• Video

Unboxing & Review: Orion Gaming Display

This handheld display is meant to enhance your portable Switch experience, but does it deliver visuals and sound to match its size and bulk?

TJ Denzer

October 11, 2022 4:30 PM

1

The Nintendo Switch is pretty good for what it offers in its visuals and sound, especially in the OLED, but electronics peripheral company Up-Switch believes it can do better. Enter the Orion Gaming Display. This big display is meant to upgrade the visuals and sound of your Switch with an 11.6-inch IPS monitor and has a multitude of compatibility even beyond the Switch, but does it offer a decent enough upgrade at a reasonable enough price point to make up for the weight and size of the device? Our own Greg Burke checked on that first-hand.

In this unboxing video, Greg demonstrates how fairly easy it is to slot your standard Nintendo Switch or Switch OLED model into the Orion Gaming Display. Unfortunately, you’re going to either need to plug the whole setup into a wall or have a battery pack on hand. It’s not powered by anything internal. Greg also takes issue with the weight of the device, claiming it feels even heftier than a Steam Deck (1.65 pounds), which is notable in comparison to the original 0.88 pounds of a normal Nintendo Switch with Joy-Cons attached.

Even so, there are quite a few positives to the Orion Gaming Display. Its anti-glare screen looks good and sound comes through nicely on the display. It’s most certainly an upgrade to the normal Switch’s overall play and performance.

Those nice things said, Greg also wasn’t fond of the fact that the Orion Gaming Display doesn’t seem to offer access to the Switch’s cartridge port, meaning you have to take the Switch out to change physical games. Add this to the weight of the device, which for Greg came out to around 2 pounds, 11 ounces, and the Orion just might be a bit too unwieldy to overcome its benefits.

Nonetheless, the Orion Gaming Display is available via Up-Switch’s website and approved retailers for $249.99 USD. Want more unboxings and review videos like this Orion Gaming Display? Be sure to check out our YouTube channels at Shacknews and GamerHubTV for the latest reviews, gameplay, interviews, unboxings, and more on the latest video games, technology, and toys.

TJ Denzer

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.