We independently review everything we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more›

Advice, staff picks, mythbusting, and more. Let us help you.

Just as it was starting to get easier to find an existing model of the Nintendo Switch, the gaming company has released a new version of its popular console. Dubbed the Nintendo Switch OLED Model, this upgraded iteration of the popular portable console, as its name indicates, is designed around a beautiful OLED display, which replaces the LCD screen of every prior version of the Switch.

You pay extra for that new screen, as well as for a few other upgrades. The Switch OLED Model is $350. That price tag makes it $50 more than the base-model Switch, which you can connect to your television, and $150 more than the Switch Lite, which is limited to portable play.

Considering that price difference, the Switch OLED Model isn’t for everybody. But for some people, it’s exactly what they’re looking for.

Though the Switch OLED Model is the same size as the original version, the bezel is smaller, allowing for a screen that’s almost an inch larger. This change in screen size is immediately apparent even when you don’t have this model side by side with its LCD-based predecessors. Once you’re playing, the improvements are even clearer. The extra cash for the Switch OLED Model buys a screen that shows Switch games at their absolute best in a portable setting, as OLED screens are known for their deep, “perfect” blacks. The other Switch models, meanwhile, rely on practically ancient fully backlit LCD screen technology, which at best manages a pretty dark purplish-gray.

Along with the new screen, the revamped Switch has new, much louder and clearer speakers, if you’re not using headphones. Nintendo has also replaced the kickstand element of the original Switch with a tablet-like full-width stand that folds out from the bottom of the main unit—though the stand still hides the storage-expansion slot. The Switch OLED Model also increases the onboard storage to 64 GB, which is approaching a reasonable amount but is still less than we’d like.

Generally speaking, the Switch OLED Model feels like a more luxury-oriented device. I found the smoother material on the OLED Model’s Joy-Con controllers nicer to look at, and the surface felt less sweaty than the plastic on the base model and the Switch Lite—a welcome and appreciated update. The revised Switch also has a new dock, which now has an Ethernet port for wired connections.

The premium pricing of the Switch OLED Model might be enough to tell you whether it’s for you. At $350, it’s approaching, even exceeding, the price of more powerful game consoles, so you have to ask yourself whether you’re willing to pay extra for the best way to experience Switch games on the go. The wired LAN port may be of interest if you’re a hardcore Smash Bros. fan looking to play online without having to use a USB adapter or rely on a wireless signal. The Switch OLED Model is a beautiful, indulgent iteration of Nintendo’s handheld, and it provides a great experience.

As for who definitely shouldn’t buy the Switch OLED Model, parents will likely be much better served buying their kids a Switch Lite. It’s too early to tell if the new version’s OLED display is significantly more fragile than the LCD screen of the Switch Lite, but after holding both systems, we think the construction of the Lite seems much more resilient, whereas the OLED Model feels more vulnerable. The OLED Model is also more than most people need for a good Switch experience. If you’re not playing your Switch on the go often, you’re paying a price premium for hardware you aren’t using much. So if you just can’t bring yourself to spend $350 on the Switch OLED Model, you can take some comfort in knowing that it won’t get any games you can’t also play on existing Switch consoles.

The Nintendo Switch Sports versions of soccer, volleyball, badminton, bowling, tennis, and chambara use motion-control play that’s particularly fun in groups.

The Nintendo Switch is the only thing getting me through 2020.

It’s-a Mario Day, and we’ve got some great deals on some of our favorite Mario games for the Nintendo Switch.

Your game console collects plenty of information, but with a few settings changes, you can limit how much data you share with strangers or companies.

Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing to save people time, energy and money when making buying decisions. Whether it's finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we'll help you get it right (the first time). Subscribe now for unlimited access.

© 2022 Wirecutter, Inc., A New York Times Company