Nintendo Switch OLED
Look, we get it. We were as excited and optimistic for Nintendo to release an upgraded ‘pro’ version of the Switch this year too so that we could enjoy future iterations of Link and Mario in 4K on a TV. That didn’t happen. Instead, the company delivered a different upgrade. The Switch OLED replaced the original’s 6.2-inch LCD display (which felt dated even at launch five years ago) with a larger 7-inch OLED panel that feels even larger thanks to the smaller bezels around the screen. The new display’s resolution wasn’t increased, so in handheld mode games are still only rendered at 72op, but the difference in contrast and color saturation is like night and day, making countless games feel almost brand new and worth completely starting over again.
Nintendo also took the chance to redesign the Switch’s charging dock with an added port for network cables if your home wireless network isn’t up to the task of online gaming. But the best update to the Switch OLED wasn’t actually the new screen, but the vastly improved kickstand on the back that actually supports the console properly with the Joy-Con controllers detached, finally delivering on Nintendo’s promise of being able to set up and play the Switch almost anywhere. —Andrew Liszewski
