Every console generation carries its own small frustrations, and the original Nintendo Switch's flimsy kickstand has long been one of them. As the company prepared to release a larger OLED successor in 2021, a Tom's Guide reporter asked a practical question that many quietly carry: how much of the new model's appeal can a current owner simply assemble for themselves? The answer, roughly fifty dollars in accessories, reveals that much of what separates the old machine from the new is a matter of convenience rather than capability, leaving the display as the one improvement that still demands th
Nintendo Switch OLED Upgrades on a $50 Budget: Stand, Wired Ethernet and Storage Fixes
Most of the OLED Switch's features for about $50
Mark
So the pitch is that about $50 gets you most of the OLED Switch?
Mimi
Yes. A $14 to $15 adjustable stand, a $13 USB ethernet adapter, and a 128GB microSD card for roughly $20 to $23.
Mark
Which of those matches the new model most closely?
Mimi
The stand and storage. The microSD slot is already under the kickstand, so the extra 32GB of internal space matters less.
Luke
Careful with the word 'most.' The article's own list is stand, ethernet and storage. The screen, the headline feature, isn't on it.
Mimi
Right, and it says so. The 7-inch OLED panel is only available by paying $350 for the new console.
Mark
Is the ethernet fix really equivalent?
Mimi
Functionally, for wired play, yes. The cost is a dongle hanging out of the dock. Nintendo has also said it will sell the OLED dock separately and that it works with original consoles.
Luke
Worth noting the prices are the article's figures from Amazon listings and can change. Also, the claim that 720p games might look worse on the bigger screen is framed as an argument, not a tested result.
Mark
So what's left to watch?
Mimi
Whether the screen alone justifies $350 once the console launches in October.
Le Pouls
- A flimsy kickstand and a crowded wait for October leave original Switch owners weighing whether to upgrade at all.
- A $350 OLED model arrives with a wider stand, ethernet dock, and doubled storage, tempting owners to rethink their setups.
- Cheap third-party fixes move in fast: a roughly $15 adjustable stand, a $13 USB ethernet adapter, and a $23 microSD card.
- Each workaround brings its own compromise, like a dongle dangling from the dock, and the 7-inch OLED screen remains out of reach without buying the new console.
- The decision is landing on one question: is the bigger, brighter screen worth $350 once the cheaper fixes are already in place?
Every console generation carries its own small frustrations, and the original Nintendo Switch's flimsy kickstand has long been one of them. As the company prepared to release a larger OLED successor in 2021, a Tom's Guide reporter asked a practical question that many quietly carry: how much of the new model's appeal can a current owner simply assemble for themselves? The answer, roughly fifty dollars in accessories, reveals that much of what separates the old machine from the new is a matter of convenience rather than capability, leaving the display as the one improvement that still demands the full price of admission.
The kickstand on the original Nintendo Switch is, by most accounts, pretty lackluster, and on a bumpy flight it is nearly useless. When Nintendo revealed the Switch OLED with a wider, adjustable stand, many owners of the older console felt a quiet pang. A Tom's Guide article from July 2021 set out to answer a simple question: how much of that new experience can you get without spending $350?
The OLED model, due in October, is not the Switch Pro many had hoped for. It offers a bigger OLED screen, a new dock with an ethernet port, 64GB of storage and better speakers. The article calls it a solid evolution rather than a revolution, and suggests that anyone without a Switch yet should simply wait. For current owners, the choice is harder.
The fixes are modest and cheap. A third-party adjustable stand, the Lamicall, costs about $15 and brings the wider viewing angle. For wired online play, a USB ethernet adapter of about $13 does the job, though a dongle hanging off the dock is an ugly trade-off. For storage, the original's microSD slot takes a 128GB card for roughly $20 to $23, which doubles the effective space for most libraries.
What cannot be bought separately is the 7-inch OLED panel, the model's headline feature. The article also cautions that 720p games may look worse stretched across that larger screen, since the OLED version does not raise resolution. That leaves the display as the real question: once stand, wired play and storage are handled for about $50, the decision rests on whether the screen is worth the rest.
The tiny kickstand on the original Nintendo Switch is, by most accounts, pretty lackluster, and on something like a turbulent flight it is functionally useless. Nintendo's announcement trailer for the Switch OLED made a point of showing off its replacement, and a Tom's Guide piece published in July 2021 argues that owners of the original console can borrow much of what the new model offers for roughly $50.
The Switch OLED is due in October and sells for $350. It is not the Switch Pro many had hoped for. It brings a larger OLED display, a wide adjustable stand, a new dock with an ethernet port, 64GB of internal storage and enhanced speakers. The article calls it a solid evolution rather than a revolution. For anyone who doesn't own a Switch yet, it says, waiting until October is practically a no-brainer. Current owners face a harder question.
Start with the stand. The OLED model's is wider and adjustable, so you can pick the viewing angle in tabletop mode. The Lamicall Adjustable Stand, a third-party accessory also used for tablets and smartphones, gives the original Switch the same features for about $14 to $15 on Amazon.
Next is wired internet. Competitive multiplayer is best played over a wired connection to reduce latency, and the new OLED dock includes an ethernet port for that. The original dock has a USB-A port, so a standard USB ethernet adapter does the same job. An official adapter runs around $30, but a third-party one such as the UGREEN adapter costs about $13. The article admits the downside: a dongle sticking out of your dock. It still judges that preferable to paying hundreds of dollars for a new console. There is another route, too. Nintendo has confirmed it will sell the new OLED dock separately, and it will work with original consoles.
Storage is the third fix. The original Switch has 32GB internal, half of the OLED's 64GB, which matters because plenty of games need 20GB or more of install space. But a microSD card slot sits under the original's kickstand, which the article says makes the upgrade almost moot. An officially licensed 128GB card costs about $20 to $23, such as the SanDisk model listed at $23. Larger 256GB and 512GB cards exist but cost more, and unless you have a gigantic library of digital games they are probably overkill.
Some things can't be bought separately. The headline feature is the 7-inch OLED screen, and unless you are very good at extensive console modifications, the only way to get it is to spend $350 on the new model. The article also adds a caveat. The OLED Switch has no resolution bump, so there is an argument that 720p games could look worse blown up on the 7-inch panel than on the standard Switch's 6.2-inch LCD.
The upshot is that the decision comes down to the display. Stand, wired play and storage can be handled for about $50 in accessories, so whether the screen is worth $350 is what will settle the upgrade question once the console arrives in October.
Citations marquantes
Nintendo has confirmed it will sell the new Switch OLED dock separately and that it is compatible with original consoles.— Tom's Guide, reporting on Nintendo's confirmation
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