What the Nintendo Switch 2 Turned Out to Be: Much Better Than the Original, But This Time Without a Revolution

In this article, we've gathered opinions from several gaming journalists who spent dozens of hours with the new Nintendo console. Here you'll find everything about the Switch 2’s specs, backward compatibility, and new device features.

Design and functionality

The Switch 2 is compared first and foremost to the original Switch, for obvious reasons. The new model builds on the highly successful concept with very cautious changes so as not to alienate the loyal audience.

For example, the Switch 2’s screen size has increased to 7.9 inches, which is much bigger than the 6.2-inch panel on the first Switch. The larger screen was well received by most reviewers: its colors are bright and vivid despite the LCD technology. While the Switch OLED has more contrast, the larger screen of the new model makes up for its otherwise lesser quality.

The Switch 2 with joy-cons weighs 535g—which is 137g heavier than the original—but it's still fairly light and genuinely portable. The ergonomics remain at Switch level: it's just as comfy to hold and doesn’t feel chunky.

The new joy-cons are bigger and have a matte finish, which feels nice to the touch. An important feature: they’re now magnetic. Attaching them to the display takes a minimum of time, it's very easy, and most importantly—the joy-cons can’t slip off by accident. Out with the side rails, magnets are so much cooler and more modern!

Overall, the device’s build, look, and material quality give a premium impression. Here, the company made a step forward, because the original console accumulated many complaints over the years: from stick drift to creaky elements that brought up strong associations with cheap Chinese devices.

Nintendo added a second USB-C port on the top of the console, letting you charge it in tabletop mode. That’s a great solution given the weak battery.

The kickstand itself is no longer flimsy and lets you position the device at virtually any angle—without worrying it will collapse, thanks to sturdier materials.

The dock is almost identical to the one bundled with the Switch OLED: only the shape is different, now with more rounded corners. It now supports Ethernet, which wasn’t available on the earlier models.

Nintendo didn’t skimp on modern solutions beyond what could be expected. The Switch 2 supports 4K graphics, high dynamic range video (HDR), and even variable refresh rate (VRR).

There are some trade-offs, though. Games work best in handheld mode: yes, at 1080p resolution, but with refresh rates up to 120Hz and VRR support, which adapts the frame rate on the fly and prevents screen tearing. On TV, there’s 4K, but then you’re limited to a 60Hz refresh rate—and to go higher, you have to lower the resolution to 1080p or 1440p.

HDR works flawlessly on the Switch 2 screen, but on some TVs with HDR support, the image for some unclear reason appears dim and blurry. In this regard, updates are definitely to be expected.

Switch 2 has 256 GB of built-in storage, while the Switch OLED has 64 GB. If desired, the storage can be expanded up to 2 TB with a microSD Express card.

But where Nintendo didn't succeed is in the battery life of the device. The company notes that without charging, the console runs from 2 to 6.5 hours depending on the power required by the games being played. In practice, Mario Kart World and Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour drained the battery in just 4 hours. That's a significant step back compared to the Switch after the battery update and the Switch OLED, which both last from 4.5 to 9 hours.

The new device also falls short compared to competitors like the Steam Deck OLED, which can run for 3 to 12 hours. This is the main issue with the Switch 2, as it means owners will often have to think about recharging, and those who play frequently on the go will definitely need a power bank.

Controls

The main innovation of Switch 2 is the ability to use the Joy-Con as a mouse. Opinions on the feature are divided: some journalists found it interesting, while others complained about discomfort after hours of use.

For example, IGN reviewer considered this function potentially useful for fans of shooters like Cyberpunk 2077 and strategy games like Civilization 7. You turn the Joy-Con sideways and simply move it across any surface — it's incredibly easy and convenient. You can even use it on your leg, but it's certainly easier on a flat sofa or table.

At the same time, the mouse's responsiveness and precision are pleasantly surprising and suitable for most players. Of course, esports professionals won't get enough customization, so don't expect Call of Duty or Fortnite tournaments. Still, using a Joy-Con as a mouse gives much more precise control than classic gamepads, and especially than the standard controls on the Switch. This is genuinely surprising and will intrigue a large portion of the gaming audience — though not everyone.

The feature works best in short gameplay sessions and strategy games, where the right Joy-Con is mostly just for pointing and clicking. Unfortunately, in most other cases, your hand gets tired from this kind of control over time. The reason is the shape: there's a reason most mice look completely different. A mouse is meant to support your palm and prevent wrist strain, with its button layout and weight designed to help the player.

As for the Joy-Cons, their form factor is great for traditional control and for playing arcade games with friends. But if you hold the Joy-Con like a mouse for several hours in a row, your wrist is guaranteed to start hurting. It doesn't help that it's pretty hard to hold a vertical Joy-Con steadily and press buttons like the stick for long stretches. Some buttons are laid out for entirely different purposes, and in this flipped position, using them is, to put it mildly, not easy.

The problem is especially relevant for people with large hands, but apparently kids might find it uncomfortable too. The Joy-Cons have increased in size, which might not appeal to small hands used to the controllers from the first Switch.

It’s good that Nintendo continues to produce the Pro Controller, which is the best solution for gamers who often play shooters and third-person action games. Some games also support USB mice and keyboards — for example, playing Cyberpunk 2077 is far more convenient with such peripherals. The only issue is that a mouse isn’t supported in the Switch 2 menu and comes with a bunch of limitations, so patient players should be prepared to surround themselves with all sorts of devices.

GameChat and Interface

The interface of the new device is very similar to what was used in the first Switch. Most of the screen is taken up by icons for recently played games, and the menu structure and general design have hardly changed.

The inconveniences remain: you can’t place game folders on the main screen and there’s still no normal system for managing downloads. And to add someone as a friend, you still need their friend code — a unique 12-digit number.

On the other hand, the console’s creators can show off the growth of social features, the main one being GameChat. It’s a built-in option for communicating with friends, including video chat and streaming the games your friends are playing.

The Gamespot author was pleasantly surprised at how convenient the GameChat app is to use — it instantly switches camera, mic, and screen sharing options. Now you can quickly start a chat with a friend and keep them on in the background, whether you’re each playing something different or playing together. The microphone noise suppression works brilliantly: your voice stays clear even if you stand right next to a working TV speaker.

The Screen Sharing function allows you to watch up to three friends’ screens at once. In practice, this means you can peek at live gameplay, and the stream quality is pretty decent even when using hotel Wi-Fi.

The only issue the journalist encountered was the close placement of the Home and GameChat buttons on the gamepad. He kept mixing them up and pressing the wrong one, despite the different shapes.

Backward Compatibility and Performance

The console is equipped with an 8-core ARM Cortex-A78C processor and 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM. The GPU performance reaches 3 teraflops in docked mode and up to 1.7 teraflops in handheld mode.

Now Nintendo’s console can compete with the base PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S in terms of visuals — something that Nintendo fans have been waiting to see for years. Naturally, the Switch 2’s “hardware” still can’t match what’s inside more expensive competitor consoles, but all Switch 2 games are now portable — and that’s the argument that will probably push this device to huge sales.

The visuals on the Switch 2 aren’t nearly as polished as on high-end PC setups or the PlayStation 5 Pro, but they’re much crisper and smoother than on the original Switch. Nintendo exclusives will no doubt be polished to perfection. Mario Kart World, for example, already looks fantastic — a colorful open-world racer that runs at 4K resolution and 60 FPS, and in handheld mode reaches up to 120 FPS. When 24 racers are on screen at once, the framerate dips a little, but it doesn’t take away from the fun.

To support the console at launch, Nintendo released enhanced versions of several major exclusives. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Switch 2 Edition looks much better than the first Switch version. That’s thanks to the higher resolution, stable performance, and incredible draw distance. One of the best games in recent years really needed the upgrade — and how great that it finally got it.

Third-party games are more complicated. The Cyberpunk 2077 port is far from perfect, but actually solid, and plays much better than the Witcher 3 port on Switch. Hitman: World of Assassination — Signature Edition leaves much to be desired, though. In handheld mode, it only runs at 720p, the flickering on objects is distracting, and the HDR support is problematic. It seems like port quality now depends entirely on the development studios since the hardware finally allows for high-tech games.

What really shines is the backwards compatibility with original Switch games. Digital Foundry hasn’t yet released a proper review of the new hardware, but they highlighted the great potential of backwards compatibility, using the Batman: Arkham Knight port as an example.

On the 2017 console, the game looked and ran terribly: framerates dropped below 20 FPS, and you’d be hard-pressed to find uglier textures. Driving the Batmobile was a chore that usually ended with quitting the game and deleting it. On the new console, the very same game runs stably and maintains 30 FPS without drops. The dreadful textures and lack of anti-aliasing are still there, so it doesn’t look great, but at least it’s playable now and doesn’t crash anymore.

The Witcher 3 ran extremely poorly on Switch, especially when the hero entered Novigrad — a huge city loaded with NPCs. On the new device, the action-RPG maintains a stable 30 FPS, even in Novigrad.

Digital Foundry’s experts suggest that Switch games are simply running their original code on the new system, with whatever system resources the Switch 2 can provide. Thanks to the new hardware’s capabilities, most old games can get a facelift without anyone specifically tweaking them. This alone is a big reason to pick up the new console!

Conclusions

You can evaluate the new console from at least two angles. If what matters to you is Nintendo’s legacy — what the company leaves behind with its hardware — then Switch 2 is a flop, with just one truly fresh idea, since GameChat is basically just a Discord clone.

The company used to be known for groundbreaking devices that changed the industry and offered strange / wild / exciting ways to interact with games. The new release is just a boring upgrade, showing Nintendo’s reluctance to take risks, which might disappoint some fans.

On the other hand, the Switch 2 is a beautiful, high-tech console that can run almost all modern games (even without compromises). Combined with its own exclusive projects and backward compatible games, the new Switch is set to have an excellent library that will satisfy even demanding gamers. And yes, you can take all these games with you: play on the road, at work, even in the bath.

With this outlook, even the $450 price tag shouldn’t stop people from buying it. In fact, record sales in the first few days show that players are enjoying the hybrid console.

Are you planning to buy the new release? Tell us what you think about Nintendo’s new approach.