When the Nintendo Switch saw an OLED screen variant added back in October 2021, many users were understandably concerned about the potential for burn-in issues.

OLED panels produce gorgeously vibrant colours and incredibly deep inky blacks but they're not without their shortcomings, older models were particularly prone to burn-in. 

Burn-in occurs when a particular image is displayed on the screen for a long time and it leaves behind visible marks where the fixed image once was.

A YouTuber who goes by Wulff Den took it upon himself to see exactly how long that takes on the Nintendo Switch OLED model.

He left his OLED Switch plugged in and turned on with a static screenshot of Breath of the Wild blasting at full brightness.

He's been providing periodical updates and the great news is that only now, after 3,600 hours or roughly five months, burn-in signs are starting to appear.

Even after all this abuse, the signs are subtle and only really noticeable on light backgrounds.

This is extremely reassuring for those on the fence about the OLED upgrade, as it suggests in normal use, burn-in is highly unlikely to occur during the console's lifespan.

To be clear: you would need to have a static element at full brightness for five straight months to recreate these results, something that almost never happens in normal gameplay.

Wulff Den isn't done yet though, he plans to continue this test indefinitely and is predicting that the burn-in won't negatively affect gameplay for at least another 1,800 hours or so.

He's also added some supplemental battery testing to the mix, and things are looking promising here too. It seems that five months on the charger has had little to no negative effect on the battery.