ALANA: I also didn’t grab an OLED initially because I spent more time playing docked than handheld for a good while. Then I tried one and I dropped the dollars on it pretty soon after. I almost exclusively play handheld as a result, now. It’s kind of amazing to think about how poor some of Nintendo’s handheld screens used to be; the Game Boy, original un-backlit GBA, the first 3DS, etc. Oh, how far we’ve come.
GAVIN: Nintendo does have form when it comes to… er, suboptimal screen experiences in the first iteration of its hardware. However, thinking back, I don’t remember being massively disappointed with the Switch’s screen – not until I saw the OLED Model, which made the launch version look like a big grey post-it note. Does anyone remember the screen being a sticking point in 2017?
I have a PS Portal now which is a ‘nOLED’ device and, I’ve gotta say, I think the screen is excellent.
ALANA: Nope, certainly not. I was just in awe of the whole ‘Switch’ experience at the time, and the screen was decent enough. Not a PS Vita but, y’know, good enough.
OLLE: Same here; screen quality didn’t even enter my mind in 2017 because I was just too entranced by the hybrid concept. I also didn’t go for the OLED straight away because I was convinced that the original was enough. It was only when I went hands-on that I realised just how much of an upgrade it was.
GAVIN: I happened to see a Switch OLED on a store shelf a few days after launch and used this job as an excuse to pick it up there and then. I got a deal on one of those LG OLED TVs in 2018 or 2019 and immediately couldn’t unsee the drab greys in handheld mode. Since then I’ve become a bit of a screen snob! Is anyone else rocking an OLED television?
OLLE: Yes indeed, I nabbed the LG C3 last year; 65 inches. It’s beautiful.
ALANA: We’ve come very close a few times, but the one someone is adamant about getting is a little pricey…
JIM: I dream of having the money for an OLED TV but other stuff has always got in the way. One day, lad.
GAVIN: Having had the telly, that’s the main reason I was so disappointed hearing that Switch 2 likely won’t have an OLED panel. It feels like such a massive step backwards from the delicious, inky blacks and the retina-searing colour of the current model. Do you have any other devices that do or don’t have OLEDs? Do you wish they did?
JIM: I’ll admit that I’m not always up to date with tech specs, so when I first saw the Switch OLED, the big selling point was that bigger screen and smaller bezel. I have a PS Portal now which is a ‘nOLED’ device and, I’ve gotta say, I think the screen is excellent. Sure, the colours (or lack of them) don’t always pop as much, but it’s still very crisp.
ALANA: I don’t have a PS Portal, but I do have an old Steam Deck. I know the older screen is just ‘okay’ in many people’s eyes, and the bezel is pretty big, but I don’t mind it. It’s a better-quality LCD than the OG Switch, for example, so I can live with it. Plus, a Steam Deck OLED is a lot more expensive than a Switch OLED, so I’m not sure I want to go through the hassle of swapping and upgrading.
GAVIN: The bezel is an interesting point we’ll come back to, but PS Portal is a great comparison given that it’s likely a very close match for what Switch 2 is rumoured to offer in the screen department: a 1080p, 8-inch LCD. You’ve got a PS Portal too, right Ollie? When you use it, do you at any point think, ‘Man, if only this were an OLED panel!’?
OLLIE: Not at all. It’s clear that LCD technology has come a long way since 2017; better resolution, viewing angles, backlights, all that good stuff. The difference between the PS Portal and the Switch OLED is a bit more apparent when putting them side-by-side, but when I’m just playing it naturally on the sofa with nothing to compare it to, the Portal is an absolutely beautiful device with a superb screen. At no point did I think, “Oh fiddle, these blacks need to be more inky.”
GAVIN: Yeah, we’ve come a long way from the old TN panels from years before that, too, with dodgy colours that you couldn’t see properly if you were sitting at an angle. I haven’t seen the Portal in action firsthand, but the pics you sent over show it off very favourably.
So in general, it seems we’re not too worried about Switch 2 being nOLED at launch, is that right?
OLLIE: I mean, it would be great if it launched with an OLED panel, but I’m not going to lose sleep over it.
JIM: I’ll be so relieved to have the damn thing in my hands that I don’t think I’ll spare a thought for lacking any pop.
ALANA: The initial rumours had me worried, but now I’m not. A lot of reflection and chatting with everyone here over the past few months has reminded me that yes, LCD can be good now.
GAVIN: It’s ironic that the Vita turned so many of us on to the idea of an OLED handheld screen, and now the Portal is making us feel okay about an LCD. Thanks, Sony!
Okay, before we wrap up, I want to ask two things. Firstly, a hypothetical: If Nintendo offered an OLED version from launch that was identical apart from the screen, would you pay more to get it? If so, how much more?
when I’m just playing it naturally on the sofa with nothing to compare it to, the Portal is an absolutely beautiful device with a superb screen
JIM: I could see myself coughing up some extra cash just to have the best of the best. It’s not something I can see Nintendo doing, honestly, but I’m sure I’d fall for it all the same. As for how much: the difference between a launch Switch and an OLED was, what? £30 or something? I’d do that again for Switch 2 in a heartbeat. [Note. Switch launched at £279.99 but was £20 cheaper by 2021 when the OLED Model launched for £309.99.]
OLLIE: Yeah, I’d happily pay a bit more if the option were there; around £40 – £50 seems reasonable to me. The extra cash is nothing if it means providing our lovely community with the very best, reputable Switch 2 reviews on this here internet, only on Nintendo Life dot com!
ALANA: I’d also grab an OLED if it came day one, but I’m not sure I’d pay more than £50-£80 extra for it. It’d have to be a huge upgrade, and we don’t know how good the Switch 2 screen actually is right now.
GAVIN: Interesting that we’d all dig deep if the option were there at launch. Nintendo has us all hooked for the ‘Switch 2 OLED Model’ in 2028, it seems. Okay, final question. Screen type aside, how are we feeling about that bezel on Switch 2?
OLLE: Ohhhh, I was a bit miffed when I first saw it. But when I realised that the large side bezels were possibly due to the Joy-Con being inserted into the main body, I didn’t mind quite so much. It looks fine, and I’m sure the larger screen size will mitigate any initial concerns.
JIM: It’s not something that immediately stood out to me in the reveal trailer. Looking at it closer in the weeks since, sure, it’s a little beefier on the sides than I’d like (probably because I’ve grown used to the OLED and Portal), but it’s not offputting.
ALANA: This is where the older Steam Deck has prepped me a little. I didn’t even really notice the bezel on reveal, and it was only when Ollie pointed it out that I saw it was bigger than Switch OLED. I’m at least glad it’s smaller than the Switch nOLED! The top and bottom look smaller. So it’s not a big issue right now. We’ll see when we actually get our hands on it.
GAVIN: Going back to my launch-day HAC-001 to shoot some comparison shots reminded me how much of an upgrade the OLED Model was in size terms, too. I’m sure when we’re settling in for an epic session of ‘Mario Odyssey 2: Lost in New Donk’ I’ll forget all about any bezel or brightness and contrast concerns.
JIM: I’ll be fine and dandy until they reveal the Switch TWOLED and I start sizing up my OG screen again. Comparison is the thief of Joy-Con, and all that.
Let us know in the poll below how integral OLED screens are to your gaming enjoyment these days, and whether a potential lack of one would influence any Switch 2 purchase decisions.