The Nintendo Switch 2 is hands down one of the most anticipated launches in video game history. For those of us who are fans of Nintendo, we’ve gone years, desperately waiting to see when the fabled successor of the Switch would appear. Some of us expected a minor revision in the form of a Switch Pro, others expected a complete divergence from their current hardware strategy, but Nintendo ultimately gave us a full straight-forward follow-up to the historic Nintendo Switch in the Switch 2 – but did the wait pay off? I’ve had the Nintendo Switch 2 for a week now, and I finally have the answer.
In a way, the hype that Nintendo had behind them could’ve been seen as a curse. How do you even create a successor to the Nintendo Switch? If they use the same form factor they’ll face critiques of losing their creativity, if they change their approach completely then they’d be abandoning the new hybrid approach that fans had grown accustomed to and that propelled Nintendo to a new level of global success. However, with hype comes the opportunity to reward audience anticipation, and I’m happy to say that Nintendo have absolutely delivered on all of our hopes with the Switch 2.
Let’s start with the immediate experience out of the box. We already had chance to try the Switch 2 out at Nintendo’s London preview event, but the rush of seeing it again was no less special. The Switch 2 is much bigger than the original Switch, the screen is between 1-2.5 inches bigger depending on the model, and to me that was sorely needed. The original Switch was great for its time, but the Joy-Con controllers were far too small for many adult hands, and some of the platform’s biggest games deserved more space to shine than the original screen. Readability was a problem at a distance in some text-heavy games, but the larger and brighter screen of the Switch 2 alleviates these issues.
The Joy-Con 2 feel sturdier, with bigger buttons and an improved gliding experience on the control sticks that feel larger and more premium than the base Switch. The Joy-Con 2 now attach magnetically to the system, rather than the old sliding rail-style attachment, and this is also a drastic improvement. I had concerns that the magnetic attachment would be flimsy, but it’s an incredibly strong lock, there’s really little room for damaging either the system or the console unless you’re severely mishandling it!
That’s enough about the physical product though – overall, you get the quality you’re paying for. Now let’s turn to perhaps the biggest selling point for the Switch 2, which is its power as a console. It’s noticeable almost immediately how much of an improvement this system is, before even launching any games. The UI icons are sharper and more animated, game artwork is far clearer on a large TV screen, and the eShop now actually functions smoothly. Gone are the days of long loading times and lagging animations on Nintendo’s shoddy storefront, as the Switch 2 actually makes it tolerable to browse and purchase digital games.
To really see the console soar though, I had to dive into some games. The first one I went to boot up was, of course, Mario Kart World. It’s the big system-selling title, it came bundled with my console, and I’ve been playing Mario Kart since the Wii era. Mario Kart World is nothing short of breathtaking, and we have the pure gaming power of the Switch 2 to thank for that. Races run at a buttery-smooth 60 frames per second, even when 24 players are all on screen, causing chaos and launching shells. The faster processing abilities of the Switch 2 even allows a certain iconic map in Mario Kart World to go bigger than ever, going so far as being able to hide a practically invisible loading screen transition due to how quickly the Switch 2 can run.
It’s not just a case of Mario Kart World being optimized by Nintendo wizards though. I was eager to try out perhaps the most infamous Switch title when it comes to performance, which was Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. These titles truly run with the frame rate of a printer on the original Switch, and the Switch 2 upgrade is a simple free update, not a paid overhaul like other Switch 2 Editions. I was delighted to see that with the pure brute force of a more powerful console, some of the worst Pokémon games are rapidly climbing my personal ranking to be some of the best. Now running at 60 FPS with an upscaled 4K resolution, the open world journey across Paldea has never been easier to traverse, without being in a fight against the Switch and its overheating fans struggling to render the abysmal failure of optimization that is these Pokémon titles.
The other games I’ve played so far weren’t all that demanding, but I’ll give a quick rundown of them anyway. I’m really enjoying Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster, which is a 3DS remaster so there’s nothing crazy going on with the technology, but it does load up from the menu lightning fast. There’s also Splatoon 3, which just got a free update. I’ve been able to try that out, as the update makes the lobby areas of Splatoon run at 60 FPS for the first time. Formerly, these areas were too detailed and demanding to run at the same framerate as the rest of the game, but the Ver 10.0.0 update enhanced the game for Switch 2 significantly, even though it already performed well on the original model. All I’ve yet to try out is the new GameChat feature, which I hope to try at some point in future.
A console needs two things to be good: games, and the power to run them. Whilst it’s only been a week, the Nintendo Switch 2 is demonstrating that it can deliver on both fronts. Sure, the only truly big title available right now is Mario Kart World, but Nintendo is committing to a consistent schedule ahead for early adopters – Donkey Kong Bananza is coming next month, along with two more Switch 2 Editions, then there’s a newly announced Splatoon spin-off, Pokémon and even Metroid representation all expected within the next year. They’re also digging back into the archives to deliver on some wishes that we’ve had for decades, like a sequel to Kirby Air Ride.
The ongoing support that Nintendo is offering for their latest platform also plays a significant part in my praises of the system. Sony released the PlayStation 5, but then continued to release some key cross-generation games to capitalize on those existing PlayStation 4 consoles. This showed a lack of confidence in their new system, instead allowing the PlayStation 4 to affect the scope these games could take whilst in development in favor of avoiding risks. Besides the cross-generation games announced before the Switch 2 was even revealed like Pokémon Legends: Z-A and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Nintendo have only announced exclusive Switch 2 releases for their upcoming schedule, showing their confidence they have a system worth buying, in a gamble that’s paying off across the world as the Switch 2 has already become the fastest-selling console in history.
I love my Switch 2. After only a week with it, we’ve been inseparable. I’ve played it multiplayer with family and friends, I play it on my TV in my bedroom for long evening gaming sessions, and I’ve got it right next to me as I write this review elsewhere. It has reinvigorated my passion for console gaming after playing on the PC for so long, and pulled me from those cursed live-service games that had me in their grasp thanks to the sunken cost fallacy.
Nintendo once said they were “playing with power”, way back in their 1986 advertisements for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Here we are almost 40 years later, but Nintendo has returned to their roots in the best way possible. They’re playing with power, and after revolutionizing the hybrid console market in 2017, they’re now leading the industry in how to launch and support a new platform. There’s nothing more to say about the Nintendo Switch 2, other than I can’t wait to get back to playing it once I’ve finished this review.
Bobby reviewed Nintendo Switch 2 and all games mentioned with his own purchased product and copies.
