When Nintendo launched the original Switch in 2017, it was a near-instant success story. The console had captured something essential about the modern gaming experience: the need to be portable, dynamic, and flexible to a user’s needs. For many years, it was the go-to (and for a time, only) satisfying handheld gaming experience, lauded not only for its games library, but how this library could be taken on-the-go. With the Nintendo Switch 2, the company is clearly doubling down on what made its predecessor so great – and it’s a tactic that just might pay off.
Nintendo knows it had something special with the original Nintendo Switch – a rare console that ticked every box, appealing to all-comers with its diverse approach. It was (and remains) the perfect console for kids and families, who can share TV time, or play alone in handheld mode. For folks who spend all day at a large-screen display working, its couch time capacity is certainly well-appreciated. And in the mix of the console’s high quality games, all of these groups are well-served.
The Nintendo Switch 2 aims for that same sense of longevity and appreciation – and in an early preview, the console’s potential to achieve this was shown off with aplomb. Thanks to Nintendo, GamesHub travelled to New York to get hands-on with the Switch 2 and its early game releases, and found a familiar console that features small but very meaningful changes across the board. It’s certainly aptly named – this is the next iteration of the Nintendo Switch, but better. It’s not quite an adventurous departure, but a sequel with the drive and spirit to live up to its predecessor’s good name.
Mario Kart World was the first game demoed to media at the console’s hands-on event, and my gosh, is it a delight. This is a grand reinterpretation of the Mario Kart formula that evolves the franchise in impressive ways. It’s bigger, brighter, and more dynamic than any Mario Kart before it, and features phenomenal worlds brought to life by the improved performance of the Nintendo Switch 2.
Notably, this higher performance also lets the Nintendo Switch 2 play a raft of AAA games its successor was simply not capable of handling. Across multiple showroom floors, Nintendo showed the console running an array of major AAA games from the last few years, many of them seamless, smooth, and absolutely gorgeous.
First and third-party games combine
Cyberpunk 2077 performs admirably on the Nintendo Switch 2. While there’s a noticeable downgrade in graphical quality, particularly with hair rendered thinner and in less detail, and there was some frame rate drops while running through Night City, the entire experience was smooth and snazzy. Wandering past certain stations, titles like Hades 2, Hogwarts Legacy, and Split Fiction were similarly running like a dream.
Undoubtedly, where the console impressed most was in how it handled its native first-party games, supported by new controls (mouse and camera controls, in some games).
Beyond Mario Kart, Donkey Kong Bananza (an incredible pun) was also a bright, shiny feature of the Nintendo Switch 2 event. This game is essentially Donkey Kong by way of Mario Odyssey, and features such brightly-designed worlds that it’s instantly eye-catching. That’s not to mention the meaty, over-the-top punches in-game which help you carve great chunks out of the scenery. It’s moreish by design, and feels likely to become one of the flagship titles for the Nintendo Switch 2.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond also absolutely ruled, with its precise first-person shooting, puzzle-solving mechanics, and the ability to use the Nintendo Switch 2’s mouse controls to get more hands-on. Minor confession: I’ve never played a Metroid Prime before. Instantly, I saw the appeal – and I can certainly see my adventures into this franchise continuing in future.
Elsewhere, it was wonderful to see The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker running so smoothly via Nintendo Switch Online. A modern port or remaster of sorts would still go down a treat, but this game looked wonderfully crisp and smooth, as delivered through this platform. With titles like Mario Strikers and Pokemon Colosseum also set to be featured in the (exclusive) GameCube offerings for Nintendo Switch 2, I can see Nintendo Switch Online becoming more popular than ever, very shortly.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land‘s new Switch 2 upgrade was also delightful in action, with its bright, colourful worlds and cutesy characters. In my humble opinion, we left this game out of ‘classic’ conversations all too soon – and it’s great to see it getting another chance in the spotlight via its Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade.
On that note, let’s talk about the Nintendo Switch 2 itself, and everything it has to offer beyond its games library.
Nintendo Switch 2 – Console look and feel
Image: GamesHub
As you might expect from its overall design, this console is very much a descendant of the original Switch. Nintendo has opted to keep the same form factor here, with only minor tweaks to really mark it out. The most obvious thing, you’ll only notice when handling the device – it’s significantly heavier than its predecessor. It’s also a lot smoother, rounder, and better-feeling overall. It’s got a lovely, sleek finish to it, and controls feel more tactile and easier to grip.
The use of colour in this console is also much more subtle than before, with the chassis largely being a dark grey, and there only being light pops of colour within the magnetic Joy-Con 2 controllers, and around the joysticks. It works a treat, to give the console an air of elegance.
While some may lament the lack of bright, loud colours, it’s fair to say the Switch 2 is a statement piece, and that it looks beautiful in person.
Beyond basic looks, what also immediately appeals when getting hands-on is the screen. This is a larger screen compared to the base Nintendo Switch, and while it’s not OLED (it’s LCD), it looks absolutely fantastic, thanks to a dynamic colour range and brightness. It mean that while playing Mario Kart World, colours are eye-popping and beautiful, allowing every new stage to shine.
It should also blow away any negativity around Nintendo maintaining an LCD screen for this release (even though an OLED refresh is very likely on the way, in a few year’s time). It’s a fantastic screen, and more to the point, keeping an LCD on the base model helps to keep down costs.
Final thoughts ahead of launch
After spending a few hours with the Nintendo Switch 2, it became very clear that this console excels in much the same way the Nintendo Switch does. It’s not really a major leap forward, even with new in-built chat features, improved Nintendo Switch Online features, and mouse controls. But it doesn’t need to be – because Nintendo found a perfect formula years ago, and change must be for good reason.
The Nintendo Switch 2 feels like exactly what it needs to be: a refined version of the Nintendo Switch, with every years-old request met. It’s more powerful than the Switch, allowing for a wider range of games in its library, including newer AAA titles. It features an early lineup of soon-to-be-classics, with Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza both showing off brilliant, moreish worlds rich with potential.
Some of the console’s brightest ideas aren’t quite fully realised – Drag x Drive‘s mouse-based controls are occasionally more frustrating than fun, and I’m not quite sure this game will achieve the longevity and support it aims for – but even with small stumbles and oddities, the console is a mighty fine prospect.
It’s the little things that count here, and with the Nintendo Switch 2 improving on an already-fantastic console, it should have a very bright future indeed.
GamesHub attended the Nintendo Switch 2 hands-on event in New York as a guest of Nintendo, with flights and accomodation covered. Nintendo did not have editorial oversight of this article.
Leah J. Williams is a gaming and entertainment journalist who's spent years writing about the games industry, her love for The Sims 2 on Nintendo DS and every piece of weird history she knows.
You can find her tweeting @legenette most days.
