Nintendo Switch 2 Review – A Worthy Upgrade?

Believe it or not, but I actually started out with a love/hate relationship with my original Switch console. 2017 was a different time in my life, and to be honest, I just didn’t gel with the hardware. I was worried about Nintendo pulling another Wii U disaster and investing time and money into the console, with a rather lacklustre lineup, wasn’t something I wanted to do. Let’s be honest, without backwards compatibility on the OG Switch, we were all a little concerned about the future of the console.

Watch this review below;

Fast forward a few years, and the Switch slowly became my favourite gaming platform. I love it. It has been in my bag while I travelled the world, and I have had some incredible career-defining moments reviewing some of its remarkable games. I even had my review quote slapped onto a Zelda game box. I work out almost every day using the fitness game on the platform, and the system has brought my family together on the couch like no other platform on the market. So, Nintendo releasing a successor meant I was immediately sold on the idea.

However, a lot has changed since 2017. Handheld gaming kinda feels like something everyone is doing nowadays, with PC handheld devices being churned out every quarter. The Nintendo Switch 2 will have to fight even harder now to make a noise while, at the same time, I think the company is going to have a hard time overcoming many of the challenges that await, such as tariffs, the ever-growing cost of game development, the rise of indie game popularity, and of course, tighter pockets.

But the Nintendo Switch 2 is here, and it wants your attention. In my review, I want to really dive into this new console and answer the question many people have been asking me: is this worth the upgrade?

Nintendo hasn’t changed what comes with your Switch 2 purchase. Everything feels very familiar here. The box you get is much in line with a new OLED Switch box, and inside, you get the Joy-Con 2 controllers, your Switch 2 device, a Joy-Con 2 controller grip, some wrist straps, an HDMI 2.1 cable, the 60W USB-C power adapter, and the dock.

I think the biggest selling point for me on the Switch 2 is how familiar every aspect of the experience is while at the same time, almost everything feels modernised and updated. Even the smaller details like the power adapter having a removable USB-C cable is something you’d expect in 2025.

The same goes for how the Switch 2 operates across your Nintendo Online account. Transferring your information from your old console to your new one is easy, and all your purchases just appear in the new Game Card menu. This isn’t anything groundbreaking in today’s industry, and if anything, it kind of feels like Nintendo finally catching up with the world rather than setting trends.

You’ll feel a sense of “improvement” across almost every aspect of the Switch 2 rather than “innovation,” and I think that’s okay. It isn’t called the Switch 2 for nothing, and while it all remains quite familiar, the improvements from a design and functionality perspective, I think, make it worthy of the number 2.

The same can be said for the design and functionality of the Switch 2. Nintendo’s Switch 2 feels both familiar and upgraded, the same when it comes to the console’s design. In your hands, you know it is a Switch console, and the idea of docking it into a dock for TV gaming and removing the Joy-Cons isn’t anything groundbreaking, even if the new magnet system feels wonderful. The Switch had the most versatile experience when it came to where and when you could use it, and the new console hasn’t changed that.

If anything, the Switch 2 has improved on the sheer versatility already on offer. The magnetic Joy-Con 2 controllers mean no more rails and sliding up and down, the sturdy kickstand keeps the console standing in tabletop mode without any wobble, and the larger display is just incredible for all your handheld gaming.

The dock sees the same mixed bag of changes. It is still a block of plastic that sits there and acts as the hub between the Switch and the TV. Nintendo has added a fan to it for some reason and the LAN port is now included too; it was previously only part of the later Switch OLED model bundle.

The dock can also output HDR and 4K 120Hz signal thanks to its HDMI 2.1 port and, of course, the Switch 2’s chipset, but more on that later. I did end up installing some felt strips into my docks to prevent scratches caused by the cheap plastic inside. I was hoping Nintendo would have done something here to soften the docking and undocking of the console in the dock, but sadly, the plastic is much the same as the OLED dock. If you’re worried about scratches, be sure to check out my video on how to protect your console.

Right from the first moment you hold the Switch 2, you’ll notice how premium it feels. While the original had the same experience back in 2017, the hardware has aged. Display bezels are now thinner than ever, buttons don’t wobble on controllers, and speakers pack much better audio output than before. So it makes sense that the Switch 2 has brought all these kind-of-expected changes to the console.

The entire product feels sturdier, heavier, and just better in every single way. The Joy-Con 2 controllers, as you know, attach with an electromagnet lock and feel fantastic to use. Every part of using the Joy-Con 2 controllers comes with, well, Joy. The magnetic lock is tight and sturdy, the buttons sound better than ever, the analogue sticks are smooth, albeit without Hall effect sensors, and HD Rumble 2 holds a lot of potential for some remarkable features later down the line.

They are longer than the OG Switch, and Nintendo has painted them with a matte black material to make them feel, in a way, rugged. If anything, there’s only one new feature here: the mouse support, and it works quite well. Better than I expected anyway. While I still feel like they fall over too easily and I would need a base mount for any hardcore shooting games and high precision, the sensors can be used anywhere. They worked on my lap, for example, as I used my legs to get around the Home Screen.

Sadly, game support right now is lacking when it comes to the mouse functionality, so we’ll have to wait and see what Nintendo has in store for us. I do hope they are working on a killer app to really utilise the mouse in ways that traditional PC gaming hasn’t. Sort of like how Skyward Sword created the masterful motion gameplay using the Wii Motion Plus tech.

Again, the Joy-Con 2 controllers are much the same here. They are designed for all sorts of games, be it swinging your arms around or playing Mario Kart World. The improvements are subtle when you really list them out, and again, I hope Nintendo has plans to make the HD Rumble and mouse support shine in the future. Right now, they are just cooler-looking Joy-Cons.

Then there’s the Switch itself. This is the main body of the unit, and everything expensive is packed inside. The console has some vast technical improvements over the original, with the biggest being the custom NVIDIA chip. This chip powers the games and is capable of DLSS upscaling and even raytracing. There are also some substantial improvements to RAM and storage, of course.

All of these internal components mean better gameplay, better-looking games, faster loading times, and again, everything you would expect from a console in 2025. Especially at the asking price.

There’s also some new ports here. A top USB-C port is used for the camera and charging. I tested the camera in a bit too, and there’s a microphone for GameChat. The same Game Card slot is also on the top of the console, and this time, it supports both the Switch and Switch 2 cards. You’ll then find the MicroSD Express slot under the stand.

Speaking of which, this new slot only supports MicroSD Express, meaning you’ll need to spend more money on picking one of these up if you want to store more games. It is more difficult to keep up with storage now because even your physical Game Cards and game keys need to be transferred to the internal storage or MicroSD Express card in order to play them. So you’ll definitely want a card because 256GB of internal storage will likely run out quite fast.

Back to the stand, this new U stand is excellent. It is sturdy and has quite a stiff hinge. It can lower the Switch 2 all the way down to 20 degrees. Given the heavier design of the console in general, tabletop gaming is sturdier, and if anything, safer now.

As mentioned before, the Joy-Con 2 controllers connect magnetically to each side of the Switch 2. On each side of the display, there is an empty slot with a strip of pins that connect to the Joy-Con 2s when slotted in. You don’t see any screws, any microchips, or any other rough-looking connectors. It looks and feels cleaner than ever thanks to this simple and approachable design.

I want to say the Switch 2 feels grown up, but that won’t be fair. As I said, I think the original Switch was great for its time, and the Switch 2 is great for today. The tech looks great, and the general design is sleek and effective. It doesn’t by any means revolutionise the industry, but it does upgrade what we already had.

Turning on the console, the display is superb. It is bigger, sharper, faster, and cleaner. The speakers also sound better. They are louder, crisper, and refined. Playing in handheld, it is like gaming on the old Switch, but the Joy-Cons don’t wobble around, the buttons feel better to press, and the display and speakers combine together to deliver an experience you would expect today.

I think the experience doesn’t fall short in any way here. There were no real expectations when it came to the Switch 2 besides just wanting something “better,” and Nintendo has nailed that down. Holding it in your hand, it feels modern, premium, and if anything, like an upgrade.

Of course, much of the tech sadly feels a bit unused right now. The console’s 120Hz display hasn’t been taken advantage of yet, and the launch lineup doesn’t really push the boundaries when it comes to utilising what the console has to offer. I doubt Mario Kart World is the most graphically intense game on the market, to be honest.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not hard up for 120Hz games. I would take a 40FPS or 60FPS game over 120Hz, but at the moment, there just isn’t anything that shows us the real power of the Switch 2.

There are some features I am excited about though. The Joy-Con 2 mouse functionality is fun to use. I picked up some docks for them, which helps create a larger base at the bottom of the controller for more balance, and using them like this makes a big difference. I am looking forward to seeing more games utilise the mouse functionality. Right now, it is quite limited too, but hopefully, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond pushes me to adopt the play style even more.

I will say, the mouse support is quite adaptable. It worked on my couch and even my lap. I doubt I will be able to play a hardcore shooter by using my lap, so I am worried about how inconvenient this set-up could be for certain games when the Switch 2 has been built for traditional couch gaming. You’ll have to force yourself to set this up at a desk or get some sort of lap desk for games if you’re hard up about playing with the mouse.

So what about the games then? Well, the Switch 2, while having over 40 games available that are dedicated Switch 2 titles, still doesn’t feel remotely exciting as we pass the launch phase. There’s Mario Kart World, which is okay; it gets tired quite fast, and the open world is kind of lacklustre.

Nintendo has then updated both Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom to take advantage of the Switch 2 with dedicated editions. These games both look magical and run incredibly well, but they are just the same games. If you played hundreds of hours before, like I am sure most people did, replaying them here is a tough sell.

The free upgrades to original Switch games have also been a nice addition. Super Mario Odyssey looks so good at 4K 60FPS with HDR when playing on the TV. Handheld mode is just the same. I loved this game back in the day, and I am really enjoying it again. Link’s Awakening has also benefitted from an upgrade, which helps a lot during those horrible frame rate-taxing environments.

If anything, I have been finding more joy in these upgraded original Switch games than I have in playing Mario Kart World and The Legend of Zelda. Perhaps the sheer variety of the upgraded games just offers more excitement in my books. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, for example, are real standouts, and I would buy a Switch 2 just to play those games.

I know the world has hated the Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, but I did enjoy this tech demo-like game. It is slow, but the experience for me made me appreciate some of the finer details of the Switch 2 experience. Little things like the changes to the HD Rumble 2 and how Nintendo refined the wrist strap with cross-stitch sewing just reminded me how much love and passion they have for making good products.

But I can’t help but criticise this launch lineup of games because it isn’t great in my opinion. We will get there over time, but for anyone carrying over a robust original Switch game library to the Switch 2, I still feel there’s no real system seller. More just nice updates to old games and a kart racer that stands in the shadow of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

With that being said, it was very cool to have the Switch 2 playing games in 4K HDR. While this is more catching up with the industry, I have been longing for the day and seeing games in this form made me all happy inside. No more squinting my eyes to try and ignore the lower resolution in Zelda, and having to bump up my TV’s saturation to get more vibrancy in games.

I say this, but at the same time, the console’s handheld experience is so incredible now that all I want to do is play it this way. The display, the way it feels in my hand, the vibrations, it all makes this device hard to put down, or worse, hard to put into the dock. So yeah, Nintendo has beefed up the TV support and functionality, but all I want to do now is play it in handheld. First-world problems, I guess.

Speaking of handheld, the Switch 2’s battery isn’t great at all. Two hours of Mario Kart World is likely the best you’re going to get here with the screen brightness on 70%. I am also concerned about how tethered the console will be to a power outlet given the poor battery life. I found myself always sitting by the charger to keep it alive. Even then, the charging speed isn’t great due to the higher power requirement of the console. So keep this in mind.

But the Switch 2 does some cool things I need to mention in the review. GameChat is quite a nice social app where I could video chat with friends and family no matter what I was playing or doing on the console.

The Nintendo Camera is quite easy to get going. It can be plugged into the console’s USB-C port when docked or even just left in the dock by swapping out the USB-C port for a USB-A port. Once connected, it just sits there until you initiate GameChat using the “C” button on the controller.

In a chat, we could share gameplay and catch up. While the quality of these videos leaves much to be desired, the feature is quite unique on its own. Seeing gameplay from another player while playing my game was quite nifty and it brings up opportunities to discuss things about the game and even show off content you want to share with friends.

I also tested out the HORI Pirahna Plant camera at the same time. It is actually quite a cool gadget. The resolution is lower at 720p, but the ability to plug it into the Switch 2 directly is handy. I will have a full review of this camera up soon.

GameChat is cool, but it isn’t without its hiccups. The quality of video isn’t great, and sharing your gameplay screen results in even lower quality. I guess it gets the job done regardless.

Is it a feature I will use all the time? I don’t think so unless a load of my friends end up using it too, which is also unlikely. I want to say there’s a future where this app will be part of my life, but I just don’t see it at all. I think the whole premise of GameChat is built for the Asian territories where video calls are such a major part of life.

With that being said, the camera itself promises functionality across upcoming games such as Super Mario Party Jamboree + Jamboree TV, so it has a purpose elsewhere. In Mario Kart World, you can also get the camera to tag each player’s face so when you pass them on the track, an icon appears above their heads with the camera feed. Let’s just hope we don’t see the camera tech die, or only rely on GameChat to stay alive.

I also got a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller to use from Nintendo and I have to say, this controller is remarkable. While it doesn’t provide many new features, the controller feels great. Its smooth velvet finish is premium and the buttons are deadly silent. Likely the quietest controller I have ever used. It feels fantastic to use and sounds unbelievably quiet at times. It is such a joy to use at night especially when you just want to play games and not be drowned by button presses – looking at you, Xbox Wireless Controller.

It does come with new back paddle buttons which you can easily map to buttons on the controller. Mapping them is quite easy too. I just had to hold down the home button and navigate to the mapping tab. Here, I could then choose which button I could assign to the GR and GL button.

The additional buttons go a long way to enhance games. Having the GR button assigned to Y and the GL button assigned to B in both Zelda games, for example, meant I could sprint and jump without lifting my finger off the sprint button. It would be nice to save profiles for the controller though, because each time you launch a game, you need to manually go and assign the buttons again. Even if you just had the paddles assigned in the last game you played.

It needs some sort of memory and preset system. So I could maybe switch between them instead of having to remap the buttons each time I changed the game.

There’s a lot I love about the Nintendo Switch 2. I played Mario Kart World for countless hours and it looks stunning. Both handheld and TV mode provide a so-called “next-gen Switch” experience. Cyberpunk 2077 also looked great. It is likely the best-looking handheld version of the game right now, which is good news for the Switch 2’s power. There’s some clear heavy reliance on DLSS and at times, the image can get a bit too noisy for my liking. However, performance here was top-notch.

But somehow, I need more. I don’t think Nintendo has fully utilised this console at launch. The lineup of games is lacking true innovation and again, I have found more joy in the free updated games than the exclusives.

With that being said, I won’t ever go back to my OG Switch console. I think the asking price for the Switch 2 provides not only a substantial upgrade in the look and feel of the console but the promise of Switch 2 games and the ability to play your original library at the same time. Everything about the console feels changed in some way or another, with some aspects getting a bit more love than others, of course.

Honestly, all of this makes the original Switch hardware feel as dated as ever. Even holding the original Joy-Con feels like I am going back in time to a decade of lost gaming. So yes, I think the asking price for the Switch 2 is warranted and the console is a worthy upgrade. Is it perfect? No, and I am worried about the battery life, concerned about the lack of compelling launch games and of course, the pricing structure for upcoming games and accessories makes this a hefty investment.

I have confidence in Nintendo that the Switch 2 will grow into something just as magical as the original, but it will take time to get there. Right now, the Switch 2 is a cool-looking piece of tech that plays some great Switch 1 games. I hope that changes soon.

This Nintendo Switch 2 review is based on a long-term loan unit sent to us by Nintendo. The console is now available in South Africa starting at R12,499.