After months of avoiding the topic, Nintendo has announced an all-new Switch console, the Nintendo Switch OLED No, it's not the Nintendo Switch 2 or the legendary Nintendo Switch Pro, but it is an upgrade over the current model

But it's not that much of an upgrade, and I have no intention of buying one for myself Especially since I already have a Nintendo Switch that I like quite a bit

As the name suggests, the main selling point of the OLED Switch is its new 7-inch OLED screen Previous Switch models had a 62-inch LCD display, or 55 inches if you own a Nintendo Switch Lite

On top of that, the new console also comes with 64GB of storage, double the previous model, an improved speaker system, and a sleeker stand that looks considerably more impressive than the poor one on the launch model Switch The improved dock also comes with an Ethernet port, eliminating the need to spend $29 on an adapter

However, as upgrades go, they are all very lackluster Rumors had already suggested that the new Switch would have a slightly larger OLED display, so that much is not entirely surprising However, the upgraded console is also rumored to be able to output content in 4K when docked, which would be a first for Nintendo

Unfortunately, this is not the case, and Nintendo has confirmed that the Nintendo Switch OLED can only output at 1080p in TV mode and 720p in portable mode Both are the same as the original Switch This is good in terms of compatibility with existing Switch games, but still quite disappointing

I play the Switch almost exclusively in handheld mode, but I don't have high hopes for the OLED display

Sure, darker "true" blacks, better image quality, and better viewing angles have their appeal Then again, there is always the risk of the dreaded OLED burn-in, even if it takes a couple of years like my phone

That said, without an increase in resolution, there's nothing about the Switch's display that makes me want to upgrade; a 1080p panel might have convinced me to throw an extra $350 at a new portable gaming console But for now, OLED just isn't enough to entice me

Even the brand-new, redesigned stand isn't that impressive Indeed, the stand on the original Switch is absolute garbage, unbalanced, and looks like it could break with the slightest gust of wind

Then again, the Switch's tabletop mode was always something of a pain, especially given the terrible battery life of the first console Because the charging port was located on the bottom of the system, it was almost impossible to play in tabletop mode with the system plugged in This is something that the OLED Switch does nothing about

In my case, all I had to do was buy a special battery case that added power to the Switch and also served as an adjustable stand More importantly, the battery port on the case was on the side, allowing me to connect to an external power source while playing

While it is important that Nintendo recognized the design shortcomings of the original Switch, it is one of those things that may not make much difference to existing players At the very least, it would be classified as a bonus rather than a definitive reason to upgrade

The most important thing to note here is that the Nintendo Switch OLED upgrade is not worthless In fact, Nintendo has gone to great lengths to fix the most problematic shortcomings of the original Switch But for me, these upgrades alone are not enough to make a brand new console worth $350

If my Switch were to mysteriously fail between now and October 8, that would be an entirely different story In fact, it would be foolish not to consider the Switch OLED as a replacement for my hypothetical broken console But barring that particular scenario, this new upgrade doesn't have much to offer me

For those who don't have a Switch or want to upgrade from a Switch Lite, the OLED model is worth considering But if you have a standard Switch like I do, you might want to think twice before rushing to secure your pre-order