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Is Your Nintendo Switch 2 Display Worse Than the Original - What Shocking Tests Revealed?
The Nintendo Switch 2 brings exciting upgrades, but I need to tell you about a screen problem that's bothering many players. Your games might look blurry or ghosty, and it's not your imagination.
What's Wrong with the Switch 2 Screen
The new console has a bigger 8-inch screen that shows 1080p instead of the old 720p. It can run at 120Hz and supports HDR. Sounds great, right? But there's a catch that makes games look worse than they should.
Testing shows the Switch 2's LCD screen is painfully slow at changing colors. When experts measured how fast pixels switch from one shade of gray to another, they found shocking results. The Switch 2 takes 33.3 milliseconds on average, with some changes taking over 40 milliseconds.
Here's what makes this so disappointing: the original Switch from 2017 does this same task in just 21.3 milliseconds. That means Nintendo's newest console is 50% slower at showing smooth motion than an eight-year-old device.
Why Your Games Look Blurry
When you play fast games, especially side-scrollers, you'll see blur and trailing effects. This happens because the screen can't keep up with the action. Think about it this way: at 60fps, each frame should appear for 16.67 milliseconds. But the screen takes twice as long to actually show the new colors.
The problem gets worse at higher frame rates. Some games now run at 120Hz, but the slow screen makes this upgrade almost pointless. You're getting new frames faster than the display can show them clearly.
Common problems you might notice:
- Blurry text when scrolling menus
- Ghosting effects in racing games
- Smeared objects in platformers
- Less sharp motion compared to your phone or tablet
The Real Reason Behind This Problem
Nintendo likely made this choice to save battery life. Modern LCD screens use something called "overdrive" technology. This sends extra voltage to pixels to make them change faster. But higher voltage means more power drain.
The Switch 2 has a small 19-watt-hour battery - less than half of what you'll find in a Steam Deck. Nintendo probably decided that longer battery life was more important than smooth motion. I understand their thinking, but it still stings when you're trying to enjoy your games.
HDR Issues Make Things Worse
The Switch 2 claims to support HDR, but it's not real HDR. The screen only reaches 422-450 nits of brightness. True HDR needs much more brightness to look good. Most phones can hit 800-1000 nits easily.
The black levels are also poor at 0.5 nits, giving you a contrast ratio of just 844:1. This means dark scenes look gray instead of truly black. The Switch OLED had much better contrast, making this feel like a step backward.
HDR problems include:
- Washed out colors in bright scenes
- Gray blacks instead of deep blacks
- Minimal difference between HDR on and off
- Better results only when docked to a good TV
Some Good News About the Display
Despite these issues, the Switch 2 screen does have improvements. Colors look more vibrant because it covers 98% of the DCI-P3 color space compared to 79% on the original Switch. The higher resolution makes text and UI elements much sharper.
The screen is also brighter than before, going from 320 nits to around 430 nits. This helps with outdoor gaming, though it's still not bright enough for sunny days.
Variable refresh rate (VRR) works in some games, which can make frame drops less jarring. However, testing shows VRR doesn't work properly in many demanding games when frame rates drop below 40fps.
Will This Get Fixed?
Nintendo could potentially improve some issues through software updates. VRR performance might get better over time. But the slow response times are a hardware limitation that can't be fixed with updates.
The motion blur problem affects everyone differently. Casual players might not notice it much. But if you're sensitive to display quality or play a lot of fast-paced games, this will bother you.
Some users report getting different screen panels with slightly different performance. This suggests Nintendo might be using multiple suppliers, which could mean future units perform better.
My Honest Take
The Switch 2's display situation frustrates me. Nintendo made a console that's much more powerful but paired it with a screen that can't keep up. It's like putting regular tires on a sports car.
For $500, you deserve better display quality. Modern phones and tablets at half the price have faster, brighter screens with better HDR. Nintendo's battery life excuse doesn't fully justify these compromises.
Still, the Switch 2 succeeds in many other areas. The larger screen size, higher resolution, and better colors do improve the gaming experience overall. Just don't expect the smooth motion you get from other modern devices.