It is possible to modify the rendering of the colors displayed by the OLED screen of the new Nintendo console. This functionality is missing from the base model.
From October 8, Nintendo fans will be able to discover the Switch OLED – a new model that focuses on improving comfort when playing in portable mode. Its main argument is the screen: not only is it bigger but, as a bonus, it relies on OLED technology (which offers truly black blacks, accentuates contrasts and improves color rendering). And imagine that Nintendo has concealed a display option in the settings – spotted by Gamekult and reported in its test published on October 6.
Said option is exclusive to this OLED Switch. It allows you to play on the saturation of the console screen with two possible choices: ‘Bright colors’ or ‘Standard colors’ (yes, without ‘s’). This feature is hidden in the ‘Console’ tab, at the very bottom of the settings, rather than in a dedicated display submenu (like ‘Brightness’ or Themes’). This is why it is not easy to find this option which, however, can impact the viewing experience.
WHAT IS THE SATURATION OF THE SCREEN ON THE OLED SWITCH FOR?
By default, the Nintendo Switch is configured on ‘Bright colors’ and we can easily understand why: this is the most rewarding option, with more lively, even aggressive colors for certain shades (reds, for example). It is a spectacle more bluffing for the eyes and it serves to push the chasm a little more with the normal Switch (equipped with a simple LCD screen) thanks to a game on the color temperature.
These two modes are not unique to the OLED Switch. On other products equipped with a screen, you can modify the color rendering. This is for example the case of smartphones designed by Samsung, which offer a ‘Vivid’ (equivalent to ‘Vivid Colors’) or ‘Natural’ (equivalent to ‘Standard Colors’) rendering. On a television, you can adjust the image even more finely, by adjusting all the elements that make it up.
This comparison below will help you understand what it is, although the difference may seem subtle:
Bright colors Standard colors
Focus your gaze on the Nintendo Switch Online logo (circled in our comparative screenshots). With the ‘Bright Colors’ option, the red stands out a lot more – it would almost glow until it drools a bit. Conversely, the ‘Standard colors’ parameter makes red stand out a little less. What is the best choice ? It obviously depends on the sensitivity of each. In terms of color accuracy, ‘Standard Colors’ may turn out to be a cut above in some games. We think of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, where the grass could be a little too neon green with ‘Bright colors’. This mode will be more to its advantage in Metroid Dread, a very dark game that needs to bring out details.
In short, it can be a good idea to switch between modes depending on the games. The more realistic artistic directions will be less distorted with the ‘Standard colors’ option, when the more flashy ones may need a more dynamic and artificial rendering (this is the case of Metroid Dread) .
It is therefore rather a case-by-case choice, knowing that switching from one mode to another only takes a handful of seconds (the console or the game do not need to be restarted) .
