Best games to play on Switch OLED

Nintendo’s Switch OLED is finally here – but what are the best games that take advantage of the bigger, brighter screen?

Nintendo’s new Switch OLED may have been lacking in 4K output, but its larger, brighter display is breathing new life into games that have been around since the console launched in 2017.

That’s because colors have never looked better than they have on the Switch OLED, and while our review will follow in the coming days, it can’t be understated how much of a difference that new display makes.

If you’ve just got yourself a new console, or are looking for a reason to pick one up, here are some games that look at their best on the Switch OLED.

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Contents

• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
• Daemon X Machina
• Metroid Dread
• Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
• Hollow Knight
• Katana Zero
• Astral Chain
• Monster Hunter Rise
• Pokemon Sword and Shield

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The best games to play on your new Switch OLED

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Sure, if you’ve got a Nintendo Switch, there’s a good chance you’ve already played Breath of the Wild. On the Switch OLED, though, it’s that little bit more engrossing. Hyrule’s plains have never looked more verdant, its mountains have never felt more uninhabitable, and the bigger screen makes it feel like an entire world on your handheld device even more than before.

• Read more: Master Chief in Breath of the Wild? Fan reimagines Halo with Nintendo art style

Daemon X Machina

While you may have played Breath of the Wild, you may have missed this mecha-style action game when it launched. Offering customizable giant robots duking it out across a desolate Earth, Daemon X Machina’s penchant for crimson red and flashy explosions makes it a perfect fit for your Switch OLED.

Metroid Dread

Launching alongside the Switch OLED, it’d be fair to say Metroid Dread, a game that’s been years in the making, represents a great reason to upgrade your console hardware. Planet ZDR is full of small details and touches, and whether Samus is sprinting through environments fleeing from robotic pursuers or trying to blast a path through its labyrinthine world, the Switch OLED relishes every missile, counter, and epic boss encounter.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Thoughts on Sora’s imminent arrival aside, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a must-play on whichever Switch you own – but the Switch OLED feels like the best place for it. Fights are easier to follow, and if you’ve spent any time in tabletop mode on your regular Switch then it cannot be understated how much the larger display helps when playing against friends.

Hollow Knight

Hollow Knight is an indie darling, but it’s not the most colorful of adventures. Instead, Hollow Knight highlights the deeper blacks possible of the Switch OLED. Hallowsnest has never looked darker or more mysterious, all without losing any of its detail or allure. Now, where’s Silksong?

Katana Zero

This 2D action-platformer gets a whole new life on Switch OLED, thanks to its vibrant colors, lightning-fast gameplay, and an incredible soundtrack that really helps show off the console’s improved stereo speakers. Slowing time, slicing through enemies, and dying over and over again has never looked so good.

Astral Chain

Platinum Games’s oft-forgotten Switch exclusive is another title well worth a reply on the Switch OLED. Set in a bizarre parallel Tokyo where monsters are popping out of another dimension, players take control of a special police force that battles these ‘Chimera’ while being bonded to monsters of their very own. Flashy effects and a dark, cyberpunk-infused world make this a must-play on your new Switch.

Monster Hunter Rise

Fight big monsters, carve them up, and use them as weapons against other big monsters – Monster Hunter’s core gameplay loop has never been more refined than it is in Monster Hunter Rise.

• Read More: Monster Hunter Rise review

On the Switch OLED, though, you have a larger canvas to take in those beasts before you get to swinging your sword made of its brother, and can check out your armor in more detail than ever before.

Pokemon Sword and Shield

Sure, it might have drawn plenty of ire from the fanbase when it launched, but the Sword and Shield generation of Pokemon has its moments. The Galar region absolutely pops off of the screen on the Switch OLED, and the Isle of Armor DLC, in particular, looks great.

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So, there you have it – the best games to play on your shiny new Switch OLED. Which will you jump into first?