So, I've recently begun using the Nintendo Switch. And I know other people here use it also. Here's what I've found so far:

  • Gen1 switch worked great when docked. When handheld, not so much. Interestingly, a switch I had bought years ago did NOT agree with me, handheld OR docked, and I had sold it.
  • Gen2 switch (my son's) works great docked. I wondered if I'd get used to it but I did pretty quickly. Haven't really tried it handheld.
  • Gen2 switch that I bought myself very recently has VERY different colors. It seems brighter/sharper. Might be a little harsher on the eyes.

So questions - is there some kind of color setting or calibration? Is there a difference in display chips between Gen2 switches? All three units have identical (latest) firmware revisions. Unless I find that it settles down, I may very well be trading my new one to my son (who won't complain at getting a 6+ month newer unit).

They have changed chipset in Gen2 switch and due to corona and Switch price went up and availability was bad it's possible they have changed more hardware because they had no parts available (corona - production issues in China). Best solution for you is to trade with your's son unit🙂 No point giving yourself a torture... in my experience if a display/unit gives you sympthoms it will and you can't do nothing more then change it...

I have been using Switch version the old one which I have bought almost at start with Zelda and it was problem free for me. It was the only device I could even plug in to a TV with PWM 240hz and still no problems...

I still have the 1 gen and theres no strain in games, BUT then I decided to buy a program called Fuze which is a program that you can code your own games. Then the worst eyestrain began so they probably inserted some horrible dithering and that was such a letdown for me as I wanted to begin coding. But for gaming its strainfree.

I saw this in an article I was reading about the new V2 hardware and thought it might be interesting having just been reading the other thread about polarisation:

From what I can see, the new Switch V2's screen is slightly brighter and gives off more of a warm color than the original's screen. It's really not that noticeable, though. Otherwise, the resolution between the two devices appears to be the same. So, unless you're comparing the two screens side-by-side you probably won't notice a huge difference. The one major difference is that the new Nintendo Switch's screen is definitely polarized differently. This makes it harder to play the screen outside while wearing sunglasses, but that's about it.

  • Gurm replied to this.

    AgentX20 interesting! The difference I'm seeing is when docked, I hadn't even compared the actual screens.

      Another Switch revision is on the way, HAT002 which will feature a new SoC, memory and CPU board.

      This is not the Switch Pro which is a different product.

      11 days later

      So my son's switch is now nearly identical to the new one we got. Which is to say both induce a LITTLE eyestrain. After some hours of playing Zelda: Breath of the Wild my eyes were definitely tired. Similar to the strain I used to get after spending 2-3 hours playing Destiny 2 on the XBox One. In other words, totally manageable. I suspect that there was a system update that made it a little worse, and that the new unit had already been updated (or had been updated first). I'll keep testing and let you guys know.

      One thing for certain on the switch is that the "adaptive brightness" - which should only work when it's handheld - actually works when docked too. So it makes the display brighter and/or darker based on ambient light. I have NO idea how this even works when docked, since ostensibly the light sensors would be covered? What I can say is that there was a CLEAR difference in output (with the setting 'on' the display was brighter, sharper, and also hurt more) until we disabled that setting and then there was very little difference.

        Gurm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6NkNgI1ssw Zelda BOTW runs at 30FPS and drops frames occasionally dipping below 30. If you have Mario Odessey it would make a good test to see if that game strains your eyes at it runs at a locked 60FPS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOpdeMVB5_8 I provided the videos from Digital Foundry where they test the resolution and frame rates. Keep in mind that both games use dynamic resolution as well which could also be a source of eye strain.

          dev