You can now buy the Nintendo Switch OLED dock separately for $70 / £59.99, which means users can upgrade their existing Switch dock to the new model or buy a spare one to use in another room if they’d like.
The question is, though, should you bother picking up the new Nintendo Switch OLED dock? Nintendo’s redesign dock isn’t a dramatic departure from the original, but a few improvements may make it a worthwhile purchase for some.
The most notable addition to the new Nintendo Switch OLED dock is the built-in LAN port. If you play Switch games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Splatoon 2, or Mario Kart 8 Deluxe online, a wired connection will provide a more stable and consistent experience than Wi-Fi. It also means you don’t have to purchase a USB LAN adapter, which many resorted to when using the original Switch dock.
Not needing a USB LAN adapter frees up a USB port, which is a good thing considering the Nintendo Switch OLED dock only has one USB 2.0 port instead of two, and Nintendo’s official USB LAN adapter costs $29.99 / £29.99.
The Nintendo Switch OLED dock is also more aesthetically pleasing than its predecessor. It has a curved design, comes in two color options, and has a slightly wider slot which should lessen the chances of scratching the Switch’s screen over time. We’d strongly recommend purchasing a screen protector, though.
Analysis: a non-essential Switch upgrade
It’s clear that the Nintendo Switch OLED dock isn’t a must-have upgrade, then, but having the option to buy it separately is certainly welcome. The dock will work on older Switch models, but they may require a firmware update to do so.
The Nintendo Switch OLED continues to be extremely hard to find in the US, but stock is more readily available in the UK. The OLED dock is already sold out in the US and the black version is out of stock in the UK as of writing.
Nintendo has previously warned that it won’t be able to meet the demand for its hybrid console over the holiday season, so if you do see a Nintendo Switch console in stock, we’d suggest picking it up before stock dries up.