Nintendo Switch 2 Reports of lagging LCD Screen

The Nintendo Switch 2 started off straight off the bat with drama, conversations, uproars and possibly Princess Peach clutching her pearls. Nintendo has been receiving lots of backlash from fans who continue to purchase Nintendo products, but aside of the frustration from the systems arriving bricked, the fact that Gamers do not own anything they purchase from Nintendo and that ultimately, Nintendo has always done things their own way, a sudden uptick has occurred online between Nintendo Switch 2 owners.

Independent tests demonstrated that Switch 2's LCD panel has notably slower response times compared to man gaming screens. Recent measurements from Monitors Unboxed and Chimolog indicated that the 7.9" LCD display on the Switch 2 exhibits considerably slower pixel response times than common high refresh rate gaming monitors. Users have also taken to reddit to express their frustration about the Switch 2's display setting. Monitors Unboxed recorded an average of about 33ms, whilst Cimolog found a somewhat faster 17ms. We, at It's Loot Box!, found ourselves in between Unboxed and Cimolog's finding at 24ms at 60 Hz.

For context, standard PC gaming LCD's often achieve 5–6 ms, with some models reaching speeds as low as 3.7 ms. OLED panels outperform both significantly, typically with pixel response times under 0.3 ms—making them almost 100× faster than the Switch 2’s LCD 

Nintendo Switch 2 Picture

What does this have to do with anything?

A brilliant questoin to ask, the original Switch's LCD from 2017 appears to be incredibly quicker in these comparisons. Monitors Unboxed reported its panel averaged 21ms, indicating that is about 50% faster than the newer model's LCD. That is concerning for the running price of $500.00 give or take a penny.

Interestingly, the original Switch’s LCD from 2017 appears quicker in these comparisons. Monitors Unboxed reported its panel averaged 21 ms, indicating it’s about 50 % faster than the newer model’s LCD tech.yahoo.com+6pcgamer.com+6inkl.com+6.

So what's causing the lag?

We did some digging and research and found that the Nintendo did not enable overdrive, similar to a gaming P.C.'s graphic's card system, an overdrive acceslerates the LCD pixel transitions but increases poewr draw. Think of the ROG Laptops and Armoury Crate's option to switch your P.C. to Tubro mode. The battery drains quicker thus causing less time online, this is what the Switch 2 is dealing with.

Nintendo's goal is to priotize the battery life over the quality of screen. The Switch 2 was designed to be a device that can be taken on the road though it's no Nintendo 3DS, the Switch reduces it's quality on the screen creating a slower pixel by prioritizing the battery life and reducing the voltage levels that run across the display.

Does this impact the real-world experience?

Visible motion blur: TechSpot’s motion blur testing showed significant ghosting trails on the Switch 2 screen when compared to both OLED panels and faster LCD monitors (~6 ms), though context suggests handheld gaming may present fewer problems than desktop testing conditions 

Gameplay tolerance varies: While some users on Reddit report the blur is distracting, others find it acceptable in everyday use–especially considering the device’s handheld context .

What about display quality beyond response?

While response times lag, the panel shows strengths in other areas. Chimolog reports solid brightness and contrast uniformity, and full coverage of sRGB and DCI-P3 color spaces—indicating respectable image quality for color and brightness-sensitive applications.

Final take

The Switch 2’s LCD offers enhanced resolution, size, brightness, and color range compared to its predecessor, but its slower pixel response times may introduce noticeable motion blur during fast-paced game play. Whether this matters depends on your sensitivity to movement clarity. Some may overlook it for the broader improvements, while others might prefer waiting for an OLED model or bring their own expectations regarding screen performance.

For our team, we kind of wished we just waited it out instead of jumping for the Switch.