Today, Nintendo announced the new, A$539.99 Nintendo Switch (OLED Model), an upgraded version of the current, $469.99 console/handheld hybrid game system. It was a surprisingly quiet announcement, with only a press release, a new product page, and a video showcasing the new hardware; there wasn't a dedicated Nintendo Direct stream.
That's understandable, because a lot hasn't changed with the newest Switch. Still, there are several important updates that might make this latest version more appealing, and we're here to go through them all.
Original Switch vs. OLED Switch
Let's get this out of the way first: the OLED Nintendo Switch is not a "New Nintendo Switch" or "Nintendo Switch 2" or "Nintendo Switch Pro." Behind the screen, the hardware remains mostly unchanged. Nintendo hasn't announced a faster processor or new graphical capabilities with the OLED Switch. It doesn't seem to use a new Nvidia chip that supports DLSS and 4K graphics, as rumors said it would. There have been no claims of faster loading times or improved visuals. This doesn't seem to be the Switch version of the New Nintendo 3DS. You probably won't enjoy higher framerates, and you certainly won't see ray tracing on this system.
The general design has been untouched, as well. The OLED Switch uses the same tablet form factor that can slide into a dock for use as a home game console, or have Joy-Con controllers snapped onto its sides for use as a gaming handheld. The Joy-Cons are also the same ones that the original Switch uses—no change there.
Now, let's see what Nintendo has changed and upgraded in the OLED Nintendo Switch.
The New Switch Has an OLED Screen
This one's obvious. It's in the name! The new OLED Switch uses an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screen instead of the backlit LCD that's in the original Switch. OLEDs produce excellent contrast, thanks to their ability to display perfect blacks (which LCDs can't). Properly designed and implemented, OLEDs offer wider and more accurate colors than many LCDs. In short, the new Switch's screen should simply look better than the current switch's screen.
The Screen's Bigger, Too
Besides moving to an OLED panel, the OLED Switch features a larger screen than the first Switch, without a significantly larger body. The new model has a 7-inch screen, which is 0.8 inches bigger than the original Switch's 6.2-inch screen (and 1.5 inches bigger than the 5.5-inch screen on the Switch Lite). This increased screen area comes from shrinking the black border around the active part of the display, without dramatically altering the Switch tablet itself (it's 0.1 inches wider than the original Switch).
The New Switch Contains More Storage
The original Switch launched with 32GB of internal storage, which is good for most games and even modest collections. After all, Switch games don't suffer file-size bloat like many PlayStation and Xbox games. Still, 32GB can can quickly vanish if you download several big games. The OLED Switch doubles the onboard storage to 64GB for more wiggle room. Of course, the Switch has always had a microSD card slot, so expanding system's storage has never really been an issue (my 256GB card has carried me far), but the increased internal storage is welcome.
The Dock Has an Integrated Ethernet Port
The OLED Switch's dock hasn't been significantly changed besides some slight retooling, but it has one, useful feature that the original Switch dock lacked: an Ethernet port. Previously, if you wanted to use a wired network connection with your Switch in home console mode (there isn't a simple and friendly way to use Ethernet in handheld mode), you had to buy a separate USB Ethernet adapter. Building the port into the dock means you can just plug in a cable to your router and go online. Like the increased storage, this addition is another change that means you might not have to buy anything extra after the system itself.
There's Finally an Adjustable Kickstand
The original Switch had a tiny plastic kickstand that folded out, and let you play with the system on a table. The problem? The kickstand was terrible, holding the Switch tablet at a single, fairly high and wobbly angle. It was also prone to snapping off. The OLED Switch's kickstand is much wider, hopefully more stable, and can be set at multiple angles.
It Features Enhanced Audio
Honestly, this isn't very clear. The OLED Switch's product page simply says, "Enjoy enhanced audio from the system's onboard speakers." Presumably this means the system's sound has been improved over the original Switch. The new Switch appears to have wider speaker slots, which could mean larger, better-sounding drivers. We'll file that under "maybe."
For more more on the OLED Nintendo Switch (and other in-depth video game discussions), check out PCMag's Pop-Off YouTube channel.