Sometimes it makes sense to sell your old console when the next generation arrives. For example, there’s little reason to keep a PlayStation 4 if you have a PlayStation 5.
However, when it comes to the upcoming Switch 2 and the OLED Switch which came before it, I think there are some good reasons to hang on to the old console along with the new, and that’s almost certainly what I will be doing.
The Switch 2 Launches With an LCD
Now that Nintendo has revealed most of the information about the Switch 2, we know for sure that this new console will be shipped with an LCD. Now, in most ways, this new LCD will actually be better than the OLED panel in the OLED Switch. It’s bigger, has a higher resolution, supports HDR, VRR, and runs at 120Hz, with much more vibrant colors than the original LCD Switch.
Overall, I think the LCD in the new Switch 2 will be an upgrade on balance compared to the OLED panel. However, the OLED will still offer those inky blacks and infinite contrast ratio. Which means that certain games will be much better suited on the OLED Switch.
I’ll probably keep playing games like Cuphead, Diablo 2 Resurrected, and the Ori games on my OLED where the visuals play to the strengths of that panel technology.
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There Are Many Games That Will Run No Better on the Switch 2
Some games will get official upgrades to take full advantage of the Switch 2 hardware. However, many won’t get those patches or the nature of the game itself means there’s no additional performance to get. These are mainly going to be 2D games much like the ones I’ve already mentioned, though there might be some 3D games that already perform well on Switch that won’t run any better on Switch 2 without a patch. My extensive collection of emulated arcade games is definitely going to stay on my OLED Switch.
In that case, I might as well just play them on my OLED Switch, since they don’t benefit from the advantages the new LCD has, in which case the older OLED panel wins out.
The Switch Will Be the More Portable Option
While Nintendo has managed to keep the thickness of the Switch 2 the same as the original Switch, the console has received a notable increase in size to accommodate the bigger screen and bigger joy cons.
These changes will make the Switch 2 more comfortable, no doubt, but they also make it even less portable than the original Switch, which wasn’t exactly pocket-friendly. It’s one of the reasons I still keep my 3DS handy if I’m just popping out somewhere like getting my car serviced, and it’s also why I leave my big handheld PC at home when I go away for a weekend, because the Switch OLED is so much smaller.
I expect that, between the two Switch consoles, I’ll be much more likely to grab the OLED when leaving the house than the Switch 2 most of the time.
It Will Save Me Storage on the New Switch
While the new Switch is backwards compatible with (most) Switch games, you might have a hard time finding space for them. Switch 2 games are going to be much larger, more in line with PlayStation 4 or current generation titles. The Switch 2 also needs the more expensive microSD Express cards, so adding more to the built-in 256GB of storage could be quite expensive.
So if there are games that aren’t going to play any better on the Switch 2, I might as well leave them on my OLED Switch with its capacious 1TB SD card and save the Switch 2 storage for games that really need it. Especially for games where I don’t think paying for the “upgrade pack” is worth the return.
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The Virtual Card System Should Make Things Easier
Another interesting wrinkle in the world of Nintendo is the recent introduction of virtual game cards, which look to be a way you can get around the whole primary and secondary Switch dance, where one of your Switch consoles always has to be online.
So, for people who bought a Switch and a Switch Lite, you’d have to make your Switch Lite the primary console so that it can work offline when you go away from Wi-Fi. Which led to a situation where, if the internet went out, your docked Switch would stop working for digital games. Boo!
Well, with the new virtual card system, you can move games between your two Switches for permanent offline play. Now, I don’t know how this will work between a Switch and a Switch 2, but I assume it’s going to be similar to how it is between two Switches. If so, it’s going to be quite convenient to arrange my games between the OLED Switch 2 so that the games most suitable for each are in the right place.
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I’ve regretted selling my old consoles, especially handhelds, in the past. So I think holding on to the (still lovely) OLED Switch is probably the right move. At least, it is for me.
