Nintendo Switch 2 Console Review

Whenever a new console launches, there is going to be obvious excitement for the possibilities. Each console, as is normal, comes with its own set of issues or perceived issues, and the Nintendo Switch 2 is no different. While comments and critiques of price were fairly commonplace leading up to the console’s launch, the rhetoric has died down, and for good reason. Is it possible the Nintendo Switch 2 is worth what Nintendo is asking for, taking into account inflation and the state of the world? Probably, so let’s find out why.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is readily available at the time of writing at retailers across Canada for 629.99 for the standard console and 699.99 for the Mario Kart bundle. At first glance, you might just think you are looking at a Nintendo Switch with a new style of Joy-Con controller, but after almost two weeks with the console myself, there is so much more here to unpack.

In the off chance you are not aware, the Nintendo Switch was one of Nintendo’s best selling consoles of all time, selling over 150 million units to date. The Switch was revolutionary, providing on-the-go entertainment with the ability to convert it to a home console via a dock tethered to your television. The decently large display – made larger and better with the Nintendo Switch OLED – made playing handheld a very viable – and preferable for some people – way to play, and as most first party Nintendo titles didn’t need a ton of power to run, it was all packed into a great sized package.

Now Nintendo is innovating, doing things a little different while maintaining what made the Nintendo Switch such a popular choice with consumers. Let’s start off with what I like to call the little improvements, and these are all positives in my opinion.

Two USB-C Ports: All iterations of the Nintendo Switch shipped the console with one USB-C port on the bottom of the device. This didn’t seem to be much of a problem until people wanted to play the Switch in table-top mode. With the device sitting on the table using the included kickstand, there was no way to charge and play at the same time. The Nintendo Switch two ships with an additional USB-C charge port at the top of the console, fixing this glaring issue from last generation.

Larger Screen: I think this will be the most divisive thing on my list – a larger screen for me is great, but the heavier nature of the Nintendo Switch 2 paired with the larger form factor might actually be a negative for some people. Still, the larger 7.9 inch screen is a welcome upgrade over the original 6.2 inch screen.

Onboard Storage: I’m not sure anyone will complain about more storage. The Nintendo Switch 2 is shipping with 256 GB or onboard storage, compared to 32 GB on the Nintendo Switch (64 on OLED). This is a MASSIVE improvement, and one that should not be overlooked. This might go hand-in-hand with larger Nintendo Switch game sizes, but I still don’t see games being 8x larger than they were on Nintendo Switch.

If I were the one reading this article, I’d still have the opinion that at this point, the console is still not worth 699.99 CAD with Mario Kart World, and I would agree with you. However, Nintendo didn’t just improve various aspects of their award winning handheld-home console hybrid; they took things to the next level.

Amazing Joy-Con 2: I debated whether the improvements to the Joy-Con was a minimal shift towards an improvement, or a massive change; I’ve obviously landed on it being a massive change. Not only are the Joy-Con 2 larger to accommodate the larger console, but everything about them seems to be better.

We cannot comment on whether Stick Drift will be a thing this generation, but we can confirm the buttons feel much better to use, the joysticks are larger and have more fluid movement, and each Joy-Con is massively improved for when using one Joy-Con as a full controller. Not only does the larger design make them better individual controllers, but the larger, metallic shoulder buttons feel much easier to press. The entire thing is just so much more comfortable.

Mouse Controls: I could have lumped this into the paragraph above, but I didn’t. I’ll go more in depth on this when I write up our review of Civilization VII, but what I can tell you at this moment is that mouse controls are phenomenal. Having used them in a variety of games at this point, they are everything as advertised, and more. There is a decent amount of discourse online about how this isn’t as good as a computer mouse, and I think that goes without saying. But as someone who doesn’t own a very powerful PC, and games like Civilization VII would not be an option, I have absolutely NO issues playing this on the Nintendo Switch 2.

Within 30 minutes, I felt like I was using an actual mouse. It was fluid, and while I do believe it works best on a flat surface and not on your lap or couch as advertised, it is still an amazing new feature that will bring a wealth of new experiences to the Nintendo Switch. Age of Empires, anyone?

Better Design: We touched on a few design changes earlier in this article, but there are others that are much more significant than a second USB-C port. The Joy-Con controllers that used to slide on and off the screen with rails have been replaced with magnets. Not only does it feel sturdier than before, but attaching and detaching the Joy-Con has never been easier. Other design choices worth noting here are the improved cartridge slot which is much easier to open and close and improved speakers that provide 3D audio and a much better sound quality output overall.

Better Performance: I’ve been a Nintendo fan for decades, and as a Nintendo fan we are lulled into the belief that frame rate and refresh rates don’t matter as much as exclusive titles like Super Mario and the Legend of Zelda. How quick our tunes change when Nintendo finally brings their consoles up to modern standards, with up to 120hz and up to 4K resolution, the difference between the Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo Switch 2 is defining.

Even the most casual of tech owners will notice the difference, how much better old games play on the new system. Shoot, Cyberpunk 2077 (Review Soon), Hogwarts Legacy, and Civilization 7 are proof that this improved console means improved performance. Guess what Nintendo fans, frame rate matters, and Nintendo has delivered an exceptional experience here. Games look and perform much better. The term “silky smooth” has been thrown about a ton regarding the Nintendo Switch 2, and while I hate it…it’s true.

A Camera and a Microphone – GameChat and GameShare: I talked at length about a GameChat and GameShare after participating in a demo with Nintendo of Canada PR and Treehouse staff. You can read that here . I will admit that I was very skeptical of GameChat and how beneficial it would be, and while talking about the camera is out of place here – it is a separate purchase and not included with the Nintendo Switch 2 – I can talk about my experiences using the microphone.

We had some feedback during our demonstration with Nintendo, but in my time with GameChat since that experience, I’ve had no issues. The argument that the system can pull your voice out from the myriad of other sounds in your house appears to be true. No, I didn’t have one of my kids vacuum behind me during a session, but my wife was preparing dinner which involved a blender and the people I was chatting with didn’t notice any major noise interruptions. It does appear as advertised.

The ability to see what others are playing is a feature I don’t think will last long. Not only is it going to take up bandwidth – which some people might not have in excess – the quality is pretty poor. Yes, you can make out what they are doing, and as Nintendo advertised, it could be useful for one user to show another user where something is, but I feel like those are rare case situations. To their credit, Nintendo did not shy away from the poor quality of the video, and even argued why that was the case. I think it’s a neat feature to have, but not one I would care about if for some reason it was taken away.

Not Without a Problem

I’ve been waxing poetic about the Nintendo Switch 2 up to this point, and for good reason. This is a fabulous console with so many great improvements. Despite the screen only being an LCD – and yes, Nintendo is probably saving that OLED for a future release – the colors are bright and vibrant, and while at times you will notice if you’ve previously been playing on the OLED, for the most part it’s not really an issue. That issue, specifically, seems to be one peddled by Nintendo Switch 2 detractors as a bigger problem than it is.

The not-so-little problem in my opinion is the battery life, although its impact on consumers will wildly vary. First and foremost, it is impressive that Nintendo has maintained the thinness of the original Switch while packing so much more into the shell of the system.

Yes, there is a bit more real estate due to the larger screen size, but maintaining that sleek, thin design is wildly impressive. That does, however, pose a problem for the battery life. GamesReviews has never been about specs of the things we play; our mission has always been to tell our readers how something works for the average person. And for the average person, depending on the game, you’ll get 2-6 hours of battery life out of your Switch. Want to play Mario Kart World on a long road trip? Bring a charger, because the system is only going to last about 2 hours.

It needs to be stated that a more powerful console playing more powerful games requires…more power. So it’s completely understandable that in order for Nintendo to keep its thin, sleek design, there would be a trade off somewhere. And it seems that the tradeoff is that the system doesn’t have an excessively large battery to power its more impressive system and games. For my family and our travel process, this isn’t a big deal.

Our vehicle is equipped with outlets and plugs to keep things powered on 18 hour drives to Florida. But for long rides without that option, there could be some disappointment in the amount of time games can be played. Things can be altered, of course, to extend that life: perhaps dimming the console, turning off internet and bluetooth settings, etc. But at full power, it’s a bit underwhelming, even if it makes logical sense.

Another thing worth noting is that I do believe that the HDR toggles will be a bit overwhelming for the average Nintendo Switch 2 user. Unsure where to go and how to change things, I believe a lot of Nintendo Switch 2 owners won’t actually harness the pull power of their system simply because they are unaware.

Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour would be a big help here, and like in our review of that game , we do wish it was a pack-in title. There is also no variable refresh rate (VRR) available when docked, which is a bit disappointing.

Will Price Hold You Back?

Add me to the laundry list of people who thought the Nintendo Switch 2 was pretty pricey for what it was being billed as. After about two weeks with the system, I think the price probably accurately reflects the experience you are going to get. I understand that you can get a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X for a similar – or even at times, cheaper – price, but I’m continually finding it difficult to compare a dedicated home console with a hybrid console.

After my time with the Nintendo Switch 2, if I walked into my local retailer armed to purchase any console I wanted, I’d walk out with a Nintendo Switch 2. It’s not because it’s more powerful, not because it necessarily has better looking games, but because it provides me with the experience I want to have. Something I can play on my TV, and something I can play in bed.

Making a hybrid console a reality comes at a cost, and while that cost isn’t getting you epic looking games like Horizon: Forbidden West or HALO, it’s getting you flexibility and access to some of the most iconic video game franchises of all time. While we wish there was more exclusive options for the console when it launched, we believe that fans of Nintendo will not regret their purchase in the long term.

A Nintendo Switch 2 console was provided by Nintendo of Canada for the purpose of tgis review.

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