So I bought a...
...Nintendo Switch 2. With prices just raising consistently for consoles, my kids wanting new Nintendo titles and, of course, a personal craving for new hardware, I decided to get a Switch 2! A lot of the bundles containing Mario Kart World, a title the family really wanted, have been priced down to the asking price of the standalone console.
While it's not in the price class as the original Switch, read my thoughts here, then what console even is any longer? With prices now looming towards an increase, I jumped on the opportunity and ordered the bundle alongside two more exclusives; Metroid Prime 4 and Donkey Kong Bananza. Reviews of these in a later post!
Design
Everything just gets bigger and Switch 2 is no exception; with a roughly 30% size increase it's a large, albeit slim, handheld. Then again, a lot of the handhelds these days like the ROG Ally and the Steam Deck are basically small handheld computers. For my big hands though the size fits me better and I heard no complaints from my kids as they went in handheld mode with it. The size increase helps with the small Joy-Cons in my opinion as they now are a better size when used as mini controllers.
The docking sports a more rounded design and what feels like an easier way of inserting the console. Aesthetically pleasing in any TV and audio setup, although it does come off as a little cheap when touching it, especially that flimsy back lid covering the cables. A plus is that the docking now has an Ethernet port, allowing for cabled internet connection without using a USB dongle.
While the Switch 2 moderately retains the red and blue colour scheme of the first console, it's somewhat more toned down here. I would've liked it being more prominent as it made the original console more iconic, Switch 2 is very black looking overall.
The back of the console now has a proper large stand, something Nintendo did remedy in their original Switch OLED model; it's a huge plus compared to the tiny flimsy stand on the original Switch. The new stand can be adjusted at various angles too.
Setup between the console is easy; everything is transferred over from your old Switch to the Switch 2 automatically. However, I still find it annoying that Nintendo and Sony don't support cloud saving for free like Xbox and Steam. It would make having both the old and new Switch living alongside each other far easier. I find that holding save files ransom behind a monthly fee is just a cheap cash grab.
Hardware tech
With a big advancement in more powerful hardware, there's an ample opportunity for Nintendo to upgrade older titles to run better and indeed they've done just that!
The two, chibi styled, Zelda titles; Link's Awakening and Echoes of Wisdom, reviews here, not only have their resolution greatly increased, but they also run locked at 60fps versus their fluctuating performance on the original Switch. Super Mario 3D World sees a 4K upgrade too, especially neat for its spin-off, bonus title Bowser's Fury, review here. Which receives a massive jump in resolution and performance! Splatoon 3 also sees a similar update, all of which are free!
There are updates that can be purchased too; like Kirby and the Forgotten Land, review here, which adds lots of new levels, higher resolution and a jump from 30 to 60fps. The two open world Zelda titles, BOTW and TOTK, also offer similar, more content filled updates. These swap the entire texture set out with a new one, increase resolution massively and jump from 30 to 60fps.
While I feel the Zelda ones could've been free upgrades, like how Gears of War 5 received a similar upgrade for free, they're absolutely worth it if you enjoy playing these titles! I find it odd though, that you can buy a Switch original and a more expensive Switch 2 version on the Switch 2, it should all just be the same price and you can install which version is for your console type only.
For players with no other current consoles, like an Xbox Series X or a PS5, then the Switch 2 has seen titles like Cyberpunk 2077, review here, and Star Wars: Outlaws, review here, ported in great fashion to the console. They run with graphics and tech that the original Switch would've struggled massively with. As such, the Switch 2 library becomes more interesting if you've only owned an original Switch.
Super Mario Kart World, Metroid Prime 4 and Donkey Kong Bananza are the main reasons to own a Switch 2 as we speak and they're all great launch titles. Absolutely worth the upgrade to a new console and more will come as Nintendo are great at supporting their own platforms.
Otherwise, loading is greatly improved, even for old titles, and the small onboard storage in increased to a healthy 500GB, allowing for more titles to be stored. Yet this storage is perhaps on the smaller side as we see games become massive in size, a problem that occurred for the similar launch models of Xbox Series S and PS5.
There have been complaints about the screen, especially as the last, albeit more expensive, original Switch model was an OLED screen. However, going directly from a vanilla Switch, which just had a LED display, to a Switch 2 for feels like a solid upgrade. Sure, there's some ghosting on the screen, but it pops colours nicely and supports HDR, variable refresh rate and 120hz.
Sadly, the VRR support is not transferred to the TV when docked; this is a proprietary Nvidia VRR solution and not the commonly adopted Freesync. With the console supporting both 4K@60fps and 1440p@120fps, the latter being extremely demanding holding at a steady framerate, the lack of VRR outside of handheld is a missed opportunity for the docked mode.
In general, a solid hardware jump with resolutions for docked aiming for 1440p to 4K and handheld for 1080p, vs the original Switch which resided in 900p-1080p in docked and 720p, and lower, in handheld.
Controllers
Included in the box are, obviously, two Joy-Cons. Strictly they're called Joy-Con 2s and each come with their own wrist strap in the signature red and blue. Just like the original Switch there's a "dogface" plastic shell to connect the Joy-Cons into. This makeshift controller is something I didn't really like enjoy the feel of with the first version and I'm not overly ecstatic about the Switch 2 one either. At least it has a larger form factor.
Interestingly, the Joy-Con 2s are magnetically connected to the sides of the Switch 2 tablet, allowing them to easier be locked into place in comparison with the clumsy rails of the original Switch. To release the Joy-Con2 s, there's a small button on the back that disconnects them. This whole feel with the magnetic connections is smooth and smartly designed, giving it that sensation of higher build quality.
As with the originals Joy-Cons, they contain gyros so they can be used the way Wii Remotes and Nunchuks worked, but new to the Joy-Con 2 is mouse support! If you place one of them standing on the table, they can be moved around like a mouse. I tried it in Metroid Prime 4, and I can honestly say it works very well, especially if you're on a desk and can use the 120fps mode. However, I don't see it as a feature many titles will utilise.
Joy-Cons can also be used together as a split controller option, the long-lasting DNS of the Wii, allowing you to rest one Joy-Con to each side of your lap. Using a single Joy-Con horizontally is, once again, a genius way of packing two controllers into the console for families. It allows more than one player to begin playing multiplayer out of the box. Personally, I find these "mini" Joy-Cons a little too small, but the larger size on the Switch 2 ones is a plus!
For more regular controller enthusiasts, like me, there's a Pro Controller 2 option you can buy. I haven't yet, as the Switch 2 supports all the original Switch controllers, including the Pro Controller, Joy-Cons and even third-party ones. The only super annoying, and may I accuse Nintendo of, deliberate design choice, is that all original Switch controllers can no longer boot up the Switch 2 remotely. You have hit the power button on the actual console to use the original Switch controllers. Such a stupid way of forcing people over on more tempting new Switch controllers.
Summary
Nintendo have done an excellent job at keeping the sensation of the original Switch and brought the hardware forward with a big leap. There are small incremental updates too, like supporting 120fps and HDR, and added controller options like mouse support.
It feels mostly just like the same platform upgraded and it will keep the console popular and important for many years ahead. With an ever-increased interest among gamers in handhelds, the mix between doing just that and being able to be in a docked mode is still very much a great idea all the way back to the launch of the original Switch.
Outside of storage being on the smaller side, but not bad, and VRR lacking support in docked mode, there's not much I dislike with the Switch 2. Sure, some idiots will make a massive thing of pointing out the graphics aren't quite up to the standards of Xbox Series X and PS5, but these people completely forget the console is also a handheld and it offers and impressively similar visual standard. The gulf between Switch 1 and 2 hardware is a significant jump!
If you've used you fist Switch extensively, enjoy swapping between docked and handled as well as, most importantly, really love Nintendo's own titles, then this console is an easy decision to pick up. It will be support heavily by both Nintendo themselves and third apart for many years ahead!
While it's mostly just a hardware upgrade and nothing fundamentally new, I'm super happy with mine and we've barely begun its lifespan on the shelves!