parity to HDR at sight.

@Wavey84 great stuff. honestly i can do without the searing brightness. i like the filmic look of Plasma and it pops plenty enough for me. all my LCD screens i'm always pushing the brightness down cranking gamma darker whatever way possible. never owned a big OLED but don't think it's as nice as a Plasma image from using a few phones with it.

@Rika_Yoshitake but my OLED TV makes me not want to play on a handheld - OLED or otherwise. I’m still holding out hope for a more powerful Switch with HDR in the future.

Hmm since this is only really a upgrade for handheld i find it odd they didn’t decide to do a upgraded version of the lite. Maybe next will see a oled lite model at a 250$ price point and they will ultimately drop the lcd screens. Ive noticed in some games monster hunter rise for example i cant really make black haired characters they look washed out grey.

My guess the reason this exists is Nintendo was planning on the rumored pro with a better chip set and everything and pre purchased the oled screens ahead for manufacturing but then ran into the chip shortage and realized they weren’t gonna be able to make the new chip set this year but where stuck with the screens. And based on past system sells there customers buy up any revision like hot cakes so decided to just release this to satisfy them and the shareholders until the chips can be done and they will release a pro eventually.

History supports a quick turn around in model release too look at Gameboy pocket followed like a year later with color. Or the New 3ds followed quickly by the new 2ds. Or hell the Ds followed hy the failed micro gameboy. So its not like a model followed by another model never happens

This is the screen size as it should have always been. I was wondering about this since I got the first version of the Switch. Sigh... But yes they should have added a few more upgrades other than the screen. Love the bluetooth, love the screen (no HDR is a bummer), love the kickstand, updated looks, longer battery life, etc etc. But still for buying a new unit, I feel like it should have been bundled a bit more new things. Like maybe a faster boot-up time, processor and more things you can do on your TV. Better resolution. Didn't have to be major. But man...it's a beauty now esp the white version. Unique... I'm kida iffy if the back should have been white too perhaps to make it look more special. You are asking us to shell out for a new unit!

@RupeeClock https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2021/10/psa-sensitive-to-pwm-flicker-youll-want-to-keep-the-switch-oleds-screen-nice-and-bright

Too bad it is. Dunno if I am susceptible to it though... ugh...no demo units in our country. And there has never been one. Sigh...

@Switchcraft Yes...was hoping it bundled some good improvements on TV. Asking people to pay for a new "Switch Lite" doesn't sit well with me.