Before you watch that “Very Poor LCD Display […] Switch 2 HDR Tested” YouTube video, ask yourself this: No one can “test” a display without using controlled test videos. How, pray tell, did the person do that on the Switch 2? (No, he couldn’t)
It seems that the person simply scanned the LCD when playing Breath of the Wild—which is a Switch 1 game—and presented it as true test results. He said that the HDR contrast is bad and the game looks “washed out”. Does he not know that’s the art style?
Even if we take his claim of 450 cd/m2 brightness at face value, it’s a hyperbole calling it “no real HDR”. According to the VESA standard, 400 cd/m2 and 1300:1 contrast ratio are enough to be certified for HDR.
The peak brightness of most TVs and phones varies due to Auto Brightness Limiter (ABL). The popular LG C5, for example, aggressively lowers its peak from 1300 to 220 cd/m2 as the video content gets whiter (from 2% white to 100%).
No Switch 1 models employ ABL, however. So far there’s no report of ABL on Switch 2 either. It means that the brightness is consistent, even when the whole screen is white (100%). In this regard, 450 cd/m2 is actually very respectable, not to mention that a handheld is closer to your eyes than a TV.
I can’t tell if this person is biased, concern trolling, or incompetent unless I watch a lot more of his YouTube videos. But based off of this one, I’m not inclined to consume more.
[Originally posted on 2025-06-05 Pacific Time]
