One feature many reviews of the new Nintendo Switch OLED model neglected to mention (including my own) is the inclusion of a brand new feature exclusive to this model: “Vivid” mode.
Vivid mode is a simple concept to grasp if you’ve owned a TV set with a similar setting, where it’s sometimes called “Vibrant” or “Dynamic” mode. It simply pushes the display’s color to its maximum possible brightness, saturating the pixels until they shine brighter than ever. It provides a strong contrast to true blacks, which is why a dark game like “Metroid Dread,” which launched with the system, looks tailor-fit for the OLED model.
It’s understandable that Nintendo kept this mode on by default, especially since “Metroid Dread" is the first game many people will play on it. But it’s also common knowledge among longtime HD TV owners that these modes can often oversaturate an image well past the point of the content creator’s original intent. For films and TV shows, it’s best to keep these modes off to retain the images intended by the directors.
However, video games are colored and lit differently than film and TV shows. And after weeks of testing various games on the Switch OLED, there are a number of titles that benefit greatly from the new mode, especially if they output at the screen’s native 720p resolution. We’ll recommend some titles or graphical presentations in games that benefit from this new feature below.
But first, a note: Any game that’s already brightly lit with vibrant colors (like many of the Mario games) probably won’t benefit much. In fact, sometimes the colors can overpower everything else. It’s best to leave this mode on for games with many light and dark contrasts to keep things looking balanced.
‘Metroid Dread’
This is an obvious choice, but “Dread” ably handles the pressure of being a launch title for a new console model. While docked, the game outputs at a blurry 900p for 4K TV sets. But on the Switch, it outputs at 720p, making “Dread” look as if it were laser-etched into your screen. The green and blue glows from the game’s alien structures only look more otherworldly against pitch-black caverns and ruins. Lava and sparks bouncing from machines become a bright, hot orange. The game may look more naturalistic with Vivid mode off, but the unnatural lights befit the game’s mood.
Most retro games
This includes games that are actually old as well as new games that use a “retro” pixel design. Just about every game I tested that contains pixel graphics benefited from Vivid mode, from last year’s indie brawler darling “Streets of Rage 4” with its hot neon streets, all the way to classic Super Nintendo and Game Boy Advance titles found in bundles like the “Mega Man X Legacy Collection" and Konami’s recent “Castlevania Advance Collection.” Much of the popular indie RPG “Undertale” is told via text and a black screen, which makes its charming and creepy visuals stand out. Most classic pixelated games and modern retro games have color palettes that are a bit soft and muted. Vivid mode gives those visuals some vibrancy.
‘Diablo 2: Resurrected’
“Diablo 2: Resurrected” is basically a retro game, since the new remake allows players to revert the entire game back to its original 2000 look. No matter how you play, the game has players surrounded by pitch-black darkness, which is better communicated through the OLED screen’s true blacks. Like the retro games mentioned above, this new remake retains the original game’s muted color palette. Vivid mode makes the game’s River of Flame smolder through your screen.
Most games inspired by anime
It’s an old joke that the Nintendo Switch is the perfect console for anime enthusiasts, and it’s a reputation the Switch deserves. There are a host of games inspired by anime or the anime aesthetic on the console, including Nintendo’s own Pokémon games and “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.” But just about every anime game I tested on the console looks better than ever, from “Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle" and its bloody combat to the recently released “Dragonball Z: Kakarot.” I thought Goku’s orange gi would look too bright in Vivid mode, but it actually looks just about right on the screen, and every “Kamehameha” fireball attack electrifies the tablet.
‘Cruis’n Blast’
Before you think this is mostly a list of dreary games, let me point you to a bold, bright arcade racer that can stand alongside the Forza and Burnout series. Licensed by Nintendo and developed by Raw Thrills, it was originally at real-world arcades before finally being ported to the Switch earlier this year. The entire game’s world is drenched in neon lights, becoming a video game version of the underrated 2008 film “Speed Racer.” It’s got the crashes and flash of “Burnout” with the sun-drenched speed of “Forza Horizon 4.”
The Resident Evil catalogue
Yes, there’s a theme of dark-colored games here, but they’re all really the best way to showcase the OLED screen while keeping the Vivid mode relevant and not overpowering the rest of the image. Capcom has released a host of Resident Evil games on the Switch, including the excellent remake of the first game and the action-packed trilogy of the fourth through sixth games. Even the handheld ports of the spin-off Revelations series work well with the screen. It’s a great time to revisit these titles with Halloween nearing.
‘Ori and the Will of the Wisps’
It’s a miracle that this former Xbox exclusive is able to fit onto the Switch’s ancient chipset, but developer Moon Studios made it happen. The game barely loses its original beauty on the Switch, and much of the game is set in a forest at night, making it a perfect candidate for an OLED screen. It’s one of the few modern games that rival Metroid in its own genre, and regardless of whether you have a new Switch, this is an easy recommendation.
‘Tetris Effect: Connected’
Originally released in 2018 and co-produced by Tetsuya Mizuguchi, the pioneering mind behind “Rez” and “Child of Eden,” this Tetris game has the same rules as the one you grew up with. But Mizuguchi’s fascination with synesthesia lingers over the classic gameplay, with every movement made by the player punctuated by the dream pop soundtrack. Its psychedelic visuals turns your OLED screen into a window peering out over a fireworks dreamscape.
