Nintendo don’t release new consoles often, and when they do, it’s big news. This is particularly true in the home console market, rather than pure handheld, though the Switch did bridge that gap in what was an interesting move then. Of course, Nintendo aren’t always successful; see the Wii U. Often, they like to try something new, rarely going for “more powerful”. Following the Wii’s overwhelming success, the Wii U’s flop, and the Switch’s world-beating figures, I can’t necessarily blame them for just going for “the same but better”. This brings us to the Nintendo Switch 2, which I can resoundingly call “the same, but better”.

The Switch 2 Hardware: Magnets, Mice, and Feels

Back with my original switch, towards the end, I wasn’t a huge fan of removing Joy-Con’s from the console itself. I don’t think some religious doctrine stopped me from doing so, and I can’t say it was overwhelmingly complex – I think, at times, it was just an odd snag in my mind. You press the little button, and you slide them off. Getting them back on and lining them up perfectly for the slide was just faff. I tend to avoid faff. There was also a slight issue with them failing, which did mean I ended up with some replacements.

Nintendo has been working on a superior option for the Switch 2 and its magnets. To say the rapid release of the Joy-Con is satisfying is a massive understatement. The buttons are larger, smoother, and easier to press, releasing the cons are simple, and putting them back in even moreso. I’m still not a fan, in the slightest, of using the Joy-Cons as I would the old Wii wiggle-sticks, but having given it a go, they do feel a bit heftier than the original Switch. I still avoid using the supplied accessory to make them into a controller, preferring to use a separate – and more controller-like – controller.

The added feel of a bit of weight, without being heavy or bulky, also helps with the new feature of using the Joy-Con as a mouse—two mice, to be exact. I’ve given this new feature a go, and I can say, with near certainty, that I won’t be using it much at all. I am primarily a PC gamer. My old switch became a paperweight, unless I was travelling abroad – though it was surpassed when I got a Steam Deck, simply due to my library on Steam. My PS5, before it bricked, was used more to rest headsets on. This is to say that I use the mouse a lot.

A mouse is better than a Joy-Con. However, the Joy-Con is responsive in this mode, and I genuinely think it will be a better way of playing some games, such as Civilization, than using the regular controls. Strategy games are, and always will be, better with a mouse; that’s a hard fact. The ability to use the Joy-Mouse on any surface, including your leg, is surprisingly functional, albeit not necessarily comfortable. It’s not something I will be doing over any length of time.

If I’m giving them some extra credit, though, and it’s what I’ve already touched on, it’s the feeling of the console as a whole. From the Joy-Cons, to the stand on the back, to the buttons on the cons – and everything else – the Switch 2 feels like the Switch has seen the size and make of its competitors and thought “I can do that without sacrificing my USP of being both a portable and home console”. You know what, it bloody could, and it has. It feels professional and not like a toy.

More Hardware: Screens, Stands, Ports & Power

From an above-average 6.2 inches to a very girthy 7.9 inches, the Switch 2 will surely please any of its users. Of course, it’s not always about size; it’s how you use it. At least that’s what I keep getting told, as I disappoint yet another person. What’re we talking about again? That’s right, the Switch 2. With a large 7.9-inch screen, the Switch 2 is firmly up on screen size, with only the Lenovo Legion Go tipping the hat – a handheld machine that also copied the detachable controller idea from Nintendo.

On paper, moving back to an LCD Screen would feel like a downgrade. Needless to say, the quality on display on the Switch 2 is second to none. The crisp quality of the display makes every game I’ve had my hands on look fantastic, with Yakuza 0 and the streets of Kamurocho being a standout in this. I expected the Switch 2 to tackle Nintendo games, which mostly have their particular style that look great, but aren’t up there with games like Yakuza, Cyberpunk, and other similar titles.

It all runs silky smooth as well. I’ve played a number of games within the first four days, ranging from Yakuza 0 and Hitman World of Assassination, to Mario Kart World and Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening. The Switch 2 is said to get up to a smooth 120fps, and it has the ability to output at 4k, with the framerate scaled down. All I can honestly say is that no matter what I played, I didn’t notice any stuttering or other issues, even when docked and outputting onto a much bigger screen.

Handheld is my most-used Switch 2 mode, though. Or, I should say, standheld (Yes, I am a genius, thank you). Back on the original Switch, I was always a little iffy about using the built-in stand, and I did find it a little flimsy. It also didn’t help that it got in the way of charging. Nintendo have fixed both of these issues, creating a stand that is the full length of the console and they’ve added a second USB-C port, this time on the top of the console, which means you can keep it on charge while playing a game, or it offers additional support for headsets, and more.

The battery life can feel a little low, but this is still something that holds back all portable devices when you’re playing a game. I would recommend keeping GameChat off, if only so you don’t have to speak to other people, and also because it will make your battery last longer. I didn’t time it to the minute, but I was getting around 3 hours before it was time to plug it in on the more intensive titles.

Another thing that runs down quite quickly is the storage. Nintendo does know the limitations of their system, and that being space. With a total of 512GB of space on my system, thanks to the MicroSD Express Card, I haven’t run out of space yet. Without that, I would be on about 1 GB spare. Hitman World of Assassination is 58.3gb, Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut comes in at 45.3gb – this space runs out incredibly quickly.

Back in the early PS3 and Xbox 360 days, I scoffed at the companies – Microsoft in particular – for trying to sell their little plastic boxes as entertainment systems, not games consoles. However, time has moved on and despite me being PC through and through, the ability for consoles to act as an entertainment hub, connecting to YouTube, Netflix, MySpace, PornHub and Roku has become a really good function. Nintendo not having these functions on the Switch 2 feels like something is missing. I get that Nintendo lives in its own bubble, and damned what consumers expect, but sometimes you just want to watch a video instead of play a game.

In terms of the games, the Switch 2 has Mario Kart World as the only Switch 2 exclusive, with Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut and a few other third-party games (Fast Fusion, Survival Kids & Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster) to round it up. There’s also the Switch 2 Welcome Tour, but that’s just a paid walkthrough. To say the launch line-up is weak is an understatement, and arguably the worst launch line-up I’ve ever seen, and I’m not expecting it to get much better in 2025, though we’re expecting Donkey Kong Bananza, Kirby Air Raiders, and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment before the year is through.

Now, this isn’t to say the upgraded Switch 2 versions of games aren’t worth it, but if that sells you a £395 console is a whole other matter. You can also pay for upgrade packs to games like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom if you already own them, though I honestly begrudge paying extra for such things. If anything, I think it should be something Nintendo gives owners of the games as an incentive – albeit if you have the subscription, you can download them.

This part is hard for me to factor in when it comes to the eventual scoring of this. I will detract a little from the overall score because it simply doesn’t have a massive amount to play right now that is new, though it will be lightly weighted.

What I do have an issue with, and Nintendo haven’t fixed, is the UI. The store is somewhat improved, but still a chore to navigate. Frankly, I find the whole thing a bit of a chore to navigate, with additional changes like virtual game cards (No, you will not share a single digital copy of a game across the family if you have more than one switch) feeling unnecessary and anti-consumer.

Is it Worth it, and can you Accessorise?

As with a number of things, your mileage will greatly vary, depending on the games you normally play. Personally, I’ve spent more time on Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut, Advanced Wars 1 + 2: Boot Camp & Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition than I have with Mario Kart World. Being brutally honest, had Nintendo not sent me the console with Mario Kart World, a controller, and the camera, I would not be playing it right now. It would have likely been a purchase if it was slightly discounted around Black Friday, as a Christmas present to myself.

Further down the line, I likely would have purchased one of the official controllers, and this is something I would recommend. I’m just not a fan of taking off the Joy-Cons and sliding them into the controller thing. It just feels wrong in my clown-like hands. The other accessory Nintendo sent me was the camera, and its use has been incredibly limited. As I have made clear, I don’t particularly want to use the chat function. Though it now makes me think that I should use the camera, so people can actually see me intentionally ignoring them; they may get the picture then.

All in all, I fully recommend the Switch 2. Like the Switch, it’s a great console, offering a mixture of handheld and regular. This feels sturdier, and it has the quality of life improvements which are far stronger than you may think when simply reading about them. Still, despite the fact that I overwhelmingly recommend the Switch 2, if you already have a Switch, I would probably just hold out for an offer, which you likely will need to, and for a few games to pad out the abysmal launch line-up. Then again, I got this the same day as people buying it did, so I know you’re going to have to wait because it sold better than stolen gold at the Swiss Bankers Convention.

The Switch 2 with Mario Kart World, an official gamepad, a 256GB MicroSD Express Card, and a Camera were provided for review purposes by Nintendo.

9

WCCFTECH RATING