I thought I was out of the video game space, but when Nintendo announced the Switch 2, video games piqued my interest again. The Switch 2 got me excited for gaming in general enough that I fought off sleep and millions of other people to stay up and preorder it.

I felt very fortunate to have landed a Nintendo Switch 2 at launch, after all the problems people had preordering.

Mine not only came in on time, but now that I have it, here’s what I think about the Switch 2 and whether you should invest in one.

My Nintendo History and Gaming Preferences

Before you proceed, it’s essential to know a bit about me as a gamer and reviewer, so you’re aware of my potential bias.

Growing up, I have vivid memories of playing an ancient gaming system, which I think was an Atari, but it might not have been. The visuals from playing Joust and Pitfall permeate my earliest memories.

One Christmas morning in the early nineties, I got an NES and became hooked on gaming. Eventually, the next consoles came. My best friend got an SNES before we ever thought about updating. We spent hours playing Super Mario World and other games, so when it came time to update my NES to something else, with my preteen wisdom, I thought it would be better to get a Sega Genesis. That way, we would have both systems covered.

What a mistake.

I ended up missing out on one of the best generations of gaming. I would regret that forever, and that would cement me as a Nintendo fan for the rest of my gaming life. After that mistake, I’ve gotten every Nintendo platform, including the Virtual Boy. I even stuck with Nintendo through the Wii U era.

At one point, I bought the original Xbox and Halo. It never caught on with me, so I sold it. Other than that, I haven’t owned any other console besides Nintendo.

That’s because I think Nintendo makes some of the best and most entertaining games. I’ll try some other games, though. I’m not a snob. WarCraft and StarCraft got installed on my PCs and Macs on day one. I loved X-Wing and the Dark Forces series.

Since I haven’t jumped on the PC, Xbox, or PlayStation trains, I might have a different perspective than someone who has another console.

Also, I’m not a professional reviewer. I have written a few things about games in the past, like my Top 5 Switch games (which haven’t changed since I wrote it), but I haven’t done this for a living. I’m simply writing my impressions and thoughts on a new system.

Take that for what it’s worth

Nintendo Switch 2 Design and Controller Upgrades

Upon opening my Nintendo Switch 2 box, the larger size of the Switch 2 took me by surprise. I knew Nintendo made the Switch 2 larger, I had even seen size comparisons, but that can’t compare to seeing it in real life.

The screen is massive in comparison to the Nintendo Switch. Since the screen size increased, the Joy-Cons also grew. The Joy-Con 2s feel much better in my adult hands than the Switch’s Joy-Con. The buttons are slightly larger, although not as large as those on the Pro Controller for either Switch or Switch 2.

Sliding the Joy-Con on the Switch or Switch Controller Grip frustrated me. Sometimes I wouldn’t line it up correctly, or my kids would try to put them on and slide them on the wrong side or in the wrong way. The Switch 2’s use of magnets simplifies the Joy-Con 2 configuration. All you have to do now is push it in place on either side, and it works. The magnetic connection feels solid, and I’m not worried about them coming out at all, even through some hardcore button mashing.

Instead of having to push and hold a button to slide these off the Switch or Controller, there’s a lever you press to detach them. It feels so much better when you have to take these off. I have no fear of having to install or detach these from the system or the controller grip.

I don’t like the control grip as much for the Joy-Con 2 as I did for the Switch. While I appreciate the larger buttons and controls of the Joy-Con 2, the grip doesn’t feel as comfortable. The top of the grip has a flat side that doesn’t feel right to me. It doesn’t affect anything other than your personal preference, though. Most people probably won’t even notice it.

On the other hand, the new Pro Controller is amazing. It feels better than any other controller I’ve ever used. The buttons and control sticks feel smooth and responsive, and the grip is comfortable. It feels silky smooth when using it.

Using the device in handheld mode, my hands didn’t cramp up as much. With my older, smaller Switch, my hands would cramp after just a few minutes of playing any game. Now, after hours of playing Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Metroid Dread, I don’t feel any pain. When I play Mario Kart World and have to hold down the A button to give my kart gas, my hand cramps slightly. The pain isn’t as bad as it was with the smaller Joy-Con, but it is still there. I don’t know how they would, but I wish Nintendo would release Joy-Con 2 with a more ergonomic grip for longer play sessions.

I haven’t used the kickstand on my Switch 2 yet, but just opening it feels better than the first Switch. The kickstand on my Switch became loose a long time ago, so it just swung around when I played in handheld mode. It also helps that both the top and bottom now have USB-C ports. You can charge while playing in tabletop mode, which wasn’t possible on the Switch 1.

While I don’t have any complaints about the new system, I wonder how kids or people with smaller hands will find the larger system. I don’t think it is too large, but some might struggle. To that end, all of the Switch 1 controllers can be used on the Switch 2

I also haven’t left my house with my Switch 2. Some people might not like the larger size due to portability problems.

Switch 2 Performance Review: Speed, Graphics & Gameplay

Coming from the Switch, the Switch 2 runs buttery smooth. I haven’t run into any slowdowns or weak spots in my time with Mario Kart World and a few other Switch games.

Mario Kart World looks better than any previous Mario Kart title, while also offering more characters on the track simultaneously. The entire world feels more detailed and textured. The Switch 2 doesn’t bat an eye. The environments look so vivid as they fly by.

Never has a Nintendo system been able to produce such lighting systems. Everything feels next level. However, if you’re coming from another system, it might not be as impressive. I haven’t, so having something that can produce that quality in a handheld feels amazing.

Hyrule has never looked better than in the Switch 2 versions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. Nintendo refined all the visuals and textures, introduced HDR support, increased frames per second, and improved resolution. It makes the game feel new again. It blew my mind how smoothly everything ran.

Opening up my save, I honestly couldn’t believe how much of an improvement came with the updated version of the game. Just moving the camera around felt buttery smooth. Link moved in a way that I’d never seen before. My return to Hyrule impressed me. All for the simple price of free, since I had the Nintendo Online Account.

I heard that the load times had improved as well. That might be true, but honestly, I haven’t noticed. It still takes some time to load once you leave a temple or teleport.

Other Switch games run just as well, if not better. I’ve jumped back into Metroid Dread, and it feels better than ever. Overcooked! felt the same as on Switch, with a long load time, but I doubt it’s been updated yet. Still, I felt so thankful that my game library still works on the new Switch 2.

Switch 2 Mouse Mode: Using Joy-Cons for Precision Control

One thing I’ve only barely used is turning the Joy-Con 2 into a mouse. To use this feature, detach the Joy-Con from the system, then turn it sideways so that the part that attaches is on the ground. Then move it like a mouse.

Surprisingly, this worked really well for the short time I used it on the menu. It’s not the most comfortable mouse, but it gets the job done. I’ll be interested to see which games use this and how. It’s great that they made it so seamless to use. The system will sense and automatically change to the mouse pointer, allowing you to move back and forth at will.

I’m not sure I’ll play the types of games that warrant this type of play, but I can see Nintendo coming up with some great ideas.

Other Inputs on the Switch 2

There are a few other input methods on the Switch 2 that I haven’t experienced yet, so it’s hard to gauge.

For the first time on a Nintendo console, Nintendo has integrated voice chat. You can add a webcam to your system. When using chat, your picture or screen can be streamed to your friends in chat. It’s an interesting take, but it makes me curious about how much of the system this feature utilizes. Will it degrade the quality of your games?

I like to game solo, or quietly when I’m playing online. I don’t want a teenager to insult me while I’m losing in Mario Kart. Maybe once I have some friends who upgrade, I might add the chat feature, but I don’t need it unless we’re playing co-op.

Of course, Nintendo isn’t going to stop there. Using an attached camera can also work in some games. A Mario Party game received an update that brings you into the game. It will put you in the game and have you interact within it, such as moving to catch falling objects with your head. It’s interesting, but not for me.

Although it hasn’t been the focus for a long time, motion sensors are still present inside the Joy-Con 2. I own two games that utilize motion control on the Switch, but I haven’t played them yet. I will fire them up after I’ve played through my current games.

Additionally, the Switch 2 can link up with other Switches to play games without requiring the second system to have the game. It can beam a game over to a second Switch or Switch 2, allowing both players to play on their screens simultaneously. I haven’t tested this, as when I’ve played multiplayer, it has been on my big screen with my wife. Families will love the ability to play a multiplayer game with only one purchase, I think. It could also make for some interesting couch multiplayer games.

System Transfer and Wait

After I picked up my system at Costco, I raced home to set everything up. I had never done a system transfer before, since I was still rocking my Switch from launch. Nintendo made the transfer pretty easy.

As you turn on your new Switch 2, it will prompt you to transfer your old system and guide you through the process. The transfer only took about fifteen minutes. However, since I purchased most of my games from the online store, I had to re-download them. I’m guessing that since they sold over 3 million Switch 2s in four days, the download slowed to a crawl because everyone was downloading at once.

It took around two hours to set up my system before I could jump into a game of Mario Kart. Of course, I could have bought a physical version of the game, but I prefer having all my games on the system, which is a personal preference, I know.

Please note that transferring from a Switch 1 may take some time.

What’s Next: the Future of the Nintendo Switch 2

The launch of a console is always based on a promise. Systems typically launch with a handful of games, but you’re buying a console based on what will come.

The promise of the Switch 2 is no different. For launch, Nintendo only has two first-party games: Mario Kart World and Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour. The other launch games are all ports of games from other systems, albeit ones that haven’t been on a Nintendo console until now.

But what happens next?

During the launch window, there are some big Nintendo games announced. Donkey Kong Bananza will launch this summer. There will be Switch 2 versions of some Switch games, such as Pokémon and Metroid Prime 4.

I hope that the Switch 2 continues to bring third-party games, just as the Switch did. It helps to keep the system vibrant. With the power of the Switch 2, I would like to think that some of these developers will have less of an excuse to NOT publish games on it. Since the Switch 2 is selling so well, developers will likely want to bring their games to it.

Will more games support the mouse? Does offering that ability open up the chance to port more PC focused games to the Switch 2?

Is the Nintendo Switch 2 Worth It? My Final Verdict

That leads me to the age-old question: Should you buy one?

I haven’t mentioned that the Switch 2 costs $450, and some of the games have also increased in price. That’s a significant increase over the first Nintendo Switch, albeit from seven years ago. Money doesn’t cost the same as it used to. So, investing in a system that currently has limited support will depend on your situation.

I love my Switch 2 and don’t regret spending money on it. As I mentioned, though, I don’t have another gaming system. If you already have a current Xbox or PlayStation, your value formula might be different than mine.

However, I see the Switch 2 as an excellent update for the Switch 1. The form factor works better for me than its predecessor. I’m in awe of the graphic quality coming out of the Switch 2. Mario Kart is a blast, and I’m sure there will be more games to come soon that will wow me. My old library of games has not only come with me, but also gotten a breath of fresh air with the power of the new system.

As a single-console person, this upgrade has made me excited about games again, so I can’t say enough good things about it. If you can afford it, I highly recommend trying to track one down, as it has proven to be better than any console before it, while also setting records for the highest number of units sold.

Do you have any questions about the Switch 2 that I could answer? Let me know in the comments or reach out to me on Threads, Bluesky, or Mastodon.

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