The Nintendo Switch OLED is a fine upgrade over the original Switch model, but it’s not without its flaws.
The lack of enhancements for TV mode users is obviously the most glaring omission Nintendo chose to make – you’re still getting the same 1080p output as the older Switch, and practically all of the Switch OLED’s enhancements disappear when it’s docked.
But there’s another baffling, simply maddening change that has been introduced with the Nintendo Switch OLED that I can’t wrap my head around: the decision to make the Game Card port almost completely inaccessible.
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As I mentioned in our Nintendo Switch OLED review, the Game Card port is now flush with the device. There’s a tiny gap present, but the handy indentation on the original Nintendo Switch, which made opening the protective flap a doddle, has now been removed. As a result, it’s incredibly difficult to open the Game Card slot on the Nintendo Switch OLED.
Try as I might, getting a good purchase on the Game Card port on the Nintendo Switch OLED is nigh on impossible unless you have long fingernails. If you’ve trimmed your nails recently, prying open the plastic flap that covers the Game Card slot is honestly an exercise in futility.
You shall not pass
But perhaps it was just my sausage-like fingers that were the problem? To rule out that possibility, I decided to perform a quick real-life experiment. I asked my partner to first open the Game Card port on the original Switch, and then the Nintendo Switch OLED. Unsurprisingly, she had no trouble popping the Game Card slot open on the Nintendo Switch, but when it came to the OLED model, no dice.
After tilting and angling the Switch OLED in an attempt to find what was clearly missing, eventually, thanks to the power of a slightly longer fingernail, my partner managed to prise the slot open. “Well, that’s stupid,” she exclaimed. “Why did they change this?”
Of course, I didn’t have an answer to her question, but it’s one that has been on my mind ever since I had the Nintendo Switch OLED in my possession. While I’m not someone who uses the Game Card slot regularly, I’ve never had any issues with the original Switch’s superior design. It’s always worked as intended and never became loose over time – unlike the dangly kickstand, which opens whenever I tilt my launch-day unit at a specific angle.
Physical foibles
The Nintendo Switch OLED is a curious device, then. It’s the best Nintendo Switch the company has ever made, with a beautiful new display, impressive speakers, and a redesigned, wider kickstand. And while an argument can be made why Nintendo didn’t enhance the console’s hardware and offer a 4K output, making the Game Card slot an absolute pain to open is, quite frankly, inexcusable.
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