For a company that is known for disrupting, playing by their own rules and taking big risks with wacky new features and ideas, the Nintendo Switch 2 is playing it safe. Considering the success of its predecessor, this makes total sense, of course. The original Nintendo Switch offered a hybrid console that could switch from handheld mode to tabletop mode to a full-screen TV mode and back again seamlessly, proving once again that Nintendo is the master in the handheld market, in particular. There’s a reason that it’s one of the best-selling video game consoles of all time, after all.
More than eight years after the original Switch, the Nintendo Switch 2 has finally arrived, and it’s decidedly by-the-book when it comes to a generational upgrade. It’s bigger, nicer to look at, has a more premium feel, and is much more powerful under the hood. It’s learned from the previous generation and made smart changes, while finally bringing the hardware up to a modern level of its contemporaries. There are glimpses of Nintendo ingenuity, still; mouse mode is a neat concept, and there’s something just campy and cringey enough about GameChat that it ends up charming.
After a couple of weeks with the shiny new device, I can confirm that the Switch 2 is absolutely the update that we’ve been craving, but there’s an asterisk: Xbox and PlayStation have already had a five-year head start here, which makes the overall generational leap feel a little bit less special, and a bit more like playing catch-up.
Let me upgrade you
I very much felt this in my previous preview hands-on time with the Switch 2, but what impresses me the most is how premium the design feels in my hands. The OG Switch almost felt toy-like, at times, which made it the kind of thing you could picture being chucked in a kid’s schoolbag for sessions of Mario Kart 8 in the playground. The Switch 2 is bigger, sleeker, and more visually appealing in every way. The 7.9-inch screen is a large upgrade over its predecessor, while maintaining the system’s slimness. Even the dock looks and feels nicer, too.
The way the Joy-Con 2’s snap into place onto the system using magnets instead of sliding them in just feels so immensely satisfying, and they feel like they’re held strongly in place. The Joy-Con 2’s overall are a big improvement, generally. They are larger, again proving to be far less toy-like, and even the new straps are attachable in a more elegant way. That said, despite the redesigned joysticks, they still don’t use anti-drift Hall effect sensors, which means the Joy-Con drift that impacted the original could still rear its ugly head here, too. The stand, for when you’re using the Switch 2 in tabletop mode, is another huge improvement. It was already improved in the Switch OLED from the flimsy effort on the OG Switch, but it now allows you to safely adjust to almost any viewing angle, and the extra USB-C port at the top of the console means you can easily charge while you play in this mode. It just makes sense, and makes tabletop mode a more viable option overall.
“The way the Joy-Con 2’s snap into place onto the system using magnets instead of sliding them in just feels so immensely satisfying…”
But really, the most substantial upgrade to the Switch 2 is the power it brings. Not only does this open the door for a new generation of fantastic-looking titles (I already think Donkey Kong Bananza might be the best-looking Nintendo game I’ve ever seen), but it also finally brings Nintendo to a more comparable level with the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5. Of course, it’s not going to be quite as beefy as those machines, but the idea of awesome-looking new release games releasing across all three platforms at once now feels like a possibility, instead of a distant dream. The first key example of this is Cyberpunk 2077, which, with some concessions, runs pretty damn well on the Switch 2, with some unique controller options to boot. It looks fantastic and plays perfectly.
The handheld’s screen has 1920 x 1080 resolution, supporting HDR10 and VRR up to 120Hz; games run a lot smoother overall due to the higher refresh rate, and it looks bright, but it doesn’t have the depth of an OLED screen. For those who invested in the Switch OLED, it’s not a huge leap forward. When in docked mode, the Switch 2 outputs at 4K, also with HDR10. As always, the caveat is that the games you’re playing need to support this too, but the difference between this and the OG Switch is night and day. Where the previous generation often looked muddy and low-resolution on my 75-inch QLED, the Switch 2 truly pops; playing Mario Kart World, even in chaotic multiplayer, is wonderfully vibrant and buttery smooth.
It’s the little details…
Games have gotten bigger, and so thankfully, the storage of the Switch 2 has followed suit, with 256GB available. That might not seem like much considering how quickly my 1TB Xbox Series X often fills up with games, but so far, game sizes on the Switch 2 are relatively manageable. Mario Kart World clocks in at around 22GB, while Cyberpunk 2077 is around the 59GB mark. Weirdly, the Switch 2 requires a new microSD Express card to increase the storage capacity, which feels a bit yuck. As somebody who had already spent on microSD cards to increase the storage of my Switch OLED, having to invest in another storage solution that’s “new” is a little frustrating. When you consider how bulky other future visual stunners or third-party titles might be, increasing the storage here seems like an inevitability rather than an option.
While I haven’t meticulously timed it, the battery life of the Switch 2 is alright. It is said to last between 2-6 hours, depending on what and how you’re playing; for example, a demanding title like Cyberpunk 2077 or Mario Kart World will only last a couple of hours at most, and OG Switch games or indies might last you 3-4 hours. This is pretty much on par with most handheld gaming PCs on the market, so regular charging (and portable charger options) is something I’ve gotten used to, but when portability is such a key part of your strategy, I’d hoped for it to last a bit longer. Thankfully, there’s already plenty of accessories available from third-party brands to help mitigate this.
The Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller is undoubtedly an essential accessory for those who prefer to play on their TV, though. While using the Joy-Con 2 Grip is comfortable enough, and even using individual Joy-Con 2’s for multiplayer Mario Kart sessions works well in the moment, I can’t imagine kicking back on the couch for an epic adventure like Tears of the Kingdom without having the vastly more comfortable Pro Controller. This new version has programmable back buttons included (GL and GR), which you can map easily. It also features the new C button, allowing you to jump straight into GameChat; overall, you can still use the Pro Controller from last generation if you don’t want to splash out, but it would be lacking a few of the new bells and whistles (and, annoyingly, can’t wake the Switch 2 up). Regardless, the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller has instantly become my preferred way to play.
A sprinkling of Nintendo Magic
Finally committing fully to online, social gaming in a way that they never have before, Nintendo has introduced GameChat on the Switch 2, including a dedicated button on all of its controllers to access it as swiftly as possible. While jokes were made about this feature being such a focus in its marketing (given other platforms have integrated “chatting with friends while playing games” effectively a long time ago), it’s been incorporated into the new console in a really elegant and simple way.
On top of this, the Nintendo Switch 2 camera (along with other compatible webcams) adds an extra layer of fun to playing with friends. It means you can see each other while you play, and it adds a neat personal touch to social gaming that I didn’t expect to enjoy so much, but in practice, is just the right amount of quirky that it becomes charming. You can even screen-share, but this is a little clunky in practice, and not something I can see myself doing very often. In games like Mario Kart World, you can even see your friends’ little faces hovering above their racers or on leaderboards, which is a nice touch. The Switch 2 has a built-in mic to keep things accessible as well, though a headset is obviously preferred so that your mates’ voices aren’t blaring out of your surround sound speakers.
“…the difference feels noticeable, and it’s been fun to see new life breathed into my back-catalogue.”
Then, there’s mouse mode, another neat inclusion that lets you turn the Joy-Con 2s onto their side and use them as if they were a computer mouse. It’s seamless, too; simply turn it on its side, and it’s a mouse, pick it up again, and it’s a controller. This is incredibly handy for specific genres, like Nobunaga’s Ambition or Civilization VII, where using a mouse feels far more natural than slowly navigating with a controller cursor. It’s also handy for shooters; in testing it on Cyberpunk 2077 and at the preview event for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, it adds an extra level of precision. I mostly use it on my thigh or on the couch next to me, and in my testing found that it worked fairly well. However, the Joy-Con 2 is, inherently, not a mouse, which means its design doesn’t feel comfortable for playing this way for long periods.
The launch lineup for the Switch 2 only features one true showcase with Mario Kart World, and to be honest, a lot of people will have already grabbed a console just to play the newest version of everybody’s favourite kart racer. It’s a colourful, brilliant example of what the Switch 2 is capable of, for sure, but if you’re not a Mario Kart enjoyer, I can understand the hesitancy in buying a console straight away. It’s nice to see such a breadth of third-party titles available at launch, though. Cyberpunk 2077, Yakuza 0, Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma, Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time, Fortnite, and even handheld-perfect indies like Deltarune and Monster Train 2 all run effortlessly.
Plus, there are the upgrades. Yes, Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom look better than ever on the Switch 2, making those masterpiece adventures even more appealing now on the upgraded hardware. But even existing OG Switch titles benefit here, too. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, notably unstable at launch, are actually a pleasure to play now, and even more recent titles like The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom have received a visual glow-up. Considering the 8-year-old hardware these games were running on previously, the difference feels noticeable, and it’s been fun to see new life breathed into my back-catalogue.
Last, but certainly not least for retro lovers, is the inclusion of GameCube games as part of the Nintendo Classics program. So far, we have The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Soulcalibur II, and F-Zero GX, but with so many iconic GameCube games lost to time, it’s thrilling to think about the possibilities of what might pop up on the service next.
Betting on what works, and winning
The Nintendo Switch 2, inherently, is exactly what we’ve been asking for: the form and function of the Switch, but more powerful. In that sense, it’s a huge success; this is a more premium version of one of the best-selling video game consoles ever made. While it would have been nice to see some more innovation, this is a safe, if not expected, update that is sure to sell incredibly well and make loyalists incredibly happy.
Is it worth buying today? Well, that partly depends on your eagerness to jump into this generation of Nintendo titles. The OG Switch games absolutely run better on this hardware, so if you’re somebody who has spent the last couple of years playing Switch games with sub-par visuals and wishing for a beefier Mario machine, you’ve got your wish here. But if you’re also somebody who has spent the last five years playing your PS5 and/or Xbox Series X, or has dabbled in Steam Deck or other handheld PCs in the last couple of years, the Switch 2 is a necessary next step, but perhaps not the most thrilling one.
That is to say, I’m not necessarily blown away by the Switch 2, but I am so bloody glad it exists. Nintendo has always run its own race when it comes to hardware, and this console smartly takes what was working well and improves upon it in almost every single aspect. Whether it’s in handheld mode or running in beautiful 4K on the big screen, it no longer feels like we have to make concessions or excuses when compared to its counterparts. Instead, the future feels bright and full of possibilities. Once again, it’s a great time to be a Nintendo fan.
The Nintendo Switch 2 is available now.
The Nintendo Switch 2 was provided to Checkpoint Gaming for review by Nintendo Australia.
About the Author
Luke Mitchell
he/him
Luke spends his time making radio, playing video games, binge-watching TV, getting unreasonably invested in wrestling, hosting bear events and hanging out with his beautiful pets.
