Buy, Wait or Look Elsewhere – Our Nintendo Switch 2 Full Review
Did you know that when adjusted for inflation, the Switch 2 is $130 cheaper than the NES was when it released in 1985? It was also $66 cheaper than the Nokia N-Gage, and… well, I’m gonna go out on a limb already and say it’s gonna have better games in the long run.
That all doesn’t matter, because it’s still fairly pricey now, so you might be wondering if it’s worth actually spending all that money on now – or if you’re gonna want to rather wait or see what other handhelds are on the cards.
Watch the video instead, or keep reading below:
Over the last 2 weeks, I’ve been living with the Nintendo Switch 2, playing it at home and even travelling with it to exotic African locations.
I’ve been playing both launch titles as well as backwards compatible Switch games, and I’m going to tell you all about whether or not the Switch 2 is worth owning right now, and some of my thoughts around deciding if it’s the right handheld for me considering what else is on the horizon – and by the end, I’m sure you’ll know if it’s the right choice for you too.
On that note, they didn’t actually ask me to do this, but I must give a huge thank you to Core Gaming and Nintendo here in SA for loaning me a brand spanking new Switch 2 along with copies of Mario Kart World, Welcome Tour and Upgrade codes for the Zeldas so I could really give everything a good run.
Did I agree to give the Switch 2 back after the loan period. Yes I did. Will they have to pry it out of my cold, dead hands…
Let’s Begin
The Switch 2 is about more than just the hardware; It’s about the new games, the old games and the overall experience. I think that there’s still one trick that Nintendo has up its sleeve that might give it an edge no matter what, but I can’t tell you what that is without first discussing everything else first, so let’s get on that and I’ll come back to this at the end.
First off…
The Hardware
In my first impressions video on our channel, I spoke about how big the Switch 2 is compared to my original, non-OLED switch.
What I Love (and what worries me)
It’s not nearly as big as something like the Steamdeck, but the jump from the Switch 1 to Switch 2 is pretty big, for better or worse. I love the bigger screen, I love the new stand, I love the bigger joycons and the way they snap in just feels oh so good, but it also means that its slightly heavier, and its larger size makes it that little bit harder to easily set down somewhere, or carry around with you.
What I don’t love so far is the battery life. While simpler games might get you decent play times, sessions of Tears of the Kingdom got us around only 2 hours of battery life when we timed it. When I was testing our Fortnite 2 for my review of the new update, 65% charge wasn’t enough to get me more than 2 average length rounds without me bailing on a third – because I wasn’t confident that it was going to last all the way through.
I really like that I can still pair my Switch 1 joycons with the Switch 2 for things like Mario Kart World’s 4 player split-screen, and while I’m happy my Pro Controller still pairs with it, I was a bit bummed to find out that it can’t wake the Switch up from sleep mode, which means you either have to keep the joycons near you, set your Switch to get woken up by the TV input, or get up and manually go turn it on.
Unable to Fast Travel When Over-Encumbered
I also kept needing to remind myself that I was also provided with a 256GB MicroSD Express card, and without it, I’d be having a tougher time managing what I could and couldn’t keep installed. Here where I am, the Switch 2 is mostly retailing for more or in some cases the same as a PS5, and so having to also toss in a brand new game’s worth of money for extra storage is a bit of an extra kick in the pants.
Then again, adequate storage size hasn’t been this past generation’s strong suit for anyone now, has it?
Joycon drift is also still a very legitimate concern, and it seems like there may already be a few cases of drift being reported, and honestly, Nintendo getting away with that nonsense for an entire generation was bad enough, and if they haven’t used an entire new generation of console to sort that out… I think that’s a pretty poor form, and pretty disrespectful to their customers and loyal fans.
Hardware conclusion
So if you’re looking for a handheld to take with you on a long flight, or for extended sessions without power – you might need to stick to the simple stuff, or rather look somewhere else.
This may however, just be par for the course in this modern era of super powerful handhelds that are starting to truly offer full blown home-console-like gaming experiences on the go, so that’s worth taking into consideration.
What I will also say though, is that I’m super impressed with just how much of a bump up in power this is compared to a Switch 1. Especially when it comes to gaming experiences like Cyberpunk 2077, but I’ll get back to that in a bit.
If you want even more of my thoughts on the hardware, including all the little bits and bobs on the handheld itself, check out my first impressions video .
The Launch Games
When it comes to launch Nintendo games, the Switch 2 doesn’t have all that much new at launch, with Mario Kart World being it’s main launch title.
Mario Kart World
While it’s a blast to play, it’s not a perfect Mario Kart, and it’s also not quite enough to justify spending this amount of money to play right this second – especially considering that Nintendo has bumped up its game prices.
The Zeldas and Marios
Zelda Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are much better to play after the upgrade, with the improved frame rate being the best new feature by far.
To be quite honest, I really don’t feel like the upgrades are actually that impressive, considering what I know the Switch 2 can do because of games like Cyberpunk 2077, especially in games like Breath of the Wild where despite having a paid update, it doesn’t seem to have been improved much regarding pop-in and long range level of detail,
Considering the art style and kind of game, I was expecting the resolution to be a solid 4K looking image when in docked mode, but it’s not quite there. This kind of thing is forgivable when it’s free, not so much when it’s not.
Ironically, the free Super Mario Odyssey update does deliver in this regard, with notably better visual fidelity, coming across more like an HD remaster than a simple update.
Almost everyone who had a Switch has already played Odyssey and the Zeldas by now though.
It feels like it would have made so much sense to at least release Tears of the Kingdom with some decently chunky new DLC or expansion for fans to sink their teeth into, but… that’s not the case.
That Much Better?
My kid has been a great testing partner with the Switch 2 because of how he has grown up with the Switch 1.
He has been enjoying it a whole lot, especially adding to his already 160+ hours in Tears of the Kingdom, but when I asked him if he felt like he would be losing out much by moving back over to the Switch 1 once the reviews are over, he wasn’t really all that worried.
So what about non-Nintendo games?
Cyberpunk 2077
Playing the entire Cyberpunk 2077 experience on a handheld is a mind blowing experience that really illustrates just how far we’ve come. Before I continue, I also want to give a big thanks to the nice folks at CD Projekt Red who were also cool enough to give me a code for the Switch 2 version of Cyberpunk 2077 when I reached out, meaning I could also give it a good solid go and bring you my impressions.
Holding a game of this size and this calibre, with this much detail and this amount of content, really is a mind-blowing experience that I want to compare to the way I felt when the Playstation brought full-quality arcade experiences like Tekken into our homes and bedrooms.
It’s a thing that was only possible over there, that is now possible over here – and it’s pretty amazing.
I need to point out that despite its miserable and inexcusable state at launch, Cyberpunk 2077 in its current form has slowly made its way up to becoming one my favourite games of all time (Watch: Is Cyberpunk 2077 Good Now?) , which means it’s become very special to me.
I’ve been holding out on finishing the Phantom Liberty DLC’s other major story path ending that I didn’t do the first time around, and playing on Switch 2 with cross progression let me load into my Xbox saves and do just that – and because I love the game so much, I’m pretty damn holy about how I experience it.
I loaded into my old save and started playing the different direction, scared that I was going to waste it on a sub-par experience, but I’ll be damned, because even when playing on my big 4KTV, I never felt like I was getting some sort of heavily compromised experience.
We’re far from the old days when handheld ports were terrible looking, half-assed versions of games with a ton of the content missing.
I also really ended up liking the gyro stuff quite a lot, which allows you to tune it to your liking so that you can either have full movement, or like I prefer, using it only when aiming down the sights to adjust and line up those perfect shots. The mouse stuff works surprisingly well too, but honestly, I just can’t see myself ever sitting and actually playing that way for any extended periods of time, not with a joycon mouse at any rate.
Cyberpunk 2077 is definitely the go-to game if you want to show off what your new Nintendo Switch 2 can do, but once again, it’s a game that many people have already played, and for those who haven’t, there are superior versions of the game available for other consoles, for less money.
This means that you’re either forking out a lot of extra eddies just to have a handheld version to play using cross-progression, or you exclusively play your games on a Nintendo Switch 2, and want to finally experience Cyberpunk 2077.
For most of you, it will be nothing more than an expensive tech demo at this point. It’s still such a great game now, and I’ll always recommend it to anyone who hasn’t played it yet.
Switch 1 Backward Compatibility
When it comes to Switch 1 games, it’s currently a bit of a mixed bag.
Some feel exactly the same, some look better, many of them have more stable performance, and most of them load a lot quicker.
Overall, this has actually been a pretty positive experience.
Games We Tested
Now, I tested a pretty hefty amount of Switch 1 games, and so I’m not going to go into a deep dive for each one of them, but here’s a bit of a look at what I discovered from my play testing.
2D indies like Dead Cells and Hades feel pretty much the same, although Dead Cells is one of the only games where I noted that it felt like there was a bit of ghosting on the screen in handheld mode.
XCOM 2 resolution seems to be a lot crisper, possibly due to dynamic resolution being able to run a higher res now, and thank goodness because it was a seriously blurry affair on the Switch 1. I tested out some isometric games like Diablo 2 resurrection and Stasis: Bone Totem as well, and in both cases, it feels as though the overall visual quality was crisper and better. Maybe it’s just me, but despite being on the bigger screen they felt better than ever.
Bioshock 2 felt pretty much the same, and I would love to see an official update for this one to up the resolution and frame rate. Master Detective Archives: Rain Code was incredibly blurry on the Switch 1, and unfortunately it still seems to be the case.
When it comes to some racing, I also tested Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, which actually feels worse because of the visuals being stretched out on the bigger handheld screen, and an old rough remaster like Star Wars: Podracer feels about as good as ever, but that’s not saying too much considering how dated it looks thanks to its very lacklustre remaster (I still love that game, though).
Full Switch 2 Updates
Minecraft got its new vibrant update literally while I was writing this, so a quick test showed me that it seems to have had nice improvements to visuals and performance , which will be a biggie due to its popularity. Speaking of which, Fortnite got a proper Switch 2 update that really is a game changer for a really big title, and I’ve actually already done a video review for that, which you can check out on the YouTube channel.
I’ve been playing a whole lot of Overwatch 2 on Xbox again lately, but the current version on Switch 2 is still the Switch 1 version, with lower visual quality and a 30fps cap. I mention this also because there are many similar games out there right now like Apex Legends that are going to instantly get a whole lot better after updates hit. In some cases, similar games like Marvel Rivals will finally get released on the system as well.
So we’ve covered the hardware, the new games, and the old games. We know that the Switch is a solid, but fairly pricey piece of tech, that does some things well and other things not as well. It’s got some decent games and a decent Switch 1 library, but nothing all that new that screams “You need me right now”.
So what’s left to discuss? Well, it’s something pretty important – and might be the biggest factor when it comes to deciding if the Switch 2 is a good purchase right now; the competition.
Other Options
Boy, oh boy, did Playstation drop the ball with the PS Vita. In so many ways, the Vita could have been so much of what ultimately made the Switch successful. The Switch however, did not drop the ball and became a mega hit – and its concept of being both a docked home console and a handheld worked out really well.
But Nintendo haven’t innovated quite as much as they have in the past, and the competition has caught up.
Handheld PCs
Now, to be clear, Nintendo is probably gonna be just fine, but there’s a lot more competition already here and on the way. I’m talking about handheld PCs like the Steamdeck and Lenovo Go, and of course, not just the ASUS ROG Ally, but the upcoming partnership with Xbox to release Xbox versions of the Ally, as well as Microsoft’s big push to optimise Windows for gaming and open up their platform to allow other stores and services.
While many still don’t fully grasp that the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally models are PCs and not actually handheld consoles that can natively play console games. However, Xbox’s big push for Play Anywhere titles, Game Pass and an improved Windows Gaming OS means that options like this are becoming impossible to ignore.
Comparing these handheld PCs also puts a few things into perspective, and makes you think “Hey, maybe the Switch 2 isn’t that expensive” and also “maybe this battery life wasn’t as bad as I thought”.
Cost vs Value
I mentioned before that the Switch 2 goes for the same or more than a PS5 or Xbox Series X here where I live – and so if you’ve gotta choose only one, you either have to really like Nintendo games, or you really value handheld mobility, otherwise it just makes way more sense to grab one of the dedicated home consoles and play the better versions of all the games – often at cheaper prices.
Personally, I primarily play on Xbox, and I really love Game Pass, so my eye is very firmly trained on the Xbox Ally X. If its price isn’t too bad, the OS is improved and it provides solid handheld access to Game Pass, Steam Libraries and all the other stores – then it’s gonna seriously have some good stuff going for it.
We are now in a world where you’re gonna need to fork out $80 or your country’s equivalent to play new (and old) Nintendo games, and other publishers are quickly jumping onboard. This has made services like Game Pass, or events like Steam Sales become very important to many gamers just like you.
The Way of the Future
The Nintendo Switch is a $450 USD / R12,500 ZAR gaming device, and we already have a pretty good idea about what the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally models are gonna probably cost, and it’s a good chunk more. But how much does that matter, when the more expensive device is going to give me access to tons of games for a whole lot less money, be it because of sales or as a part of subscription services I’m already paying for on my home console.
Those $80 / R2000 games are gonna add up real quick – and I’m not even factoring Nintendo’s fee to play online.
So here I am, and here we are, trying to decide if the Switch 2 is the right choice for me, and not just me but my family as well.
Right at the beginning of this full review, I said that Nintendo had a trick up its sleeve, and the time has finally come where I can tell you what it is.
The “Nintendo” Effect
You see, despite what I’ve said about the hardware, and the tech, and the games, there’s that one ‘thing’ that Nintendo has that no one else does – and it’s almost impossible to explain.
It’s ‘that thing’, that magic, that certain special, intangible but completely observable quality that Nintendo products and games seem to have that brings people together and manifests fun scenarios out of almost nowhere.
Just the other day, my parents who are in their 60s had come over, and my kids were quite amped about the arrival of a new Mario Kart in the house, and before I knew it, we were all sat in front of the TV, joycons in hand, smiling and yelling as my youngest child messed around because he had assists helping him, and my parents laughed out loud as they wrapped their heads around the concepts of drifting and firing turtle shells at other racers.
In that moment I was reminded, that despite everything I’ve mentioned, despite the pricing, despite the money-hungry corporates behind the scenes and despite all the competition that might be out there – a moment like that wouldn’t have happened with any other console, or handheld PC, or other gadget – and for the life of me, I couldn’t tell you why.
Conclusion
The Nintendo Switch 2 is a really good feeling bit of tech with a price tag that makes it less worthwhile if you’re looking for a home console experience, and more worthwhile if you’re looking for a well-supported, pretty potent handheld that’s going to have solid Nintendo first party games on it.
So, I’m still faced with the decision and you might be too. If I was forced to make a decision right now, it wouldn’t be an easy one. What I know for myself is that while Nintendo have done a lot right with the Switch 2, but I’m a little scared off by the cost of games, the potential drift issues and the fact that I’m not quite as into their first party games as others.
What I do want, very much, is a handheld that will let me continue playing my home console games when I leave the house, and give me access to my steam, xbox and game pass libraries where possible.
I want a handheld mostly for smaller titles and indie games, not big immersive triple-A experiences (although it doesn’t hurt to have them).
What I do know is that if I don’t choose Nintendo, and I do go the other way, those other options will be many things, and do many things, but they’ll never quite bring that special magic that only Nintendo knows how to bring.
Question is… will Microsoft succeed at bringing Game Pass to the Switch 2? Because if they do… that could change everything.
