Your highly anticipated Switch 2 might be packing more visual letdowns than you realize: from noticeable screen blurring and ghosting to older games that look unexpectedly muddy or stretched, many titles are failing to shine on Nintendo’s upgraded console-and the reasons go deeper than you’d think.
The Switch 2 supports HDR, at least in theory. Where older tech leans on extremes, HDR captures the gradients between extremes better, which creates vivid colors while also ensuring that brighter and darker portions of the image don’t lose finer details. The reality, however, is that the settings the Switch 2 provides to users are nearly impossible to properly configure, even if you follow Nintendo’s instructions to the letter. The result? The upgraded graphics on Switch 2 might appear more washed out than they’re intended to.
Fortunately, YouTube expert HDTVTest breaks down exactly what you need to know to get HDR working to the fullest extent.
The first thing the Switch 2 asks you to do is to adjust the brightness until a portion of the sun image is no longer visible. The problem is that this test only applies to TVs with the option to turn HGiG on, which your set may not support. Without it, you might end up over-tuning the brightness of the image to make one of the suns disappear.
Another hurdle to achieving the perfect settings is that the arrows don’t properly reflect what is changing on your screen. As HDTVTest shows, you can click on them and nothing will happen sometimes.
When the Switch 2 asks users to set its “Paper White,” fans are likely to get it wrong because the console’s own reference point does not match the actual universal standard for that setting, which results in a flatter image.
HDTVTest goes over the problems in great detail in the video, diving into the technical aspects with gusto. But what are you actually supposed to do with this information?
First, turn on HGiG tone mapping, if your TV or display supports it, and then adjust the suns. For paper white, things get tricky because the most accurate setting requires knowing the exact values you used for the previous screen. If you have an Xbox Series X, that can be a potential way to figure out what numbers you’re actually dealing with – the console’s HDR game calibration setup displays this information while you set brightness. Hilariously, you’re still going to have to do some actual math with this workaround to be able to get a proper paper white setting.
If your TV doesn’t have HGiG, you can rely on a more general rule of thumb; your max TML should be around 1,000 nits, and your paper white should land around 200 nits. The YouTuber also suggests relying on the joystick over the D-pad, as the buttons are weirdly imprecise. He also suggests setting your Switch 2’s HDR output to “compatible software only,” as otherwise your console might introduce visual artifacts, and to turn off screen burn-in reduction, which can also distort the graphics.
Why does the Switch 2’s screen cause games to look worse than expected
The Switch 2’s screen causes games to look worse than expected primarily due to its slow LCD pixel response times, which result in significant motion blur and ghosting-visual artifacts where previous frames linger and smear as the image changes. The response time of the Switch 2’s display has been measured at around 30-33 milliseconds, which is much slower than what is typical for modern LCDs and even slower than the original Switch from 2017.
Key issues include:
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Motion Blur and Ghosting: During fast motion, such as sidescrolling in 2D platformers, the display leaves behind “ghost” images, making visuals look smeared and reducing clarity.
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Single Backlight Panel: Unlike higher-end displays that use multiple dimming zones for better contrast and perceived clarity, the Switch 2 uses a single backlight, further limiting its image quality, especially for HDR content.
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Inadequate HDR and Brightness: The panel struggles to meet true HDR standards (under 400 nits), so color and black levels often look muddy or washed out.
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Lack of User Controls: The Switch 2 does not offer user-adjustable display settings like color temperature, preventing fixes for issues such as excessive blue tint out of the box.
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Compatibility with Older Games: Many Switch 1 games haven’t been updated to render at the Switch 2’s higher native resolution, so they appear stretched and blurrier on the larger, sharper screen.
In summary, the combination of a slow LCD panel, limited display hardware features, and poor software optimization-especially for legacy games-leads to a noticeably worse viewing experience than many players expect on the Switch 2.
How does the lack of adjustable color settings affect my gaming experience
The lack of adjustable color settings on your Switch 2 means you can’t change important display aspects like color temperature, saturation, or gamma, which can significantly affect your gaming experience in several ways:
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Stuck with Defaults: If your console’s screen comes with a strong color bias (for example, a blue tint), you have no way to correct it. This can make images appear unnatural or fatiguing over time, and colors won’t look as the game developers intended.
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No Personalization: Players generally adjust color settings like saturation or vibrance to make games feel more vivid, punchy, or easier to see-especially in competitive titles where spotting enemies quickly is crucial. Without these controls, games may look flat, washed out, or too dull for your liking.
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Limited Accessibility: Some people use gamma or contrast tweaks to make details visible in shadows or bright scenes. A fixed display means you might struggle to see well in dark games or lose detail, which can affect both enjoyment and performance.
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Poor Correction for Game Variety: Different games are designed for different color spaces or moods (e.g. a moody horror vs. a bright platformer). With no adjustable settings, you’re locked into a one-size-fits-all look, even if it doesn’t suit each game.
In short, the absence of adjustable color settings restricts your ability to optimize visuals for comfort, visibility, and immersion, often resulting in a less engaging or less clear gaming experience-especially if the out-of-the-box display configuration does not match your preferences or the game’s artistic direction.
