Nintendo Switch 2 Console Review

Yahoo

14 hours ago

Well, it's finally time. The Nintendo Switch 2 has landed after months of rumours, leaks, and speculations, and I'm here to put Nintendo's iteration of their hybrid console through its paces for a definitive answer on whether it is a worthy successor to Nintendo's best-selling (single-screen) platform. To better organise and make this review easy to digest, I will break down the Switch 2 review into separate sections, highlighting key areas of importance for those looking to quickly glean information regarding Nintendo's latest and greatest.
Like its predecessor, the Nintendo Switch 2's beating heart features the next iteration of the Nvidia Tegra processor, featuring an 8-core ARM CPU and an Ampere GPU with 1536 CUDA cores, which in layman's terms translates to a significant upgrade in graphical and processing prowess when compared to the Tegra X1 found in the original Switch. Taking advantage of the more powerful hardware, the Nintendo Switch 2 features a comparatively massive 7.9' IPS LCD screen with HDR10 certification and, most importantly of all, VRR (variable refresh rate) upwards of 120 Hz in portable or tabletop mode.
To complement the larger screen, the Nintendo Switch 2 features larger Joy-Con controllers, measuring 4.57 inches tall, 0.56 inches wide, and 1.2 inches thick. When used as a single controller, they feel much more robust in the hand. When attached to the Switch 2, they provide a premium, ergonomic feel—even without grips or third-party accessories.
As for the overall look and feel of the Nintendo Switch 2, fans can expect a design language more in line with the new Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller. Like the updated Joy-Con 2 controllers, it features a smooth matte finish that gives the console a more refined, yet familiar, appearance. This design consistency also extends to other first-party accessories, such as the camera.
The included dock for the Nintendo Switch 2 has also undergone a design overhaul, featuring a more rounded look and a large base with substantial rubber feet that almost give it the appearance of a computer modem or digital set-top box, culminating in what feels like a less flimsy and solid dock for your media cabinet or living space.
Unlike the launch unit or OLED Nintendo Switch, which featured a lot of unnecessary plastic and took up a large footprint, the Nintendo Switch 2 dock justifies its size by including a fan that actively cools the system when docked, a crucial feature as the Nintendo Switch 2 runs at a much higher clock speed when played on an external display.
In terms of IO, however, the Nintendo Switch 2 dock is similar, offering two USB 2.0 ports, an Ethernet jack, HDMI, and a USB-C AC adapter port. The Nintendo Switch 2 tablet features two USB-C ports, with the new top connector designed for use with the Game Chat camera or other third-party options or as a means to charge your device when used in tabletop mode. Finally, on the topic of the camera, the Nintendo Switch 2 camera measures in at roughly 5' off the base, featuring a full HD 1080p camera with a privacy filter for when not in use and a single USB-C style connection cable.
Outside of the increased computing and graphical prowess of the Nintendo Switch 2, one of the most substantial additions to Nintendo's latest hybrid console comes in the form of the Joy-Con 2 Mouse controls, which become active when oriented on its side against a flat surface (or your leg, but more on that later). Like the original Nintendo Switch, the Switch 2 box includes optional but recommended Joy-Con 2 straps that add height to the Joy-Con 2, in addition to two smooth PTFE-like materials typically found under most modern laser mice that help with better traction on most flat surfaces.
In practice, regardless of whether the Joy-Con 2 straps are attached or not, I found using the mouse mode on the Nintendo Switch 2 to be surprisingly competent compared to using a traditional mouse on a PC. Moreover, mouse-oriented controls also felt very intuitive and natural, even on surfaces like my thigh or the bed.
Although my actual game time with the mouse was limited to the Welcome Tour game, the mini-games on offer that utilised the mouse all felt fluid and easy to grasp. In other words, I can easily envision a future in which titles like WarioWare, Mario Maker, and even Animal Crossing can benefit from having that extra degree of finer control afforded by a mouse, with the potential for PC games and RTS titles also taking advantage of the mouse-centric controls.
Circling back to the Joy-Con 2 controllers themselves, when compared to the original Joy-Con hardware's feature set, the Joy-Con 2 controllers include a richer HD Rumble 2 driver that delivers more nuanced and granular feedback. They also introduce the ability to reproduce sound by altering the pitch of the driver—an addition that could offer unique possibilities in future first-party titles. The most significant improvement, however, is that the Joy-Con 2 controllers are noticeably larger to accommodate the Nintendo Switch 2's 7.9-inch display.
Additionally, one of the more welcome quality-of-life improvements on the Joy-Con 2 controllers is a new magnetic locking mechanism. This makes snapping the controllers on and off the Switch 2 more intuitive compared to the older rail system, which could wear down over time.
Unfortunately, the sticks in the Joy-Con 2 controllers appear to be similar to those in the previous generation. They do not feature hall-effect or TMR-style actuators, which may become an issue over time. For now, though, the sticks on the Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con 2 feel solid and maintain the high build quality typically expected from OEM Nintendo products.
The inclusion of the C-button is the universal Game Chat button, found on both the Joy-Con 2's and the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller 2. With the added horsepower of the Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo has upped its party infrastructure up a notch with the inclusion of the system-level Game Chat feature. Regardless of the software being played, users on Nintendo Switch 2 can now start a party or join up with friends and chat, stream their games and even remotely play selective titles via a feature reminiscent of the Nintendo DS/3DS download and play option, which let user engage in multiplayer sessions with only one instance of the game.
The Nintendo Switch 2's camera provides a decent viewing experience with low enough latency, allowing you to still actively engage with friends in a Game Chat session without it feeling like you've stepped back into the days of MSN Messenger or Skype. Sadly, the same really can't be said about watching multiple game streams, which appear very choppy and in a much lower resolution than ideal, making it hard to discern fine detail or read small text, making the feature feel more like a fun background element to have on while you chat with friends than anything watchable for long periods.
One feature Nintendo wanted to highlight for reviewers was the Nintendo Switch 2's built-in microphone, which is integrated into the tablet and designed to function from a distance when the device is docked. Nintendo has gone above and beyond to eliminate background noise and isolate the active voice of Game Chat participants.
In my session with Nintendo PR, this mostly held true, though one participant was difficult to understand due to room ambience, which muffled their voice slightly. Still, for most casual gaming sessions, Game Chat seems like a safe and effective way to connect with others, which feels very much in line with Nintendo's approach.
Remote play, or game sharing via Game Chat, thankfully ups the framerate and resolution considerably, making the game-sharing experience enjoyable for those joining the host. However, the overall resolution is still severely limited due to being restricted to the Game Chat screen, which is maybe a 720p or lower window within the surrounding Game Chat feeds. Still, being able to jump into another friend's copy of games like Super Mario 3D World is a nice step forward for Nintendo and a big win for casual gamers.
One element of the Nintendo Switch 2 that I was eagerly anticipating was its VRR or variable refresh rate capable 120hz screen, which, in essence, allows the Switch 2 in portable play to output and match varying or unstable framerates within a game without causing screen tearing or discernable judder (slowdown), while also proving gameplay experiences up to 120fps. Currently, the only 120fps experience on offer is relegated to a demo within Welcome Tour. However, 60fps gaming feels fantastic on Nintendo Switch 2 and is a transformative experience for some older, legacy titles.
Sadly, due to hardware restrictions imposed by the handshake required when passing video via the Nintendo Switch 2's USB-C to HDMI interface, VRR support is only available in portable mode. This means that future titles, particularly those that are graphically intensive or CPU-bound, may suffer on the big screen due to unstable framerates. Knowing Nintendo, however, first-party offerings will most likely utilise the Nintendo Switch 2 hardware to its fullest, eliminating the need for the VRR range as a fallback for unstable or choppy performance.
Outside of the high refresh rate and VRR capabilities, one area where the Nintendo Switch 2 falls short is its HDR performance—a feature that, at this stage, feels more like a promise for future iterations of the hardware. While the LCD screen is suitable for its intended purpose, it struggles to deliver the necessary contrast for proper HDR.
This becomes especially noticeable in darker scenes, where colours often appear washed out or overly bright, creating an artificial or overexposed look. In games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, this results in a less immersive visual experience, highlighting the limitations of current display technology.
HDR, when played on my 120Hz LG OLED, does quite a bit better but still ultimately comes off feeling a bit underwhelming, lacking the punch or true contrast found in other HDR games available on different platforms. It is still early days, however, meaning Nintendo has plenty of time to improve its HDR output in future titles as the system matures. In terms of battery when in handheld or tabletop play, the Nintendo Switch 2 feels like a bit of a downgrade, with my average tests resulting in 2 and a half to a little over three hours from playing a selection of games, with heavier titles like Mario Kart resulting in numbers closer to the 2-hour mark.
Finally, enjoying the Nintendo Switch 2 in tabletop mode feels better than ever, thanks to the newly designed 'U' shaped metal kickstand, which offers a much more solid feeling degree of movement and stability on hard surfaces, although perhaps not as nice as the OLED's solid kickstand.
I'll just come out and say it: There isn't a whole lot to play that truly takes advantage of the Nintendo Switch 2 hardware outside of Mario Kart, which will undoubtedly be a system seller. At the very least, the growing number of backwards compatible legacy Switch games on Switch 2 that have a boost in performance is growing, and even select, unpatched titles seem to benefit when played on Nintendo Switch 2 hardware.
Starting with the games that have day-one patches, of course, have seen a significant boost in fidelity when played on the Nintendo Switch 2. Games like Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet, and all the Zelda games, for example, feel like borderline new games thanks to the boost to 60fps and bump in resolution.
Pokémon, in particular, feels like a game I actually want to play through now, as both Scarlet and Violet suffered greatly from sub-30FPS on legacy hardware, on top of muddy and low-resolution textures and a poor draw distance, to only name a few of the significant issues. On Switch 2, the game appears to maintain a locked 60fps, and the higher resolution provides an overall cleaner image, eliminating aliasing and stair-stepping on specific objects in the terrain, such as grass and buildings in the distance. Sadly, the textures haven't (understandably) been touched, so they often appear worse due to the level of clarity afforded by the overall bump in resolution.
Many legacy Nintendo Switch games have also seen an upgrade simply by being played on Switch 2 hardware, regardless of whether a patch is applied. Games like Bayonetta 3 and Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle both now run at a locked 60 FPS, with the latter seeing an increase from an unlocked 30 FPS. In other words, most legacy Switch 1 games that have had an unlocked FPS cap should see an immediate upgrade on Switch 2 hardware.
Conversely, some games are more of a mixed bag, such as Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, which currently does not offer a native Switch 2 patch but benefits from being a locked 30FPS experience, which is a marked improvement from the unstable performance on legacy hardware, but at the cost of a truly ugly and low res looking presentation when played in portable mode, due to the game rendering at sub 720p on the Nintendo Switch 2's 1080p panel, making it best fit for TV play.
As someone who still prefers physical media over digital downloads, the way Nintendo is handling physical cartridges for the Switch 2 is a bit concerning. Chiefly, the divide between cartridges that have the full game ROM written to the card versus Game Keycard cartridges, which only contain a key or license that allows the user to download the said game digitally. Of course, flash storage-based media can be expensive, but unlike the Switch 1, which offers several different SKUs for games to ship on, the Switch 2 seemingly only has one option: a digital keycard or the full ROM inside the box, making it harder to justify smaller games to be shipped as full game releases and not keycards.
Finally, the Nintendo Switch 2 launched with the exclusive addition of GameCube titles to the NSO library of classic Nintendo games, which currently offers Soulcalibur II, F-Zero GX, and the original GameCube version of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. The small but solid selection of games all run as expected in both portable and docked modes, with in-game assets looking razor sharp in HD.
Meanwhile, 2D elements, such as HUDs and UI graphics, remain true to their early 2000s output, resulting in some noticeably jarring but understandable discrepancies. Certain games also include native 16:9 support, which looks and runs great. Nintendo GameCube controller support also works well on the Switch 2, including both the NSO store-exclusive GameCube controller and legacy gamepads via the USB GameCube controller adapter, outside of system-level features due to the lack of dedicated buttons on legacy controllers.
Nintendo arguably kick-started the hybrid console/portable PC revolution with the release of the original Nintendo Switch in 2017. The landscape is significantly different now, with players expecting more power from their on-the-go experiences. The Nintendo Switch 2 has the potential to deliver experiences that eclipse what was possible on Nintendo platforms, thanks to the power of DLSS and, of course, Nintendo's stellar art direction and game design chops.
As it stands, it is currently still too early to tell how third parties will embrace the Switch 2 and what games that utilize potentially more tasking engines like Unreal Engine 5 will fair on Nintendo's newly minted successor, but for those wanting the best Nintendo has to offer can rest assured in knowing the Switch 2 will follow the torch the lit by its predecessor as the system continues to mature.