7 Best Switch OLED games that will pop on your new OLED screen
These games combine great visuals with amazing use of colour to really show off that new Switch OLED screen.
When it was announced I was sceptical about the new OLED Switch, but now having used it for myself I've realised how substantial an upgrade the screen is.
The colours pop off the screen, it's brighter, has better vibrancy, improved colour accuracy, and really showcases how great looking some of the games on the Switch are.
Best Switch OLED Games
Not that I needed a reason to go back and play my Switch because I use it frequently, but this is the cherry on top to go and replay some of my favourite games, and even break down the backlog of some games I'm yet to finish.
And I want to showcase a few of those games, specifically the games that are more graphically demanding and have a brighter colour palette.
Let's take a look at 7 games that will POP on your new OLED Switch screen!
Astral Chain
Astral chain is a game that stunned me playing it on the Switch. It's filled with style, flare and combat that makes you feel like a badass. At the time I couldn't believe it was running on a Switch and it's still one of my favourite games i've ever played. Platinum games smashed it out of the park with this one and it's a shame it never reached mainstream popularity because I believe this is an essential game for the switch that everyone should play.
Astral Chain's world has a lot of muted colours with bright neon signs and bright particle effects layered on top of it and I can't wait to go back to it and see those colors pop off the screen.
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Super Mario Odyssey
Some people are down on Mario's debut 3D outing on the Switch, but I don't agree with that point of view. Super Mario Odyssey is a brilliant game, full of wonderful touches and neat things to discover. It also happens to be one of the brightest and best looking games Nintendo has ever made, which is perfect to show off that fancy screen on your new Switch OLED.
If I had to pick a world to show off, it would be Cascade Kingdom (Fossil Falls) or Sand Kingdom (Tostarena). The former is a lush green for the most part, and has that gorgeous waterfall flowing into the pool towards the start of the area. Sand Kingdom, with its Mexican influences, looks superb - especially the town that Mario discovers early on in the world.
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Tetris Effect
It's fair to say that Tetris Effect loses some of its hypnotic beauty when played on the small screen of any Switch, but judged on its own merits the Switch version on the OLED looks stunning.
If you're yet to see what all the fuss is about with Tetris Effect (which arrived on Switch as the enhanced Connected edition), this is a long way from the Tetris you might remember from the original Game Boy.
While the core brick-dropping gameplay remains the same, Tetris Effect is a visual tour de force, full of gorgeous visual effects and colours, played along to some of the best music ever to grace a video game.
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Metroid Dread
Metroid Dread had me hooked from start to finish. Intense boss battles that really tested my skills, puzzle solving,discovering secrets and of course, running for my life though one of the most detailed maps of any metroidvania i've ever seen while being chased down by the EMMI. Why didn't anyone tell me this was a horror game!?
There are so many things to appreciate about Metroid Dread but I think it's the moments where the camera angles seamlessly change from a side scroller to these incredible dynamic ingame sequences that really blew me away.
Metroid Dread is the first game a lot of people will have played on the OLED because they launched the same day and it didn't disappoint.
The different zones and biomes all have their own feel with some really nice backdrops complimented by great lighting in the foreground. Samus’s ability effects look awesome and really vibrant when using them in some of the darker areas since the blacks are more accurate now on the OLED
I've completed it already but I'll 100% be going back to explore more. 10/10 action platformer.
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Luigi's Mansion 3
You should be playing Luigi's Mansion 3 on Switch regardless of which version you own, but given the game's superb use of lighting and colour it's a must-play on the Switch OLED.
Given that Luigi's Mansion 3 is largely set at night, in dark rooms, it's remarkable how much colour is used, and the neon of the ghosts makes them really pop out of the backgrounds.
Nintnedo and Next Level Games made one of the best looking Switch games, here, so it's no surprise that it looks even more outstanding on the Switch OLED screen.
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New Pokemon Snap
You might think this an odd choice for this list, given that the Switch is also home to two mainline Pokemon games in the shape of Let's Go and Sword/Shield, but for me New Pokemon Snap is by far the most visually appealing Pokemon game on the system.
The world in Snap is more vibrant, the models sharper, and the colours brighter. Pokemon Let's Go is also a nice looking game, in my view far more attractive than the rough Sword/Shield, but if you're after something to pop on that new OLED screen I'd go for New Pokemon Snap every time.
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Hollow Knight
Being of the best Metroidvanias of all time is reason enough to give Hollow Knight a whirl on the Switch OLED, but given that we've already talked about the superb Metroid Dread (an actual Metroid game), this one needs a little extra to make the cut.
The key thing to note with Hollow Knight, outside of how brilliant the adventure is, is how unbelievably great the art looks on the OLED screen. The characters and backgrounds all look amazing, and the subtle use of colour has an extra warmth to it on the Switch OLED.
Fun fact: Did you know that all of the art is hand drawn in Hollow Knight? Now you know.
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There are so many more games I could have mentioned on this list, here are a few quick honourable mentions:
- Monster Hunter Rise
- Link's awakening and breath of the wild
- Animal crossing
- Hades
- Splatoon 2
- Mario Kart 8
Basically all the Nintendo Switch exclusives. Long story short, The OLED Switch might not be the Switch Pro or Switch 4K or whatever you'd like to call it but I think it has its place and for those who have picked one up or plan to, they're in for a treat.