The Nintendo Switch has exceeded most everybody’s wildest expectations, moving over 150 million units on the way to (most likely) breaking console sales records set by Sony’s PlayStation 2. Following up on that sort of success is no simple or easy feat, and Nintendo has taken what some have deemed the “safe” route by simply delivering a more powerful, feature-enhanced Nintendo Switch 2. Of course, sometimes the appeal of new hardware isn’t obvious at first glance. You need to actually go hands-on to get that exciting new console feel.
I recently had the opportunity to do just that, going hands-on with the Nintendo Switch 2 for several hours at a press event in Paris, tackling upcoming games, such as Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. While I’ll have deeper thoughts to share about individual Switch 2 games in the near future, we’re going to focus on the hardware itself in this article. Has Nintendo delivered a new level of Switch splendor or should you keep your expectations docked? Scroll on for my early hands-on impressions…
Form Factor
Those who have had a Nintendo Switch rattling around in their backpack for the past eight years will find themselves on familiar ground with the Switch 2 in terms of basic form and function, although almost everything about the new system feels a bit more polished and cohesively designed. While slightly larger than its predecessor, the Switch 2 still feels manageable to hold, and despite packing a lot more processing power, the system remains surprisingly thin and light (perhaps even lighter than the original Switch). The matte plastic the system is made of feels nice to the touch, and, hopefully, won’t be a magnet for palm sweat.
Various small tweaks to the Switch 2 make it feel like a more modern, deluxe device, including a sturdy new flexible kickstand and dual USB-C ports, which could open the way for a broader range of accessories, like the newly-announced Nintendo Switch 2 Camera. I didn’t spend a lot of time examining the new Switch 2 dock closely as they were almost all hidden behind glass, but Nintendo has said it has a fan to actively cool the system now, boosting performance gains when playing docked.
The Switch 2 offers up a larger (approximately 8-inch) 1080p screen, with a slimmer bezel. The screen looked quite sharp, lacking the jagginess often seen when playing the OG Switch in handheld mode, although it is noticeable that the screen is a touch less bright and vibrant than the Switch OLED’s screen. For now, greater sharpness in exchange for a bit less brightness is a trade-off you’re going to have to make (as somebody who only plays Switch in handheld mode on occasion, I don’t mind, but your mileage may vary).
Overall, the Switch 2 is a handsome little devil that you may want to spend a few minutes just admiring in your hands before you jump into a game, although I’d be lying if I said the design upgrades are truly transformative. This is the Switch you know, just polished up a bit.
The Joy-Con Grows Up
Arguably the lion’s share of the Switch 2’s design upgrades have gone towards improving the detachable Joy-Con controllers. The OG Switch’s Joy-Cons always felt like a good idea that hadn’t been fully realized – too small, too finicky, too flimsy and prone to stick drift and other failures. While the Switch 2’s new Joy-Cons have been extended less than an inch compared to the original models, they do feel more substantial in the hand. The sticks feel less flimsy, and a Nintendo rep present at the preview hinted they’ve been re-engineered to head off drift (something the NY Times got hints about too). Whether the new Switch 2 Joy-Cons will be more resilient in the long term remains to be seen, but they felt sturdier to me.
The Switch 2 Joy-Cons also come with some new functionality, including an IR sensor that allows the player to use a Joy-Con like a mouse. I had a chance to test the mouse functionality with several games, including Metroid Prime 4 and the updated Switch 2 version of Mario Party Jamboree and the controls were perfectly responsive and holding the Joy-Con on its edge felt surprisingly comfortable. That said, Nintendo may still have to hone their approach to mouse controls, as some games, particularly Metroid Prime 4, still require you to press the face buttons on the Joy-Con you’re using as a mouse, which doesn’t feel intuitive. The new Joy-Cons’ HD Rumble also feels as though it’s been subtly updated.
Oh, and yes, as somebody who likes messing around with anything magnetic, the way the new Joy-Cons satisfyingly snap onto the side of the Switch is an immense improvement over the old janky rail system. Once connected to the main Switch 2 unit, the Joy-Cons felt fully secure, but again, we’ll have to wait and see regarding long-term durability.
Nintendo Power
Nintendo’s developers are a talented lot, but they’ve been working with more or less the same toolbox for well over a decade, given the Switch was only marginally more powerful than the Wii U. While Nintendo remains largely mum about the Switch 2’s under-the-hood improvements, it’s clear the toolbox has finally received an upgrade. That said, it’s also clear it will likely take Nintendo devs a while to adapt to the new power at their fingertips. Much like the earliest crop of Wii U titles, which marked Nintendo’s first foray into HD gaming, Switch 2’s first games look better than most of what we’ve seen from the company before, but it also feels like they’re leaving a lot of potential on the table.
Most of the first-party content shown by Nintendo at the hands-on event can be roughly sorted into three piles – new big AAA-style experiences (Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, and Metroid Prime 4), enhanced “Nintendo Switch 2 Edition” versions of older Switch games (The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, Kirby and the Forgotten Land + Star-Crossed World, Super Party Jamboree + Jamboree TV), and quirky stuff designed to show off the system’s new control features (Drag x Drive, Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, and, uh, Super Party Jamboree again).
The most successful group were the big headline games. Mario Kart World very much feels like a direct follow-up to Mario Kart 8, and that’s not a bad thing. While Mario Kart World doesn’t necessarily stand out that much visually next to MK8, Nintendo is undoubtedly putting the Switch 2’s power to some use with the game’s higher 24 racer playercount and interconnected open world. Donkey Kong Bananza offers up a bold reboot of the Kongiverse and looks to provide all the varied challenges, collectibles, and hidden extras you’d expect from a major Nintendo release. The slice of Metroid Prime 4 I got to play left me with some questions, but there was no denying its technical prowess, running an impressive 120fps in Performance mode, with none of the rough un-aliased edges we’ve become used to seeing from some Nintendo games.
The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrades didn’t land with quite as much impact. While playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom with 4K visuals and a smooth framerate was certainly nice, it wasn’t the transformative experience I expected it to be. Perhaps my favorite upgraded Switch experience was Kirby and the Forgotten Land, which looks better than ever (it was already one of the prettiest Switch titles) and adds the new Star-Crossed Worlds content, which promises to be just as fun as the original game.
The Quirky Stuff bag was a bit more mixed. The additions to Mario Party Jamboree were all quite entertaining, but I’m not sure how much they’ll extend the life of the game. Drag x Drive was, frankly, a bit of a drag. Perhaps the best of the quirky crew was actually Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, which features some fun diversions and ought to come at a nice price.
Each individual game’s pros and cons aside (again, I’ll have more to say about that in the future), it really does have to be stated how refreshing the technical polish of all of them were. Almost every game I played, from Mario Kart World, to Donkey Kong Bananza, to Metroid Prime 4 ran at an unblemished 60fps (or more). The OG Switch has been showing its age for some time now, so just the clarity, smoothness, and general technical prowess of most of the games I played felt revelatory in its own small way. I’m particularly excited to see what Nintendo might do with the hardware a few years down the line.
Current Thoughts on Nintendo Switch 2
It’s been a long time since Nintendo last chose to simply iterate on a successful formula with a new console. Since the 90s with the Super Nintendo, arguably. They’ve been so dedicated to throwing the baby out with the bathwater for so many successive generations, that the Switch 2 ends up feeling rather refreshing in a way. That said, they’re also asking quite a bit for this “Super” upgrade – $450 for the console itself, with games perhaps as much as $80. That may complicate the “Should I buy this right away?” math for some people.
If you’re one of the sizable number of folks who have affection for their trusty Switches, it seems quite likely you’ll enjoy the Switch 2. The system looks better, feels better, the Joy-Cons are sturdier and more versatile, and playing Nintendo games with some decent hardware grunt behind them is a nice change of pace. Whether the Switch 2 reaches the commercial heights of the OG Switch will largely depend on its library of games, but titles like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza show Nintendo can still deliver fun, and sometimes unexpected, experiences with their long-running franchises. While I need more time with the Switch 2 to render a final verdict, it feels like the pieces are there for another hybrid hit.
Keep an eye out for my hands-on impressions of Switch 2 games, including Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, and more over the coming days. The Nintendo Switch 2 launches on June 5 with pre-orders going live on April 9.
