Forget price hikes - the Nintendo Switch OLED is finally on sale and, honestly, it might just be the right call for new players

Nintendo Switch OLED playing Super Mario 3D World — (Image credit: Future)

Look, I love the Nintendo Switch 2. For Nintendo Switch 2 games. The truth is, I was disappointed in the system's treatment of legacy titles when I reviewed it at launch. The new handheld sports a larger, higher resolution screen and when older Switch titles are plastered across this face, they look worse than they did on the original.

That's why the Nintendo Switch OLED's current $50 discount is so appealing. Walmart and Amazon both have the console available for $299.99, down from the original $349.99 MSRP. That's $150 less than the price of the Switch 2 (which currently only has a handful of dedicated games by the way).

Nintendo Switch OLED | $349.99 $299.99 at Walmart
Save $50 - You're spending $150 less than the price of a Nintendo Switch 2 here, and getting a better visual experience across Ninty's massive library. That's nothing to shake a stick at, especially considering the OLED model's seen price hikes over that $349.99 MSRP recently.

Buy it if:

✅ You're new to the catalog
✅ You mostly play in handheld mode
✅ You don't need the latest release

Don't buy it if:

❌ You need more Donkey Kong in your life

Price check: Amazon: $299.99 | Best Buy: $349.99

That's without taking recent price increases into account. Nintendo officially upped the MSRP of the Nintendo Switch OLED to a whopping $399.99 at the start of the month - just $50 less than the new Switch 2.

Thankfully, many retailers have stuck with the previous $349.99 MSRP for now - but it also means you're technically saving $100 on a Nintendo handheld, and that's not a sentence I can type very often.

Should you buy the Nintendo Switch OLED in 2025?

Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch OLED on a wooden desk with blue backlighting — (Image credit: Future)

I wouldn't recommend the Nintendo Switch OLED to everyone right now. Obviously, the Nintendo Switch 2 is the more powerful gaming handheld capable of running beefier games on a bigger, higher resolution screen. The original Nintendo Switch started to show its age a good few years before the new handheld as well, dropping performance in more demanding titles.

The fact still remains, though, that I've had the Nintendo Switch 2 since launch and I still use my OLED for older titles. The difference in visual quality on OG Switch games was noticeable from the first moment I tried running Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the new system. Stretching a game designed for a 7-inch HD screen across a 7.9-inch 1080p panel is never going to end well.

If you're buying your first Switch and want to make the most of a massive library of existing games rather than waiting for a drip-feed of new releases I'd jump on this Switch OLED offer as soon as possible. To make the most of a Switch 2 right now, you'll need to be super keen on Donkey Kong Banaza, Mario Kart World, or The Legend of Zelda.

Nintendo Switch OLED | ~~$349.99~~ $299.99 at Walmart
Nintendo Switch OLED | ~~$349.99~~ $299.99 at Amazon
Nintendo Switch 2 + MK World | $499 at Walmart

Check out all the best Nintendo Switch accessories we've tested so far, or take a look at more of the cheapest Nintendo Switch bundle deals available now. We're also rounding up all the best Nintendo Switch controllers on the market.