As I write this, my own Switch 2 console is still in transit, but many luckier folks than I have had their hands on one for a few days now and the real facts and figures are coming out of the woodwork,
While Nintendo promised us a console with an “HDR” screen, it seems that this is only technically true and what you’re getting in the box doesn’t live up to the spirit of what HDR should be.
First Impressions of The Switch 2 Screen’s HDR Aren’t Great
In April 2025, I wrote that the Switch 2’s screen would be a big upgrade over the Switch OLED, and I still stand by that VRR, high refresh rates, and a much higher resolution image are all more important for gaming than the contrast ratio of an OLED.
However, as I noted in the article:
Nintendo has confirmed in its announcement that the built-in display offers HDR. We don’t have much more technical information at this point, but under the assumption that we’re getting usable HDR from this screen, that means it’s going to be significantly brighter than the OLED Switch model.
It also implies that this screen has some sort of local dimming technology, since you can pretty much forget about an edge-lit LCD having proper HDR. Again, this is assuming the promised HDR is really HDR, but let’s give Nintendo the benefit of the doubt here.
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Well, we gave them the benefit of the doubt, but it seems my suspicions were sadly confirmed as first impressions and display testing as done by GamingTech below show that the display does not have the metrics to reproduce an HDR image.
It’s Not Bright Enough
The biggest problem here is that the display simply doesn’t get bright enough to do HDR justice. Reaching at most 450 nits, that’s a far cry from the minimum 600 nits (and preferably 1000 nits or more) you want in any display meant for HDR content.
Of course, even PC monitors and TVs are allowed to proclaim they have HDR support with peak brightness levels similar to the Switch 2, but that just means the Switch 2 now joins that same fake HDR club.
There’s No Local Dimming
As I noted in my original article in April, for the Switch 2 to have real HDR, and considering it’s an LCD, it would need at the very least FALD (Full-Array Local Dimming) or optimally a miniLED screen. I didn’t think the latter option was financially viable, but some form of basic local dimming wasn’t off the table.
Based on these screen tests though, and that uniform 0.5 nits baseline brightness, there’s no sign of that and this seems like a regular LED backlight.
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The Contrast Ratio Isn’t Deep Enough
We already knew that the LCD in the Switch 2 would be nowhere near the OLED Switch when it comes to contrast ratio, because OLEDs have infinite contrast and the gap will always be there. So it’s no surprise that it’s worse on this metric, but because the Switch 2 screen has no local dimming of any kind, and it lacks adequate peak brightness, it’s literally impossible for it to show a true HDR image.
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So unless there’s something wrong or something people have missed so far, in my opinion, this pretty much buries the claim by Nintendo that the Switch 2’s built-in display is HDR in any meaningful sense of the word. It’s “HDR” in the same way the PlayStation 5 was “8K”. Technically, it’s entitled to use that sticker on the box, but in practice it means nothing.
It’s Not a Big Deal!
So, the actual big question here is how much this matters when all is said and done. The good news is that the Switch 2 outputs in HDR in docked mode, so you’ll still get the HDR advantage on a TV or monitor that supports proper HDR. However, I still think that for a gaming handheld, its other properties are more important and that, while it would be nice to have real HDR in handheld form that doesn’t mean the visual presentation will be bad.
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I’ve been playing on handheld PCs with similar LCDs for a while now, often back-to-back with my OLED Switch, and on balance I’ve found the LCDs with gaming-oriented features to offer a better experience.
Of course, the inevitable OLED refresh of the Switch 2 down the line will give us the best of both worlds, but I, for one, don’t doubt that the Switch 2 is going to be a blast regardless of the HDR fiasco.
- 4K Capability
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Yes
- Brand
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Nintendo