Nintendo’s New Pokémon Themed Switch Is Inspiring Me To Buy An OLED Upgrade I Don’t Need

The holidays are a challenging time for so many of us, which is why the last three years having so many Pokémon releases has morphed into a welcome comfort for me, rather than seeming like a blatant cash grab. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will be here on Nov. 18, and Nintendo has launched a matching console in celebration.

The new themed Nintendo Switch is an OLED variant priced at $US360 ($500) — about $US10 ($14) more than the regular OLED Switch, though you’re getting Pokémon branding across the board with it. The legendary Pokemon you can capture in the new games, Koraidon and Miraidon, are featured on the OLED Switch dock. There are matching scarlet and violet-coloured controllers, each emblazoned with the crest of each game variant’s respective sect. The purple-ish Joy-Con features Uva Academy, while the red-but-almost-orange Joy-Con resembles Naranja Academy.

But the back of the Switch is the best part, as it also has emblazoned graphics. Fuecoco, Quaxly, and Sprigatito, the three starter Pokémon available in the game, are a part of the console’s physical design. It looks seriously cool when the Joy-Cons are docked on either side. All the new Pokémon represented in the designs are a part of the Paldea region, where the new Scarlet and Violet games take place.

This kind of special edition console launch is par for the course for Nintendo, which has released other Pokémon-themed versions of the Switch. During the Let’s Go era, you could find a first-generation Nitnendo Switch with Pikachu and Eevee. And when Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl were released, Nintendo made a dark grey Dialga and Palkia edition of the Switch Lite.

The Pokémon Scarlet and Violet-themed OLED Switch is available now. Nintendo is currently taking orders on its website, though you can buy it through several other participating retailers. I’m still attempting to justify the purchase to myself, as I have the Super Mario-themed version of the original Nintendo Switch plus a Nintendo Switch Lite lying dormant in my bedroom upstairs. Do I need the OLED variant to be happy? Probably not. But I’m a sucker for anything Pokémon.