<a href="https://comicvibe.com/nintendo-switch-2-eshop-charts-september-27-2026-fire-emblem-fortunes-weave-maintains-its-winning-ways/” title=”Nintendo Switch 2 eShop charts – September 27, 2026 – Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave maintains its winning ways”>Nintendo Switch OLED isn’t worth it in 2026, even with Switch 2 price increase – here’s why
Nintendo Switch OLED isn’t worth it in 2026, even with Switch 2 price increase – here’s why
Posted on September 27, 2026 by Ethan in Features, Switch, Switch 2
Nintendo Switch has brought so many people into the Nintendo realm of gaming, and even now, we’re seeing fans who skipped the entire Switch generation hop in late to try out Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream. Is a Nintendo Switch OLED worth it in 2026? Probably not, but plenty of you who are new to Nintendo’s ecosystem might need an explanation.
Nintendo Switch OLED and Switch 2 have received $50 price bumps in recent times, and despite that, we think the Switch 2 is worth buying over the OLED any day. That doesn’t mean the Nintendo Switch OLED doesn’t have advantages of its own, however. Today, let’s go over all the differences between the Switch OLED and Switch 2, and also why we think a Switch 2 OLED isn’t happening anytime soon.
As you might expect, Nintendo Switch OLED’s biggest claim to fame is its screen. It’s an OLED screen rather than your typical LCD one, which means the colors are much more vibrant. On OLED screens, there’s also no backlight, so dark colors look more like the screen is off rather than lit up. That means dark, atmospheric games like Metroid Dread are probably going to look much better on the Nintendo Switch OLED’s screen than the Switch 2’s, which is LCD. The Nintendo Switch OLED also has 64GB of internal storage, which doubles the standard Switch’s 32GB. That’s just about where the Nintendo Switch OLED’s advantages end, however. It’s really the screen or nothing!
With Nintendo Switch 2, a small number of players criticized its screen at launch for ghosting and a lower response time. That said, I’m someone who plays exclusively in handheld and have a sharp eye for blurry images, and the Switch 2’s screen hasn’t bothered me too much. Of course, it’s not an OLED screen, so the colors are going to be a bit more washed out than the Nintendo Switch OLED.
Which begs the question: why isn’t there a Nintendo Switch 2 OLED? The easy answer is the price. The Nintendo Switch OLED is currently $400, which is $100 cheaper than a Switch 2. But its hardware is much, much older and far less capable – we’re not expecting any major Switch 1 games moving forward. Nintendo Switch 2 is already $500 without an OLED screen, and adding one would bump the price up further, which could make it unaffordable for most consumers.
So if you’re able to save up the extra $100, you should definitely go for a Nintendo Switch 2 over a Switch OLED. The odds that Nintendo releases an enhanced Switch 2 model are never zero, but they’re rather low right now due to the high cost of components.
In August 2025, Nintendo Switch OLED saw a price increase from $350 to $400. At the time, Nintendo Switch 2 was set at $450, so there was only a $50 difference between the two. Even after Nintendo Switch 2 increased to $500 this month making the difference now $100, it’s very tough to recommend the OLED.
Do you think there’s any reason to buy a Nintendo Switch OLED in 2026 for $400? If so (or if not), let us know in the comments down below.
