Eight long years have passed since Nintendo returned to form with the launch of their hybrid handheld/console the Nintendo Switch. All-time classics like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey made us rethink what was possible with gaming on the go, and the video game industry was forced to take handhelds seriously again. Recently, however, those aforementioned 8 years have begun to take their toll, and the age of the Switch has become apparent as even newer first-party releases struggled to run consistently and the gap between the home of Mario and the PS5 and the Xbox Series consoles widened into an insurmountable chasm. Now, with the arrival of the Switch 2, can Nintendo avoid the curse of the Wii U and deliver back-to-back bangers? Read on to find out!

Note: If you are interested in some other early impression reviews of systems, be sure to check out my thoughts on PS5 & Xbox Series S, Steam Deck, Playdate, and Evercade EXP.

The Good

Actually Getting Your Hands on One

Pre-ordering a system in recent years has been a thoroughly traumatizing experience. Websites cannot handle the traffic coming their way, and if you don’t manage to secure a system in the initial few seconds, you will likely have lost to all the scalpers and bots you are unfairly competing with.

While, I would not call the pre-ordering process pleasant, it was remarkable how seemingly everyone I knew who wanted a Switch 2 was able to either pre-order one or go into a store on launch day and walk out with a delightful and expensive bundle of Nintendo joy. I even somehow secured two pre-orders (Walmart and Target) within about 45 minutes of the offering beginning, meaning one of my friends was able to have a system for their kids as well. Constantly refreshing my cart was not fun, but it was effective. The biggest headache of the whole thing was my credit card company throwing fraud alerts for both purchases and having to clear those up before I could get my systems.

Having a Switch Back in My Life

When the Switch exploded onto the scene in 2017, it was a revelation. Having a handheld system play a game as ambitious as Breath of the Wild felt like something out of science fiction. Playing a little Switch in bed before going to sleep was a nightly ritual. As time passed and other companies entered the handheld market, the allure of the Switch was diminished somewhat. In fact, mine got relegated to purely docked duty to play first-party Nintendo games after I got my Steam Deck, which made the Switch look and feel like a small child’s toy in comparison. Now, it is my Steam Deck that has gotten sidelined, and I am overjoyed to have that incredible Nintendo library at my disposal once again. There are plenty of games I never got around to from the original Switch’s run, and finally I will have a chance to make that right.

Switch 2 Upgrades

For most, June was all about Mario Kart World, but, for me, it was about checking out the upgraded versions of some of my (and really everyone’s) 2017 favorites – Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey. The games both look and perform absolutely marvelously, and quickly remind you why they are considered all-timers. They didn’t just warrant a quick hop in to see what improved, but both inspired me to do full replays. In particular, I want to highlight how much better Breath of the Wild runs. The load times that rivaled the 100 year sleep Link endured are now 2-3x faster, but the real hero is the ultra consistent 60 fps the upgrade game delivers. No matter how much mischief you get into with your powers, it never appears like you’re pushing the boundaries of the system.

Updates to Nintendo Switch Online

When it was first released, Nintendo Switch Online was a great Nintendo themed counter to GamePass. The past several years, however, it has stagnated with only the most obscure and niche titles being added. If early returns on the Switch 2 are correct, it might just be that Nintendo was saving up for their next big system. The additions of the GameCube library, CRT filters, and Mario Paint (complete with mouse controls) have made for an exciting summer for Nintendo Switch Online users and have once again justified the cost of the subscription.

The Screen

I was very worried that I would not be able to go back to a standard LCD screen after seeing the gaming world through my Steam Deck’s shiny OLED. However, I honestly cannot say that I readily notice any difference. It is the nicest LCD I have seen from a graphical perspective, and the larger size seems just right. I have heard some gripes about slow refresh rates, but it is not something I have noticed.

Attaching and Detaching Joy-Cons

Nintendo added magnets, and they perform wonders. There is no more frustration putting Joy-Cons on incorrectly and getting stuck, and they feel far sturdier than before. The quick release button on the back is also a nice, non-intrusive addition that is far better than having to push in that tiny little button on the original hardware.

The Joy-Cons Themselves

In fact, the Joy-Cons themselves are much improved over their predecessors. My pro controller was a little delayed, meaning I got to put in some time playing with the Joy-Cons detached in docked mode, and they played so much better. The larger size really helps make them feel like true controller experiences and not gimmicks.

The Wider Kickstand

The kickstand on the Switch felt incredibly fragile and had me nervous it would break or that my system would fall over the few times I was brave enough to use it. The new wider kickstand allows for far more freedom to adjust positioning and removes any fears of toppling over. This is definitely a design lesson the team at Nintendo took to heart and learned from.

Multiple USB-C Ports

With USB-C ports on both the top and bottom of the system, you can not only plug more devices in (like a mouse or camera), but you have more flexibility in charging the system when in handheld mode, ensuring you can find the most comfortable, least obtrusive way to provide some juice to the battery (and trust me, you’re gonna need it as you’ll see further down).

The Mixed Bag

Early Exclusives

One of the biggest questions you will need to answer about whether or not to buy a Switch 2 will likely revolve around whether it has can’t miss games. At launch, the true exclusive was Mario Kart World, and it was indeed a lot of fun even if it’s not quite a classic like Breath of the Wild was at the Switch’s release. Still, it just did not hold my attention past 15 hours or so like the superior Mario Kart 8 Deluxe did. While the new Knockout mode is a fast and thrilling take on battle royales, having seemingly aged out of frequent online multiplayer sessions has put that game on the back-burner.

Fortunately, Nintendo’s earliest mascot, Donkey Kong, made a triumphant return with Donkey Kong Bananza that gave the Switch 2 its first “must have” game. The team that gave us Super Mario Odyssey absolutely propelled DK back to superstar status with the most fun and joyful game you will play this year. It will be very interesting to see what kind of holiday releases Nintendo has planned and if they can build that exclusives library to convince people to upgrade.

Performance

Specs-wise, the Switch 2 appears to be on par with the PS4 Pro. So far, it does feel like I am playing a far more modern system than the original Switch even if it’s not outputting ray-tracing like the nearly 5 year old PS5 and Xbox Series X. Handheld mode mostly plays great, and docked mode exhibits a beautiful 4K image.

Still, there have been occasional stuttering that hopefully is just developers working out the kinks and not hints of worse problems to come. In particular, there is noticeable frame rate drop in the late game of Donkey Kong Bananaza that can get distracting especially during some of the final boss fights. Additionally, Ninja Gaiden Ragebound had plenty of framerate hiccups when things got messier on screen that could be troublesome in a highly difficult game that requires lightning fast decision making. That one, hopefully just stems from the game not being optimized for the Switch 2, as they only released a Switch version. Conversely, glowing praise of ports of Cyberpunk 2077 and Hogwarts Legacy offer hope for a brighter, smoother future.

Using Joy-Cons as a Mouse

Being able to instantly transform your Joy-Con into a mouse is insanely cool, and it works shockingly well on most surfaces. However, it is yet to be seen whether this feature truly takes off or not. The ergonomics of it are awful, and my wrist hurts after a few minutes. Will I be able to get used to it, or will I ignore this feature entirely if more games start to use it? Still, I appreciate the ways in which this could open up new kinds of games to the Switch 2, particularly since you can just attach a regular mouse to the USB port.

The Pro Controller

For the most part, I adore the new Pro Controller. It feels great in my hands, has incredible battery life, looks cool with the white top, and it’s soothing to just randomly click the new back buttons. However, the rumble is kind of weak compared to the Joy-Cons. When I switched over to my Pro Controller for Mario Kart World, it noticeably felt less impactful during the races and made me contemplate reverting back. Hopefully this is something they can patch in the future, but it has not kept me from utilizing the Pro Controller for my docked gaming sessions.

The Bad

Battery Life

If you are playing anything akin to a AAA game, expect your battery to drain like crazy. Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, Mario Kart World, and Donkey Kong Bananza all managed to fully drain the system’s battery in about 3 hours. For most use cases this won’t be overly annoying, but when riding in a plane for instance it can be an issue. I will say, though, that simpler games do seem to be much more forgiving of the system’s battery with 5+ hours easily achievable. Still, this feels like something that should have advanced and not actually receded from the Switch OLED.

Nintendo Going Full Corporate

Money is the name of the game, and Nintendo is making sure to get as much green as possible with this iteration of the Switch. In the past, Nintendo was thought of as the cheaper, family friendly way to play games, but they clearly are taking advantage of the economic uncertainty to charge top dollar for their latest device which costs 50% more than the original did at launch. When you consider you will likely have to add a $100 Pro Controller or similarly expensive Joy-Cons and a $70-80 game, the initial investment could become fairly daunting. At least backwards compatibility of controllers and games helps mitigate things somewhat.

Being Too Old for GameChat

I am not gonna lie. I thought GameChat looked incredibly cool when it was introduced, and I even pre-ordered the official camera. That camera has sat unopened in its box collecting dust for the past 2 months, as I think my cool 40+ age group is no longer really interested in that sort of thing. It’s a shame because it does seem like a tremendous improvement for Nintendo’s dubious history of online features (or lack thereof).

The Verdict

In my two months with the Switch 2, I have not once regretted my purchase, but, then again, I am its target early adopter. I have been thoroughly charmed by surprise GOTY contender Donkey Kong Banaza, while also just enjoying having a Switch back in my life thanks to this more powerful and backwards compatible sequel. The best analogy I have heard, is that it feels more like a phone update than a true new system. For someone like me, who just wanted a bigger and better Switch, this is perfect, but your mileage may vary especially at the price point at least until more games get released.