What's New With the Nintendo Switch OLED Model?

Nintendo switch oled model specifications — What's new with the Nintendo Switch OLED Model? Is it really such a disappointment? | © Nintendo

The Nintendo Switch OLED Model is bringing a new higher-quality handheld to our homes, with the same fantastic selection of games. Let's take a look at what's new with the Nintendo Switch OLED Model and where it differs from the original. Should you check it out? Let's find out.

Nintendo seems to have made a lot of people angry with their announcement of the Nintendo Switch OLED Model on July 6. It's understandable, as the new system offers little technical improvements upon the original, and falls well behind the expectations players had for a new Switch Pro. What is new with the Nintendo Switch OLED Model, and should you check it out?

Are you feeling a little bit blue about the Nintendo Switch OLED Model's specifications and features? Is it too little? A waste of money? You're not alone!

New Nintendo Switch OLED Model Features

New 7-inch OLED Screen
Enhanced Audio for Onboard Speakers
A wider kickstand
Wired LAN Support for the new Switch Dock
64GB Onboard Storage (compared to the original's 32GB)
Re-design for the Switch Dock and the system itself

Full Nintendo Switch OLED Model Specifications

Size: 9.5 x 0.55 x 4 inches (w x d x h)
Weight: 0.71 lbs / 0.93 lbs with Joy-Con controllers attached
Screen: Multi-touch capacitive touch screen / 7-inch OLED screen
Resolution: 1280 x 720 (720p)
CPU/GPU: Nvidia Custom Tegra processor
Storage: 64GB (can be expanded using microSDHC or microSDXC cards up to 2TB)
Wireless: WI-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac compliant)
Video output: Up to 1080p via HDMI in TV mode, 720p in handheld mode
Audio output: 5.1 Linear PCM
Speakers: Stereo
USB connector: USB Type-C for charging
3.5mm headphone jack
Battery life: approximately 4.5-9 hours
Charging time: approximately 3 hours

What are the Nintendo Switch OLED Model's Key Changes, and are they worth it?

The key takeaways are that the Nintendo Switch OLED sports a new 7-inch OLED screen, a better stand, and a LAN Port. It doesn't sound like much, does it? Well, no. OLED technology is some of the best in the tech world, but to be clear, this is not a 4K console. This is a massive drawback of the new system, as it is the obvious, much-requested feature that was to be the main selling point for the rumored Nintendo Switch Pro (which Nintendo has now denied).

The Nintendo Switch OLED is, remarkably, not offering a technical upgrade on the original system. That means that the console with not only lack 4K, but also any frame-rate and visual improvement on the original. All-in-all, the only real difference here is that OLED screen, and the sleeker physical design that the system offers. Is that really worth the entry price? Well, we're not really sure.

To be honest with you: when we asked what's new with the Nintendo Switch OLED Model, we were expecting to unearth a little bit more that this. The LAN input is neat for those playing at home, but certainly not a groundbreaking addition, and a wider stand is also nice, but honestly something that should have just been in the original. Better audio? Well, that's just for the onboard speakers, and is really not a feature many people will actually use.

Should I Buy the Nintendo Switch OLED Model?

If you don't already own a Nintendo Switch, then the new OLED Model will be the perfect entry point for this fabulous system, but if you already have one, we simply can't recommend it. The Nintendo Switch OLED Model does provide a better screen, so for newcomers, the extra fifty bucks will be worth it, but it's not a good or big enough change to justify picking up a new system if you already own a Switch.