PRODUCT REVIEW: A Month With The Switch 2 And It’s Still The Best Console Nintendo Has Released

Let’s start this console review off with my expectations. While my Switch was my travel buddy and helped me fall in love with handheld gaming again, I wasn’t sure what the new version could do. Having upgraded from the Switch Lite to the OLED version, and playing my husband’s standard Switch, that “upgrade” just didn’t feel like much. So when news of the Nintendo Switch 2 was released, including the $450 price tag, well, I didn’t think I would get one.

Thankfully, Nintendo sent us a Nintendo Switch 2 for review, and I’m going to be honest, this entire review is me eating crow. Whether you’re playing older games you ported over seamlessly or paid the $3 upgrade charge for, or you’re putting in time with Mario Kart World every single day, the Switch 2 is a standout console. 

With a much higher investment in visual representation, gone are the days when you could make memes about a game’s graphics when ported over, but even more importantly, because of the increased framerates, online play is so much easier. While I have played most of my favorite Switch games in multiplayer modes, the ease of online use has always been the biggest issue with Nintendo. 

While the game company is known for its couch co-op experiences, its online library is wickedly small, and the ease of use is just not good. It’s what made shooter ports to the console like Overwatch something to laugh at. Now, though, playing online has much less jank. While the Nintendo friend codes remain the bane of my online existence, the actual play I experience while online is much better. 

The Nintendo Switch 2 is a platform for online play, and that’s a significant step forward.

This is exceptionally clear when playing Street Fighter 6 on the console, which is a sentence I never thought I’d say. While we know that single-player and couch co-op games have been the defining game types for Nintendo consoles, loading into online matches for Street Fighter 6 worked surprisingly well. Sure, it’s not on par with Xbox’s online, but this is a strong step forward that really does mark a gigantic step forward for Nintendo. Online play still isn’t perfect, but it’s leaps and bounds above what it was in the past, which, with iteration and updates, has a high ceiling. 

Outside of the online play component of Street Fighter 6, the sensitive reaction that the Joy Con 2 has for the title is astonishingly good. I loathe motion controls, especially on the original Switch. Here? It was actually fun. Granted I wouldn’t play online with them, the motion controls are extremely responsive and a great improvement on its predecessor.

The only real critique is the number of apps I need to have downloaded on my phone to get the most out of my online play, which is more about the model being run and less about the console’s capabilities. This is particularly clear given how successful the built-in mic is at both picking up audio while muting background and console noise. 

The smartest thing that Nintendo did with this release, however, doesn’t have to do with the console itself. It’s all thanks to the Nintendo Welcome Tour. Despite my belief that this game should have been free, it offers a different take on tutorialization, focusing on the owner learning their Nintendo Switch 2 inside and out. It was a way for me to understand the updated elements of the console I had previously overlooked, and it taught me how to perceive and distinguish between the two generations of hardware. 

In addition to the renewed investment in social situations, GameShare is also an experience worth noting. If you’re not familiar with it, GameShare is a service that allows you to invite your friends to play a game locally or online, even if they don’t own the title. It worked out well, for the most part, and the fact that it supports old, original Switch games is a major selling point. As gaming gets more expensive (and everything with the Nintendo Switch 2 is expensive), the ability to test out games with your friends or simply jump into party game icons like Mario Party Jamboree when it releases isn’t anything to scoff at. 

The Nintendo Switch 2 overcomes its bulk due to its options for play, making it surprisingly accessible.

I don’t write about accessibility just because I have chronic pain. However, the Nintendo Switch 2 aligns with three key areas for me now that I’m facing more mobility and joint issues. And to be honest, these issues affect many people on the go.

The first is that the size initially scared me. Some of the issues with larger handhelds are how easily my hands tire out and how frequently my joint pain flares up due to the console being too small for my hands. With the Nintendo Switch 2, I should have been in pain after putting in an hour, but I wasn’t. This wasn’t largely due to the console’s weight (which is one pound more than its predecessor), but what stands out is how frequently I would detach the Joy-Con 2 controllers and play a game with the screen’s kickstand out.

 The Nintendo Switch 2 boasts a custom Nvidia processor, a 7.9-inch wide color gamut LCD screen, and HDR10 compatibility, and most importantly, most games run 60fps. The larger screen size and increased graphical fidelity make this option extremely viable. Not just to play Mario Kart World with friends at an event but to play by yourself in a way that works for you.

In reality, the bells and whistles of the Nintendo Switch 2 come together in a well-designed package that works. However, the thoughtful design is what has made the console my favorite of “this generation.”

This is a large handheld, but it’s also a viable desktop platform. 

Initially, I didn’t like the bulkiness of the Switch 2, especially when it comes to gaming on the go, which is the Switch at its best. Still, over time, it all came together as a moot point. Had I published this review a week in, the bulk would have subtracted quite a few points. 

It’s the reason I don’t own a Steam Deck, because arthritic joints aren’t excited for handheld play that’s comically large. However, the innovations and ease of playing with the kickstand extended on a table, when I do get tired of holding it, means I don’t really care about the size anymore. This is a console defined by its controllers, which is a sentence I didn’t know was possible.  Not to mention, carrying the console in its case in my side-shoulder bag with a laptop and my travel cables was extremely easy. To be honest, the bulk just isn’t an issue. 

While the Nintendo Switch 2 doesn’t appear to be a significant upgrade at first glance, every element has been updated to create a play experience that feels almost customizable. The Joy-Con 2 controllers themselves are easily detachable, held in place with magnets, and can be manipulated to the point where they can be placed in the wrong orientation. Only the inclusion of this feels like it adds more durability to the console, meaning that absent-minded mistakes don’t harm the console itself, at least when it’s not repetitive.

Additionally, despite the magnetized connection points and how easily they slide into place, the Joy-Con 2 doesn’t feel flimsy in the slightest when attached. The Joy-Con 2 controllers feel more secure than the previous iterations of both the original Switch and the OLED version.

The Joy-Con 2 Controller is what makes the Switch 2 such a grand design. 

In fact, detaching my Joy-Con from those consoles, especially as drift became a constant issue others around me experienced, was something I avoided doing as much as possible. This meant that I often traveled with my Switch OLED and a Pro Controller, which I used when playing for long, extended periods of time. Now, I’m honestly not as scared to travel with my Switch 2, and I haven’t felt the need to bring a Pro Controller. This is due to the stability of the design, as well as the versatility of the Joy-Con 2 controllers. 

The Joy-Con controllers themselves are a design feat that is the Switch’s best decision. When not attached, the mouse feature that seemed like a gimmick is anything but. While games like Civilization VII work exceptionally well when I used the mouse, and the Nintendo Welcome Tour showcased the depth of the new feature fantastically, I’m waiting for more chances to utilize the feature. 

With the ability to run without any issues on fabric, the mouse feature on the Joy-Con 2 controller was the hurdle I was most worried about. But when I was playing through the Nintendo Welcome Tour, I suffered some of the worst chronic pain flare-ups I’ve had in quite some time. Coming off of Summer Game Fest, I wasn’t sure how much I’d be able to play through games. While games like Fantasy Life I: The Girl Who Steals Time were perfect while lying down, I was worried about what I would be able to play throughout my time with the console. But that was never the case. 

The reality is that for me, improvements to hardware that aim to make a product better can be just as important as ensuring more people can use it. It really is that simple. While one person can’t capture disability, for me, this was a win and one I didn’t expect to have. However, the frustratingly short battery life is something I’ve been trying to navigate. The inconsistency of holding a charge, but more importantly how quickly it drains while not in use compared to the OLED or Lite is notable and a hinderance for folks traveling for exxtended periods of time. 

The Nintendo Switch 2, justifying its price point, continues to be its primary struggle.

My smaller issues with the Nintendo Switch 2, it’s less about the console and more about the lack of unique Switch 2-only titles at release and the cost sink that comes with buying one and getting the most out of it. While I devoured hours and hours of Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time and Cyberpunk, I didn’t feel the need to do much more if a game wasn’t a good way to test out a feature. 

Still, the Nintendo Switch 2’s price point, and the need for an expensive suite of peripherals, and the bottom line of it all. It is costly to purchase the base console and then even more expensive to buy all the additional components required to complete the Nintendo Welcome tour. And yet, I can still say that this is a huge upgrade from the Switch, even if it’s not exactly worth an immediate upgrade given the price barrier.

By releasing this review a month after launch, I was hoping that some rose-colored glasses would slip off. But after playing one of my GOTY contenders, Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time, and spending probably too much time as Cow, the reality is that it’s just good. I’m not sure if it will be the upgrade everyone needs, especially at the price point, but it’s turned me from someone whose Switch OLED just sat collecting dust to someone playing nearly every day. 

When it comes down to it, I am a low-interest console-buyer. Saving money and not spending it on the next shiny new thing is just what my household does and has always done. It also means that the small bells and whistles that distinguish one console from another don’t have the same pull on me. But the Nintendo Switch 2? Well, it’s a whole new game. Yes, even if I am playing my Switch titles on it. 

The Nintendo Switch 2 is available wherever consoles are sold (if they’re in stock).