A Lizard's Review of the Nintendo Switch 2!
How would you review a console that follows one of Nintendoâs most successful systems of all time, especially when its target audience feels so different from that of the original?
Thatâs the question Iâve been asking myself for the past couple of days. The Switch 2, in a lot of ways, is an iterative design. Itâs a second Switch! Still, it diverges from that ideology by reinventing who it aims to please and what itâs capable of. In many ways, the biggest changes from the original stem from intentions, rather than the differences on paper. These are some big diversions from the status quo for Nintendo, and I believe that these changes come with some major implications for their future.
Generally, the newer system is an awesome improvement, albeit one that comes with a much heftier price of admission. Of course, the Nintendo Switch 2 is still its own thing, and as Theodore Roosevelt put it, âcomparison is the thief of joyâ, so this review wonât be spending too much time comparing the original with its newer counterpart. There will be some comparisons in terms of backwards compatibility and whatnot, but this is more of a review of the Switch 2 on its own merits.
The Build Quality
When I pulled the Nintendo Switch 2 out of its box, the first thing I noted is that it feels premium. That should be expected at the steeper price of $450, but I digress. The console is hefty, slick, and built well. Thereâs no creaking when you grip the system in your hands, the Joy-Con 2 controllers sit firmly attached to the console with no wiggling, and the kickstand is stable and easy to pull from the tablet. The entire console is finished with this matte black sort of texture, so it looks sleek and mature. Plus, it doesnât show fingerprint smudges and other nasty stuff, so it remains nice to look at even after heavy use.
The dock, on the other hand, doesnât feel as great. It gets the job done and still looks fine on a TV stand, but it feels cheaper and collects smudges like crazy. Just setting up the system left a bunch of fingerprints on the front of the dock. I donât think this is a big deal at all, though. Youâre not going to spend much time touching the dock, but I would still suggest keeping a microfiber cloth around when youâre setting up the console. The bigger deal is that my Switch 2 has little scratches on the left side of the screen now, presumably from the dock. That sucks and was a problem with the original, and it still seems like a problem now.
Controllers and Comfort
Iâm really glad to say that the system itself feels very comfortable. Itâs pretty big, so I was expecting it to feel unwieldy, but that isnât the case.
For starters, the controllers that come in the box feel great. Iâm happy to report that the size of the Joy-Con 2 are markedly easy to use in my adult hands, partially due to the larger size. Buttons arenât hard to reach and have a satisfying click to them that doesnât feel too loud or plastic-y. The L and R buttons kind of curve down on the side of the controllers, which makes them way easier to press in handheld mode, and the analog sticks are smooth to push around, even if the travel isnât as far as a traditional controller. The triggers are digital and donât have that analog pull to them like most modern console controllers do, but for durability reasons, I can see why they decided against it. On a side note, I do have to say that younger gamers arenât going to find this system very comfortable. Itâs way too big, at least in handheld mode.
When youâre playing on the TV or a monitor, youâre probably going to use the Joy-Con 2 grip, which is fine, I guess. Itâs really light, and the handles are weirdly flat on the front, which isnât as bad as I initially thought it would be. I really wish that Nintendo would have included the nicer charging grip that they sell separately for a whopping $40. That one comes with the new GL and GR buttons on the back of the controller, which also come standard with the Switch 2 Pro Controller. I donât have the Pro Controller because itâs $85. Thatâs a lot of money for the average person, so I wouldnât suggest this new controller to anyone but the biggest Nintendo fans, even if it seems very nice.
One extra note is that the Joy-Con 2, much like their predecessor, are designed to be split up and used on their sides as individual controllers, which I really like. This is why the D-Pad had to be separated into face buttons, but the flexibility is a totally fair trade-off. My coworkers and I played Mario Kart World on a work break and the split Joy-Con 2 still felt very comfy to use and didnât cramp up my hands like I thought they would.
Generally, the controllers that come with the system are good, but I do wish that the other options were way cheaper.
Display
I'm not super technically savvy when it comes to displays, but generally the screen is okay. HDR isn't as prominent as Nintendo says it was. It's a little brighter, but not majorly so, and most average folks aren't going to care or notice the difference if it's turned off. I think this issue stems from the overall brightness of the display, which isn't great, and not suited to HDR content. It's not bright at all, and using it in daylight is nigh unplayable in dark scenes.
This thing is pretty dim outside... You can even see a bit of my reflection. (hi! :D)
The image clarity is fine, though, and the screen still looks nice when playing indoors. Plus, resolution-wise, it's a 1080p panel. Most games look plenty sharp, actually and it's nice! 120hz sounds cool, but not a single game I own actually supports the feature, so I couldn't test it. Something I could try out was the VRR technology included with the screen. Basically, frame rates can be smoothed out a bit, even if the game isn't running super great. It's especially useful for games like Cyberpunk 2077, which looks a whole lot smoother than I would imagine a handheld could pull off.
Performance
Performance on the Nintendo Switch 2 is mighty impressive for a hybrid system, even if it can only really be taken advantage of by dedicated Switch 2 software. I already went over display specs in handheld mode, and in docked mode, it does the same stuff in up to 4K, minus VRR (which is a bit of a bummer, especially for unstable frame rates). In non-technical terms, games look awesome in both modes and run pretty well, from my personal experience.
Mario Kart World, the star of the Nintendo Switch 2âs launch, runs flawlessly. The game targets 1440p in docked mode and 1080p in handheld mode with a 60 fps refresh, and itâs gorgeous. The world is detailed and expansive, the art style rocks, and the game doesnât have any hitches.
Cyberpunk 2077, another launch title for the system, is a great example of how bigger titles from the current generation of consoles will make their way over. The game is gorgeous and vibrant on the Switch 2. Itâs not as impressive as the PC or PlayStation 5 versions, but thatâs fine. Itâs an awesome version of Cyberpunk on a handheld! The game runs at 30 fps, but the dense, moody visuals of Night City remain intact. Character models and textures are sharp and detailed as well, and I only had one instance of slowdown which fixed itself after I reloaded a save. If I had to compare it to anything Iâd say itâs very similar to what you would expect on an Xbox Series S, which in my opinion, bodes well for future third-party support.
Switch 2 games arenât the only games youâll be playing, as there are three types of software youâll be able to use on the Switch 2; Nintendo Switch 2 games, original Nintendo Switch games, and Nintendo Switch 2 âeditionâ games, which are basically Switch 1 games that have been updated to support the new Switch 2 features. For the most part, Iâve had a great time with all three, but there are some notable caveats, mainly with the backwards compatibility mode.
Backwards Compatibility
Letâs start with the good stuff! Original Nintendo Switch games run way better on the Switch 2. This is the only part of the review where comparison is going to take center stage. Anything that had an unlocked frame rate on the original will run at a locked 60 for the most part on the new hardware. Some good examples of this include Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, Resident Evil 5, and Minecraft. Games that have locked frame rates will still cap at 30, but they should be far more stable than the original could manage.
On the other hand (and at no fault to the Switch 2), backwards compatible games are pretty low resolution on the handheld display. The original Switch only had a 720p panel, so thatâs what it maxes out to in handheld mode. A lot of games on the original Switch ran at lower resolutions than 720p, which makes them look super blurry on the new one. A good example of this issue is Dead by Daylight, which hasnât received an update for Switch 2 yet, and is nearly the worst case scenario for backwards compatibility. Without sugarcoating it, this game looks terrible on the Switch 2. Itâs extremely pixelated and textures look smeary and almost clay-like. The game is also stuck at an uneven 30 frames, so while it is an improvement over the Switch, itâs not a big one.
These issues can be smoothed over with Nintendo Switch 2 âeditionâ games. PokĂŠmon Scarlet and Violet run at a much sharper resolution, and the frame rate is more than doubled on the new system. Same goes for games like The Legend of Zelda and No Manâs Sky, so as more developers update their games, the aforementioned resolution issues in backwards compatibility mode should become less relevant.
Pricing and Value
Not all of these previously mentioned improvements come for free, however, and that sucks. Nintendo isnât the first to charge for upgraded games, but they are definitely among the most aggressive when it comes to pricing legacy content. Of course, there are still some games that donât cost extra to update, but there are plenty more that do, and 20 extra for games that came out years ago is just egregious, especially when these games donât go on sale nearly as often as other companiesâ games. Breath of the Wild on the Wii U was $60. Eight years later, the same game on the Nintendo Switch 2 is $70 new, and it doesnât even come with the DLC, which is another $20. There were no bones thrown to early adopters, and that makes me nervous for the pricing structure for future Nintendo titles.
I mentioned earlier that the system itself feels worth Nintendoâs $450 asking price, but everything else around it doesnât feel as fair. Accessories are all expensive, game upgrades feel nickel-and-dimed, and the first-party games are all pushing it, price-wise.
A shift in audience�
This brings us to one of my main observations about the new system. I donât think that the Switch 2 is meant to be a family console, at least not like the Switch 1 was. The Nintendo Switch 2 is not kid-friendly in the slightest in terms of form factor. Take a gander at the games announced for the system, and my point is only made clearer. Duskbloods, Cyberpunk 2077, Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion, and Hitman arenât exactly family-friendly. Sure, Nintendo still has first-party heavyweights like Super Mario and PokĂŠmon, but itâs still hard to ignore the definite shift in the target audience.
Even Nintendoâs focus on fancy hardware specs like 4K, HDR, and 120Hz feels like a shift into a more core gamer audience, especially in tandem with the more mature software line-up and all the catering to older fans with features like GameChat and the GameCube classics lineup. Add all this up with the pricing woes and it paints a picture that would make some folks turn their heads and scoff.
A couple of months ago I wrote a blog post about the pricing structure and how even I, a big Nintendo fan and someone who likes to write about video games, felt uncomfortable with the value proposition. I bit the bullet anyways, partially because I really wanted to review the thing, and while I do really love the system, I also understand why people would choose to skip it for now, considering all of the uncertainty surrounding the state of the economy and everything else going on.
In conclusionâŚ
I really like the Nintendo Switch 2. Itâs an impressive piece of gaming hardware that stands on its own as something special. Itâs a robust, mature, and versatile take on Nintendoâs hybrid concept, and I think that itâll be more than capable of delivering that Nintendo charm in spades, as well as everything else offered by third-party companies. Plus, the console is built well, has awesome performance, and generally is a great experience.
Look, these upgrades come at a cost, in more ways than one. Pricing is a big concern on games, but itâs deeper than that. Like I said before, this console is aimed at a more mature audience.
Would I recommend the system? For most adult gamers, of course! But there are caveats, especially with the price. Maybe wait for more games to come out, or for more people to start selling their games used. In addition, maybe wait for a Switch 2 âliteâ or something if youâre trying to buy it for a kid.
Just to reiterate one more time, I fuckinâ dig this thing. I've kind of fallen into a spot where Iâm not using my Xbox or my Mac to play games anymore, and if we keep getting cool games on the system then I see no reason why I would choose another system to play on. Overall? Itâs an 8 outta 10.
Thanks for reading and supporting the little internet, folks! (￣â˝ďżŁ)ă