I have already spent a week playing with the new OLED Model
Nintendo Switch and I can finally write this analysis that goes hand in hand
with the review of Metroid Dread , the game developed in Spain and which is
launched at the same time as the new console.
Calling it 'new console' is really going overboard. It is a
new model of the same console that Nintendo launched in March 2017 and that has
already received two alternative models: one with the same design, but better
battery; and another smaller and portable version , the Nintendo Switch Lite .
Now comes the third version, with an improvement focused almost exclusively on
the screen.
As the name suggests, the new version of the Nintendo Switch
carries a 7-inch OLED screen . Despite having a body of the same size (it is a
couple of millimeters longer than the original), Nintendo has managed to reduce
the frames of the screen and create what at first glance almost looks like a
screen with two controls glued to the sides.
I'm not going to fool you: it's fantastic and what this
console needed from day one. The OLED screen goes hand in hand in a vivid way
for colors, which can be deactivated as it happens in mobiles with this same
type of screen. With the default colors, many games, such as The Legend of
Zelda: Breath of the Wild , now have a more garish, almost fluorescent
photograph. In more recent games, like Hades ; or those that seem to have been
designed with this console model in mind a bit, as is the case with Metroid
Dread; the colors stand out, they are very vivid and give an incredible finish
to the product. It is quite possible that the colors you see on your console
screen are better than those on your television screen.
The inclusion of an OLED screen , which on paper consumes
less than a traditional LCD screen, seems to have lengthened the useful life of
the console by a couple of hours. I've been able to play Metroid Dread for five
hours straight without remembering the USB-C charger at all.
If you are one of thoses who prefer to play with the console
connected to the TV, the truth is that you will hardly notice any change with
this new model. Its new dock to connect it to the console has changed one of
the USB ports to an Ethernet connector , so it is now possible to connect the
console to the Internet with cable without the need for an extra adapter. The
design of the stand is beautiful and discreet, as well as fully compatible with
previous models, in the same way that the OLED works with the previous 'docks'.
If you are one of those who play a lot in portable mode, I
have other good news. The speakers are much better, clearer and louder. The
reclining stand now spans the entire bottom rear of the console, making it much
more stable (goodbye to the 'kickstand' on the original console). And you will
not need to buy new controllers because the Joy-Con of the previous model are
worth , as well as the Pro controllers and similar that are already on the
market.
But the latter is also a negative. Nintendo does not seem to
have solved the serious problem of wear and tear of the Joy-Con, which after a
few months of intensive use will begin to give problems with false movements
and will make the gaming experience unbearable unless you fix them, send them
to Nintendo to change them or buy others. Let's take comfort in that the OLED Switch
has some pretty new pearl white Joy-Con ...
I continue with the weak points, I would have appreciated in
some way that the ergonomics of the console improved, but I understand that
this is practically impossible without making alterations that either
completely change the controls and the body of the console or that would simply
make the console much more expensive. product. If you have big hands or play a
lot of time, your wrists will also hurt with this model . And in my particular
case, that I am putting my ring and pinky fingers on the lower part of the
console to have more support, the separation that now exists between the edge
of the recliner and the speakers bothers me a bit. This is something very
personal of mine, but boy, I notice it a little and my fingers are marked after
a while playing.
However, I am very clear that the Nintendo Switch OLED Model
is the definitive version of the console and that no one will be dissatisfied
if they buy it. It is not essential to be able to enjoy the games because,
after all, on the inside it is just as powerful as the previous models. But if
you want to treat yourself, are a collector or want to buy a Switch, this is
undoubtedly perfect for you.
In the absence of a more powerful model or with a dock that
allows the image to be rescaled to 4K, since rumors continue to insist that
Nintendo is developing one, the OLED Switch is the current best version of the
Nintendo console and, except for the surprise of last minute, maybe the last
adaptation we see before the next generational leap of the Japanese company.
The Switch has about two years to live before its sales
stagnate or the body asks gamers for a really new device (console generations
last around six years), so it is still a good time to renew or take the leap.
With Metroid Dread, the two new Pokémon games , Splatoon 3, Bayonetta 3, and
the sequel to Breath of the Wild on the horizon , it's still a good investment.
