The Nintendo Switch OLED console is finally here! Unsurprisingly, the price gougers were first in line, and so this new console is really hard to find. Right now, the OLED Switch is sold out at Gamestop, Target, Best Buy and other popular retailers.
You can buy the Nintendo Switch OLED at Walmart and Amazon, where it’s available from third-party sellers for about $100-$155 more than the standard retail price of $350. We don’t recommend rewarding the price gougers, but keep your eyes on these product listings, as we hope Nintendo will provide restocks before the Christmas shopping season.
If you’re one of the lucky few that’s managed to pick up the newest, shiniest, and brightest version of the Nintendo Switch, then you’ll likely be on the lookout for the games that’ll really show it off. We are, of course, talking about the mighty Nintendo Switch OLED. This new model boasts a fair few minor improvements, but the most exciting one by far has to be the incredible new screen.
Thankfully for you, we’ve gone ahead and made a list of some of the best games for the Nintendo Switch OLED. These are the games that’ll really let the screen shine, the ones that’ll have your friends furious they didn’t manage to get their hands on one. Whether you’re looking for the latest first-party exclusives or just some incredible indie games, we’ve got you covered.
Keep reading for the 10 best Nintendo Switch OLED games.
1. Metroid Dread
Unsurprisingly, one of the best games for the Nintendo Switch OLED also happens to be one of the newest. Metroid Dread sees the return of Samus, a character many may only know because of Smash Bros. It’s been a long time since we’ve had the pleasure of exploring alien worlds and vessels as her, and the latest entry in the series is absolutely stunning. It’s also rather difficult, but at least it’ll look pretty as you’re dying.
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2. Ori and the Will of the Wisps
On the subject of dying a lot and also being pretty, Ori and the Will of the Wisps is absolutely essential. This is the sequel to Ori and the Blind Forest, and it improves the gameplay across the board. It was already an astoundingly pretty game anyway, which is something we could say about any of the games on this list. Ori is an adorable little forest creature who has to fight off less adorable forest creatures in order to save things. The story’s a lot better than our reductive explanation would suggest, so just go and play it.
3. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Look, there’s no way we could make a list of the best games for the Nintendo Switch OLED and not mention what is, arguably, one of the best games of all time. Breath of the Wild is the latest in a long line of Zelda games, but it takes place in a massive open world that basically just drops you in it, and then lets you figure it out from there. It’s also astoundingly beautiful in a way that’s hard to even comprehend.
Read More: The Best Nintendo Switch Games
4. Tetris Effect: Connected
Here’s a curveball for some of you. Tetris Effect: Connected is a game so intensely magical that you’d not be overselling it to compare it to a religious experience. While the gameplay is the same Tetris we all know and love, the combination of visuals and audio will have you bordering on tears as you play through it. We know it sounds like hyperbole, but just go and play it and you’ll see what we mean.
5. Gris
While we’re talking about crying, how excited are you to play Gris? This is the Spanish pronunciation, which we’re not going to try and phonetically type out here, and it follows the titular character as she tries to make sense of the pain in her life. It’s a moving game, but also one that genuinely looks like liquid art that’s somehow been put into motion.
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6. Super Mario Odyssey
Super Mario Odyssey has you adventuring around a wide variety of stunning locations as you throw your hat at things and pick up moons. Along with being one of the best Mario games ever made, it’s also an exercise in trying to pay attention to the platforming as you get distracted by everything around you. The OLED screen here will have everything practically popping off of the screen, so don’t be surprised if you end up ducking to avoid incoming attacks.
7. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
It’s absurd to think that Mario Kart 8 was originally released back in 2014 on the Wii U, and yet we’re still recommending it seven years later on an upgraded version of the new Nintendo console, but here we are. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is another game that’s far better looking than really makes sense. It also happens to be some of the most fun you can have in multiplayer, and the colors on tracks like Rainbow Road will have you enraptured.
8. Splatoon 2
Colors are the name of the game here too. Well, actually, the name of the game is Splatoon 2, but it’s about painting the town in your team’s colors, so we’re counting it. Given the focus on color, and how bright it is, it’s no real surprise that Splatoon 2 is one of the best games for the Nintendo Switch OLED. It’s also just a lot of fun, and a great one to pick up if you’re also looking forward to Splatoon 3 releasing next year.
9. Spiritfarer
Our final indie game is the stunning and heartfelt Spiritfarer. This is a game where you take control of a new shepherd of the dead, which doesn’t sound like it’d be a good time, but it’s all very wholesome. You have to keep those in your care happy by building up your boat, growing vegetables, cooking for them, and occasionally even catching stars. It’s another one with a really stunning style too, so the OLED is going to do it justice.
10. Ōkami
Finally, we have Ōkami, Originally released all the way back in 2006, the sheer brilliance of the visual aesthetic here is so strong that it holds up even fifteen years later. It’s always looked good, for sure, but the OLED makes it look truly mythical. The game has you playing as a Wolf God on a journey to save the world from the darkness that’s encroaching upon it. It still feels great to play, and it’s never looked better than this.
