I’ve been a Switch OLED devotee for years now with very few regrets. Also, when I’m not flicking Joy-Cons, I’m usually Steam Decking. So when the Switch 2 dropped into our collective laps, the question for me wasn’t “Is this thing good?” but rather: “Is it different enough?” Especially for those of us already living that premium portable life.
After spending four days with this new beast, I feel I have a firm handle on the joys and cons of what it provides. So without much more ado, let’s get right into the good, the bad, and the ugly of Nintendo’s highly portable part deux proposition.
Hardware: Mind Your Tegra
Let’s start with the brains. The Nintendo Switch 2 is packing a custom NVIDIA Tegra T239 chip. That might sound like alphabet soup, but here’s what it actually means in plain gamer English: it’s faster, leaner, and surprisingly powerful for a console that still fits into a cargo pants pocket (if you really cram it and ignore the sound of material tearing).
Compared to my Switch OLED, the boost in responsiveness is instant. Where the OLED stutters slightly while juggling between menus, the Switch 2 zips around like it just got a 5-star wanted level. Boot times are down. Load times are snappier. And once you fire up something like No Man’s Sky, you immediately feel that extra grunt under the hood.
a console that still fits into a cargo pants pocket (if you really cram it and ignore the sound of material tearing)
Games like Cyberpunk 2077 (yes, Cyberpunk 2077 on a Nintendo console) actually run. It’s not perfect, mind you. There’s still a little softness in the image, and the texture pop-in occasionally feels like it’s on a delay, like a very slow clap. But it’s smooth where it matters. And coming from the Switch OLED, it’s like swapping out your old hatchback for a spunky electric number with a bit of bite.
That alone might be enough to sway some folks. But if you’re Steam Deck-curious or Deck-devoted like I am, this obviously isn’t quite in the same league in terms of raw performance. Valve’s handheld can still do a lot more, but it does it with the grace of a leaf blower. The Switch 2 is quiet. Sleek. Purpose-built. Less Frankenstein, more fine-tuned fiddle.
Display, Design & Build
Let’s talk about the face of the franchise: the screen. After all, it’s the first thing you see, and depending on your sleep hygiene, sometimes the last thing you see before bed.
The Switch 2 comes equipped with a 7.9-inch LCD screen. Now, I know what you’re thinking. “LCD? Really? After the OLED? That’s like trading a bottle of aged scotch for supermarket cooking wine.” And yeah, on paper, it’s a bit of a bummer.
All that being said, the Switch 2’s screen is no slouch. Nintendo’s pulled some proper wizardry here. With a crisp 1080p resolution and a gloriously smooth 120Hz refresh rate, this thing moves like butter on a hotplate. While my OLED still wins for sheer color saturation and contrast (those deep blacks are basically soul-sucking), the Switch 2 counterpunches with clarity, brightness, and speed. It’s the difference between a prestige TV drama and a popcorn-action flick. Both have their place.
Physically, the unit’s a bit sleeker than the original Switch. It’s not a radical redesign; we’re talking evolutionary, not revolutionary. But the curves are more sculpted, the bezels are slimmer, and it feels like the sort of device that belongs in 2025. It’s also lighter than you’d expect. Not Steam Deck light (because lol, nothing is), but light enough to make long sessions of Mario Kart World in handheld mode feel like less of a wrist workout.
There’s also a new dock in town. It’s sleeker, includes a slightly improved fan system, and supports 4K upscaling (on supported TVs) when docked. The upscaling isn’t jaw-dropping, but it’s cleaner than the OG Switch’s output, and less prone to jaggy textures.
Now, let’s talk build quality. The OLED felt premium. The Switch 2? It feels reassuringly premium. The plastic shell’s been replaced with a more matte texture that hides fingerprints better than a magician at a crime scene. The kickstand (once a flimsy, panic-inducing afterthought) now spans the entire width of the console, just like on the OLED. It’s sturdy enough to survive a curious toddler or a poorly balanced ramen bowl.
The Joy-Cons? Reinvented, not rehashed. They now snap on with magnets instead of those fiddly rails, and they do so with a pleasing thunk that’s pure ASMR for your hands. They feel snug, solid, like they actually want to stay attached for once. Also, I haven’t had a single drift issue yet. Keyword: yet. We’re really going to have to watch this space over time to see if Nintendo has learned its lesson.
There’s also a second USB-C port on the underside of the new kickstand, which may not sound like a big deal… but try charging your system during a tabletop session on a plane. Suddenly that port’s a lifesaver, not a footnote.
Paying Extra Bells for Extra Whistles
As I said before, the Joy-Cons have had their glow-up moment. Gone are the days of those slightly loose, plastic-y sidekicks that creaked ominously when gripped too hard. The Switch 2’s Joy-Cons feel like Nintendo finally remembered these things are supposed to be controllers, not a pair of flimsy plastic prongs dangling off an expensive device.
There’s been some other tech upgrades beyond the addition of magnetic connection. The rumble is tighter, punchier, more nuanced. You don’t just feel a crash; you feel what kind of crash it was. There’s also a new “Mouse Mode,” which lets you use the Joy-Con as a sort of air pointer. It’s handy in menus, weirdly addictive in certain indie games, and completely unnecessary in Mario Kart. But hey, options.
And then there’s the Switch 2 Camera.
Yes, Nintendo’s added an actual, physical USB-C camera peripheral to the mix. You can plug it in, prop it on a table, and boom—video chat like it’s 2010 Skype all over again. It feels like something out of the Wii U’s era of noble but mostly ignored ideas, but this time, it’s tied to something called GameChat.
GameChat is Nintendo’s brave attempt to finally enter the voice chat arena without making you jump through flaming hoops while also juggling a smartphone. With it, you can chat to up to 12 other people, with voice and even video, during supported games. And for once, you don’t need a third-party workaround. It’s baked into the system.
Is it perfect? Not quite. The camera’s resolution is passable (think: Nintendo’s idea of HD, which always leans more ‘serviceable’ than ‘cinematic’), and the interface is charmingly clunky in that old-school Nintendo way. But it works, and that’s progress. Imagine running a co-op dungeon in Monster Hunter while actually being able to coordinate via voice instead of Morse code via emotes.
Last but not least, I picked up the thing that I’ve always grabbed since WiiU, a traditional grip Pro Controller. Imaginatively called the Switch Pro Controller 2, this not massively different offering introduces a dedicated C Button for instant access to GameChat, rear GL/GR buttons that can be remapped per game without exiting play, and a 3.5mm headphone jack for direct audio.
Despite a slightly smaller 1,070mAh battery, it maintains a 40-hour battery life and charges fully in just 3.5 hours. The controller also includes lovely HD Rumble 2, motion controls, NFC for amiibo support, and smooth-gliding analog sticks. All in all, I adore this thing. Truly, an essential purchase for serious gamers.
Launch Games (as I Play Them)
Let’s get this out of the way: we’re not getting a Breath of the Wild-sized paradigm shift at launch. The Switch 2 doesn’t open with a “drop everything and weep with joy” title like its older brother did back in 2017. But what it does bring to the table is a lineup that is like Nintendo decided to juggle first-party polish with a wild third-party flex.
Mario Kart World: The Crown Jewel
Front and center is Mario Kart World. And friends, this is not just another kart racer with shinier bumpers. It’s a full-blown evolution of the series, packed with interconnected tracks, dynamic weather systems, and an open-ish hub world filled with content unlock opportunities.
Think Mario Kart 8 Deluxe had legs? This thing has boost pads for knees.
The new “Survival Mode” is a chaotic, last-man-drifting affair where players drop out one by one until the final survivor takes the podium. It’s Mario Kart meets battle royale, and it somehow works without feeling like a desperate trend-chase. Every course feels stitched into a larger world; one moment you’re in a serene beachside town, the next you’re catapulted through a volcano and landing on a cyberpunk skyline. Seamlessly.
And performance? Locked 60 FPS in both handheld and docked. It’s the smoothest Kart has ever felt. The load times are lightning, and the rumble feedback when you hit a mushroom or slip on a banana peel now borders on haptic poetry.
The online play’s better too. No more disconnections every time someone sneezes near a router. It’s stable. Mostly.
Third-Party Surprises
There’s a decent array of third-party offerings and I’m currently trawling my way through quite a few of them in lieu of sleep. I’ve racked up serious hours in Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut, and Bravely Default (with full graphical parity to next-gen consoles) are all playable at launch. Basic TL;DR is that they’re all technically impressive, current-gen renditions that couldn’t possibly look and run as well as do on an OG, and are worthy of a purchase.
And yes, I did a double-take too when I booted up Cyberpunk 2077 on a Nintendo handheld and it ran. Not flawlessly, mind you, but well enough to feel like some dark art was at play. Textures take a moment to snap in. Crowd density’s been dialed down some. But Night City breathes, and you can play it on a lunch break without needing a nuclear-powered backpack.
I’m still compiling thoughts on a number of other games and will update this section as I chew my way through review codes. So check back soon…
On the Horizon
The future’s already looking robust, too: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, a new Donkey Kong, and a (back-compat) Pokémon Legends: ZA are compelling blips on the radar. None of them are here yet but the potential pipeline looks promising enough to justify an early jump if you’re the kind of gamer who likes to be ready.
Online Expansion ‘Cubed
The Switch 2 also leans into nostalgia hard with its revamped Nintendo Switch Online Expansion (which I’m still trawling my way through). F-Zero GX. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. SoulCalibur 2. All of them, emulated beautifully, with minor enhancements and a frame rate so smooth it makes the N64 offerings look like stop-motion.
This isn’t some half-hearted VC drip feed. It’s a legitimate library play, and it adds a weighty “value over time” feeling to the console’s early days. You can even make the experience super authentic buy forking out $89.95 for a wireless replica of the GameCube controller. I’m in the process of doing this and will report back with my impressions.
Game Share / Local Wireless Multi
One thing I should flag is that I did some overkill for this review by buying two Switch 2s so I could race them. More specifically, I wanted to test out the viability of Game Share and to see how some “within punching distance” Mario Kart multiplayer sessions.
What is the former? The Nintendo Switch 2’s Game Share function lets two consoles access the same digital game library, provided both are linked to the same Nintendo Account. One console is set as the “primary” system, where games run freely offline. The second, “non-primary” console can play shared titles, but requires an internet connection and may pause if the primary console launches the same game.
This feature has proven to be perfect for my multiple console household, enabling the two Heirs To My Throne of Games (read: sons) to play different titles from one purchase. I have to say that we’re not hugely impressed with the supported games list as it stands at the minute (the only Switch 2 title we have that qualifies is Super Mario Party Jamboree).
As for the latter, local wireless play, we can report after many hours that Mario Kart World is the bob-omb when played on two close proximity Switch 2s. We’ve had nothing but smooth, solid connections while hammering one another with shells, big ‘shrooms, and bananas. The Wi-Fi tech of the Switch 2 is noticeably better than what we got from its forebearers.
Should You Make the Switch?
So. Here we are. Two OLEDs deep, one Steam Deck humming on the charger like a laptop having a panic attack, and now a fresh new face in the room, the Nintendo Switch 2. The question isn’t “Is it good?” That’s the easy one. It is. The harder question I have to ask myself: “Was it worth upgrading to for $769 including an essential copy of Mario Kart?”
Let’s not sugarcoat it: the Switch 2 leans more to iterative upgrade, rather than a reinvention. There’s no dual-screen revolution here. No Virtual Boy-style gamble. No banana-shaped controllers. This is Nintendo being pragmatic. Practical. Dare I say… grown up?
It’s a console that finally takes performance seriously without sacrificing its identity. It’s the first Nintendo system in ages that can handle big-boy third-party ports while still running a Kirby game without melting. It’s quieter than the Deck. Slicker than the OG Switch. And smoother (so much smoother) than anything that’s come before.
However, if your Switch OLED still brings you joy, and you’re not itching for performance upgrades or third-party ports that don’t make you wince, you might be okay holding off. The OLED still feels lush in the hand. Its screen is richer. And for first-party Nintendo games (which rarely push the silicon too hard) it’ll be fit for purpose for a long while yet.
It’s a console that finally takes performance seriously without sacrificing its identity.
But if you’re the type who squints at loading screens, dreads frame drops in open-worlds, or wants to play Control or No Man’s Sky without a miracle patch or a stream-from-the-cloud setup? Then yeah. The Switch 2 is calling your name like Navi with better voice clarity and less annoyance.
The Nintendo Switch 2 isn’t just a follow-up; it’s a glow-up. It’s the Switch, perfected in most of the ways that matter. It brings Nintendo closer to the modern console race while stubbornly refusing to play by all the same rules. It’s got performance where you want it, charm where you expect it, and quirks where you probably don’t.
It won’t be for everyone. It’s not flashy like the PS5, or ultra-tweakable like the Deck. But it’s Nintendo, dialled in, focused, and finally ready to flex beyond its own back catalogue. And honestly? That was enough for me to make the jump, and now I’m happy I did.
Note: I’m not scoring this yet as this is still an in-progress review.
Note 2: The consoles and peripherals used in this review were sourced by the reviewer. Third-party publishers provided review codes for their respective titles.
