The cat’s out of the bag and only Nintendo would unleash it through a tweet. The Nintendo Switch (OLED) is the latest in the Switch line of home consoles, operating as something of a direct antithesis to the Switch Lite. Whereas the Lite touts an attractively slim price point but lacks the ability to dock with a TV, the Switch (OLED) is a beefier package with a more vibrant screen and a few more bells and whistles. Its $349.99 price tag reflects that. Here’s the latest on Nintendo Switch (OLED) pre-order details as well as a nerdy look under its proverbial hood.
Now You’re Playing With Power… OLED Power
If there’s one thing the bland name of Nintendo Switch (OLED) does well, it’s to tell prospective customers that it has — wait for it — an OLED screen. But what is OLED, and why do we care? The technical answer is “organic light-emitting diode,” which sounds pretty cool but I’m not the correct writer on staff to explain what any of that actually means. The consumer-friendly explanation, which I’m much better at, is that it’s really, really pretty. By emitting light directly from an internal source, OLED screens have a wider viewing angle and a far richer contrast ratio than their LCD counterparts.
In other words, the Nintendo Switch (OLED) will be the talk of the town… if the town is comprised chiefly of Switch owners who take their shiny toys with them on commutes and the like. The vivid colors of an OLED panel will make games like the sequel to Breath of the Wild pop in ways that your fellow bus-riding Zelda enthusiasts will only wish they could experience firsthand. It’s a nice enough boost to inevitably prompt more Switch (OLED) pre-orders than The Big N can count.
Worthy of a Pre-Order?
This feature only matters when the Switch is in portable mode. It probably goes without saying, but an enhanced screen on the console itself will do nothing to improve your experience once it’s docked. Your LCD TV won’t magically upgrade accordingly, and if you already had an OLED TV, you’re certainly not going to notice a difference. So what else is there to say?
Well, the Nintendo Switch (OLED) does come with 32GB of memory, which is fully double what the regular and Lite models are packing. It also has a better speaker, which isn’t likely to matter while it’s docked but if you’re late to work and can’t locate your headphones in time, at least you won’t be stuck with tinny sound clips come lunchtime.
In fact, just about the only thing that will be noticeable in docked mode, and then only sometimes, is the wired LAN port. Players whose online experiences with Nintendo have been particularly weak may find newfound solace in a direct internet connection.
Can I Still Play My Current Switch Games? Will There Be Any OLED Exclusives?
There should be zero issues playing your current library of Nintendo Switch titles with this hardware revision. Nothing has fundamentally changed about the system’s interior to prohibit play. Nor is it likely that you’ll be locked out of any software with the Nintendo Switch (OLED) model; a nicer screen alone isn’t going to cause any console manufacturer, no matter how well known they are for their strange surprises, to seriously consider alienating the vast majority of their audience.
When and Where to Pre-Order the Switch (OLED) Model
Right now, pre-orders have not yet gone live for the Nintendo Switch (OLED). You can be sure that, like the frenzy involving the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X consoles, you’ll need to act fast once they begin. We’ve compiled a list of major retailers that have a pretty high chance of participating in the Switch (OLED) pre-order process. Check back here daily to find out when pre-orders begin!
We’ll add more retailers to the list as needed.
