The Switch is Nintendo’s 5 year old hybrid console. It was designed to be portable for playing your games on the go and dockable so you can game on the couch. Also, even though this is a Switch OLED review, the original and the lite have most of the same stuff anyway. Enough background. Review time!

The display of the Switch is a beautiful OLED display. It does not have the highest resolution, but on a 7 inch display, 720p is not that bad. The display gets bright and is pretty usable indoors, but when you are outdoors on a sunny day, it leaves a little to be desired. The OLED version of the Switch has a glass front panel while the original and lite have a plastic screen. The screen is touch capable but a lot of games don’t support it for some reason, especially official Nintendo games. There is a sight bezel, but it is hardly noticeable. I have had no problems with burn-in and it shouldn’t be a problem for a while. 

The joy-cons on the Switch are not the best. The joysticks are not very big and have a small range of motion. The ABXY buttons and the D-Pad are the best part about the controllers. They are clicky and responsive. I do wish that the plus and minus buttons were circular buttons instead of what they are now. The minus is particularly hard to hit when you need to. The shoulder buttons are not as good as the face buttons and the triggers are atrocious. Why couldn’t Nintendo just use analog triggers instead of clicky ones. It also has gyro control, but I only ever use it if I have to. Going back to the joysticks, they will eventually start to drift. It hasn’t happened to my Switch yet and I don’t look forward to it. This only happens because Nintendo cheaped out and used potentiometers instead of hall-effect joysticks.

The thing that makes the Switch different from Nintendo’s other handhelds like the Gameboy or DS, is the dock. The dock allows you to play from the comfort of your couch at a not very impressive 1080p. To me, the dock is mostly just a party trick. I hardly use it when playing games because I have a 55 inch and the low resolution is very noticeable. It is great if you are doing a Smash fight or racing in Mario kart with friends.

12/1/23 Update: After I started to use the monitor on my desk instead of using the TV, I have been using the dock a lot more. Now days, I only take the Switch out of the dock if I am going somewhere. If I am at my house, I will just use the dock.

Before I get to the performance, I am going to go over some other specs. The Switch OLED has only 64GB of internal storage. This is not a lot but it does support up to 2 terabytes of microsd card expansion. The stand on the back of the Switch is very usable when playing Smash Bros with your friends. It is a lot better than the original Switch kickstand. Physical games are back to being cartridges and that is the only way you should buy Switch games. Sure it may be inconvenient to carry your games with you but it is still better. You can sell them, share them with friends, and this is the best reason. When Nintendo closes their eshop for their Switch, and it will happen, your games will not be lost forever. Lastly, you have to use the included power adapter because your Switch may be damaged from other power adapters. The included adapter is unnecessarily bulky for the amount of watts the Switch consumes.

Finally, the performance of the Switch is pretty dated. Some games are really well optimized and are completely fine, but others are not. I was playing the remake The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening and it is constantly stuttering. It is not that severe but it is definitely not smooth in any means. The Switch is coming 5 years old and desperately needs a pro version or whatever Nintendo does next.

Now, should you buy this? The answer to this question really depends. If you never had a Switch and don’t care if they release the Switch 2 soon, then go ahead and buy it. But be warned, console generations are about 5 year cycles and the Switch 2 could be right around the corner. Also Switch games are expensive and do not decrease in price as the console ages.

Edit 10/14/24: The Switch 2 is coming sometime in 2025.

Have a great day!