When the upgraded Switch OLED model was released by Nintendo last year, many were expecting that particular console to be the long awaited Switch Pro. However… I’m here today to argue that, perhaps, the Switch OLED is the “Pro” model to me. How did I come to this conclusion? Well, let’s talk about it…
The type of screen the Switch OLED has matters:
These days, most people seem to carry a smartphone of some kind. Generally speaking, higher-end (flagship) phones will use more expensive screen types. As it currently stands, the screen type of choice for flagship devices is OLED. This is the exact same type of screen that Apple’s iPhone 13 (and 13 Pro) and Google’s Pixel 6 (and 6 Pro) have, for instance. Therefore, it is my opinion that the Switch OLED is also considered a flagship device.
Oh, not to mention: Switch OLED, like many flagship phones, also ditches the thick bezels in favor of something closer to being edge-to-edge. Almost.
Saving power, and a better experience overall:
OLED screens are known for their power savings and high quality displays. Because each pixel is lit individually, it is able to turn them off completely when the screen is black (or if there are icon elements that are black). This makes the battery life increase significantly in some cases, since it doesn’t have to draw as much power.
On the other end of the spectrum:
The base model Switch and Switch Lite both have an LCD screen, which lights its pixels in quadrants or entirely (depending on the manufacturer), a lower price, and slightly worse battery life than the OLED. Still good, but not great.
So, that’s why I consider the Switch OLED Nintendo’s current “Pro” offering. While it’s possible that Big N is cooking up a Pro model, I wouldn’t be surprised if they aren’t. They’ve got a great model with a great screen in production that they could improve over time instead.
Only time will tell!
