Nintendo Switch OLED

The Nintendo Switch OLED sports a gorgeous screen, an improved kickstand and lots of storage space. It’s an easy recommendation for first-time Switch buyers — and an extravagance for current Switch owners.

The Switch OLED is absolutely the best way to play Nintendo games on the go. If you’re planning on Goomba-stomping or Metroid-blasting mostly in handheld mode, the OLED screen is definitely worth the money.

It all comes down to that screen. You already know what else to expect from a Switch. It hasn’t changed all that much in four years. But if you want that experience to look better, brighter, and more vibrant when you’re away from the TV, the choice is simple.

If you’re not going to be able to plug it into ethernet, or don’t need better speeds because you play offline all the time, the choice to upgrade to a Switch OLED is tricky. If you always play on the TV, there’s absolutely no point in buying this one, as there’s no difference in the dock’s output quality. It’s going to look the same as it always has, as this is most definitely not the rumored upgrade to 4K. But even if you’re a handheld player it’s not a must-have, unless you’ve given up on your original Switch because you just really, really hate LCD displays, or absolutely need more than five hours of battery life.

The OLED display is excellent, and it's joined by a new kickstand and small quality of life tweaks all over. That will be enough for some – especially original early adopters who effectively get a battery upgrade too – but most existing Switch owners are probably better off sticking with what they have.

The Nintendo Switch (OLED Model) is a strange console. The larger, more vibrant screen makes this easily the most desirable Switch yet, but it's also a revision that could and maybe should have come two years ago. It lacks the mid-generation performance upgrades that we now expect, and that makes the upsell much more difficult to justify. Whether or not you should buy one is entirely up to whether you demand the best of everything, play your Switch games predominantly in handheld and tabletop mode, and happen to have the spare cash lying around.

The Nintendo Switch OLED is a welcome upgrade, but one that pleases more than it wows. It's an inherently flawed product due to the console's original hybrid design: dock the Switch OLED, and the benefits of the sumptuous new 7-inch display, redesigned kickstand, and enhanced speakers vanish. If you’re a first-time Switch buyer this is undoubtedly the model to buy, but the improvements to the Switch OLED will only really benefit handheld and tabletop mode users – and if you’re thinking of upgrading, don’t expect a Nintendo Switch Pro.

The Switch is starting to show its age, but there are enough improvements here to make the Switch OLED a tempting upgrade for handheld players.