Fears that the Nintendo Switch OLED might be susceptible to screen burn-in have been largely dispelled by the results of a recent test.
YouTuber Wulff Den has posted a six-minute video showing the results of an intensive test involving a Switch OLED, which has been plugged in and left displaying a static game image.
Typically, such a scenario is seen as Kryptonite to OLED technology, with early OLED panels in particular susceptible to ghostly UI elements remaining in place even when the picture has changed.
Not so here, it seems. In fact, it took the YouTuber some 3600 hours – or around five months of constant static screen exposure – before any signs of that ghosting effect appeared. Even then, the effect is pretty minor.
It goes without saying that this is a highly unnatural state for the Switch OLED to be in. Not only is it normal for screen content to be actively changing in relatively short bursts, but Nintendo’s system will power down the Switch screen after it’s been inactive for a while.
Indeed, Wulff Den had to use a third party Joy-Con controller with an auto-fire button to fool the Switch OLED into remaining awake.
Wulff Den’s previous check on this long-running test, at 1800 hours, yielded no noticeable change in the Switch OLED’s pristine display, which our reviewer described as “a massive upgrade” on the LCD original. The YouTuber plans to continue the test until the Switch OLED hits “an unplayable state”. Judging from the results so far, that could very well be a year or more into the future.
And the conclusion regular Switch OLED owners can draw from this test? That your Switch OLED display will almost certain to be fine for the duration of its life-span – or until the Switch Pro decides to make an appearance, at the very least.
You might like…
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
