Plsnostrain Yeah. I would love to find someone with a release-day switch, and just trade them the base unit...

Maybe it's not the chipset. Maybe it's different display panel suppliers?

  • Gurm replied to this.
    2 months later

    diop Right now my only safe gaming console is a decade old Wii which is still going strong for now

    What about the PS3? I found out some games are perfectly usable for hours while others induce eye strain very quickly, almost immediately. It's the games! Game-specific eye strain.

    Gurm Can you rule out game-specific eye strain on the Switch?

    • JTL replied to this.

      KM @Gurm Can you rule out game-specific eye strain on the Switch?

      Although I've never used a Switch it seems very likely to me that this could be related to recent Nvidia GPU issues.

      • Gurm replied to this.

        JTL I believe it is.

        @KM I don't think it's per game, although some are definitely worse than others, just puttering around in the settings is mildly unpleasant. I will tell you that on the XBox One it is 100% game dependent.

        • KM likes this.
        7 months later

        I recently played Switch with my son at an electronics store and can confirm that it did not cause eye strain.

        Not sure if this was an old Switch or if they fixed the GPU issues somehow.
        Anyone here with a newer Switch who could share some experience? (thought already of buying one for my son and myself...)

        Edit:
        Ok, seems there is more info coming from this thread as well: https://ledstrain.org/d/358-xbox-one/28

          10 days later

          deepflame I bought a switch for my kids. I found it caused me immediate eye strain. My model was bought 4 months ago.

            jasonpicard thanks for the info. Guess I need to find something second hand locally then. Will you keep the Switch for your kids or would you return it.
            I have kids myself and I am not sure if the stuff that I experience does not also influence them in a way and I do not want them to have any long term health issue because they are still growing up...

              deepflame Knock on wood, my brother seems quite happy starting at his HP Zbook 15" with a low end TN panel with awful viewing angles, uneven brightness and awful ~200hz PWM flicker for 8 hours a day.

              deepflame It can be docked and I have no issue with it on the plasma TV. My kids have no issues with the screens. My kids mostly play PS4 so the switch doesn't get much use.

              I just joined as I came across this thread while searching the web.

              I’m having similar problems with my switch, both in handheld mode and when docked on my 65” OLED.

              Whenever I play my eyes feel strained within 5-10 minutes, almost like they are incredibly tired. They actually start to hurt moving them after playing for 15-30 mins.

              I’m a moderate gamer, played PC games for years and play both PS4 and XBox frequenly right now without issue. I also use a laptop, iPhone and 34” monitor daily without issue.

              What in the world could be causing this?

              Also, just to add. I have crappy eyesight but have worn glasses for years. Corrected my vision is sharp and just had my prescription updated earlier this year. I’m also playing in a bright room.

                Jivedonkey Is that TV ok otherwise? What things do you have connected to it when its ok? The prevailing theory, untested and speculative, is that one or more types of "dithering" (where pixels are rapidly flickered to create different shades than a panl can natively make) is the cause of much of our strain. That comes from the gpus of the device being used so would explain why plugging it into the TV makes the TV painful. Efforts are in progress to test for and then hopefully find a way to turn dithering off...but its an uncertain future.

                  Jivedonkey I'm wondering the same. Does the OLED TV bother you otherwise? I'm strongly considering getting one but not sure if I can use it.

                    hpst no strain at all using other sources on the OLED, it’s very comfortable with everything (PS4, Xbox, Apple TV) except the switch.

                    15 days later

                    Hey guys, I'm curious if the majority of people here have problems with the Nintendo Switch, or if it's just a few select people, and if there are any mitigation strategies for it.

                    Super Smash Bros, Ultimate has released today, and that's a definite console-mover and core title that has been highly anticipated. Before I jump right in I should probably at least try a Switch at a Best Buy or something, because I haven't actually tried one yet!

                    I used to play Super Smash Bros. Melee for GameCube (semi-)professionally once upon a time, and unfortunately the issue that brings me here likely kiboshed chances to turn fully pro. eSports became huge after I essentially "retired" from play as well, with some people I know that I used to compete with going on to make well... millions. I try not to think too much of what could have been because it's just too depressing, haha.

                    Actually someone even wrote a SmashWiki article about me once, and somehow even knew I had eye comfort issues! I once signed up to edit that portion out - you know - personal health struggles and the sort, but upon another look that detail came back again, lol!

                    https://www.ssbwiki.com/Smasher:MagnuM

                    This issue has made me feel like an old man for a long time now (first presented itself December 2011). I'm thinking of buying a Nintendo Switch and the new Smash so that I can actually feel young again! I guess I first want to check if the Switch is "eye-safe", and if that applies to the mobile and docked (console) configurations, or just the console.

                      I've been on most Nintendo consoles and hand-held's since the original NES, and can say whole-heartedly the Switch is the first Nintendo console to ever give me issues.

                      I first thought is it because it is hand-held? But I have used hand-held's for YEARS (All versions of Game Boy, Game Gear, Atari Lynx, PSP, DS Lite - etc...) for hours without any symptoms.

                      I got the Switch last year and was super excited - within 10-15 minutes of play, either docked or on my good Plasma TV, it wasn't eye strain but I felt really tired/dizzy/spaced out. Similar symptoms to what I experience on an iMac - which to me says there is some sort of dithering going on - IMO.

                      At the moment it seems all console gaming for me is a dead-end - if Nvidia dithering/PC eye issues are resolved i'll probably join the PC master race πŸ™‚ - There may be a Nintendo Switch emulator in a few years. I'm a big retro gaming fan and emulators are definately worth checking out - Check out Dolphin for gamecube/wii as an example.*

                      *To play backups of your own games πŸ˜‰.

                      • JTL replied to this.
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