A Review of the Nintendo Switch 2

There are various types of gamers. There are those who only play mobile games, either on your phone or a tablet. There are those who prefer the widest range of games, so they have a gaming PC. Then there are those, like myself, who prefer to play games on a console. When I was younger, I had a PC, so I could play a variety of games, but as I have gotten older, I have found that I would rather have a dedicated console for playing games. At the moment, I have a a few consoles that I use regularly. These are:

1. Original Nintendo Switch
2. Xbox Series X
3. Playstation 4

I have some older consoles too, like the Xbox 360, Xbox One, Playstation 3, the original Nintendo Wii, and a Wii U, however I do not use these regularly. We can now add the Nintendo Switch 2 to the consoles that I have.

My preferred games are first-person shooters; however, I also play other types of games, like platformers, and I do have a few mobile games that I play regularly. I mostly use my Nintendo Switch to play Mario games; however, I will likely be purchasing Donkey Kong Bonanza once it is available. Even though it is not my primary console, I am not new to Nintendo, not at all. Let me take you through a brief look at my history with Nintendo.

My Nintendo History

I have been playing Nintendo games since the late 1980s, when we got an original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). I remember playing games like Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt. We also had Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Bros. Mappy Land, The Adventures of LoLo, California Games, Track and Field, and Golgo 13, just to name a few. We definitely had more games than that, but those are only a handful of the ones I recall having.

We never had a Super Nintendo, but we did have a Nintendo 64. We did not have that many games. Of course, we had Mario 64, GoldenEye 007, one of the Mario Party games (I do not recall which one), and Paper Mario. I really only played Super Mario 64, which was very innovative at the time.

When Nintendo released the GameCube, it was a radical departure with the games being on CD. Much like the N64, I did not play that many games, except for Super Mario Sunshine. I’m sure we had a few others, but the only other one that I really recall is Mario Party 4.

Now, the Wii was a different story. This is the first Nintendo console that I ended up going out and purchasing. I stood in line at a Toys R Us, in the cold, to purchase one. I purchased only a handful of games, including Super Mario Wii, Mario Kart Wii, Carnival Games, and Wii Fit, just to name the major ones. The Wii was the first Nintendo console that was backward compatible with the previous console. This was due to the Wii having discs, much like the GameCube.

The Wii U was, by all metrics, a flop. Even with that, it did not stop me from buying one. I only played a few games on the system, New Super Mario Bros. U, and Lego City Undercover being the primary games. Lego City Undercover worked really well with the second screen on the Wii U controller.

In 2017, Nintendo did something radically different and released the Nintendo Switch. The original Nintendo Switch was a console that could be used as both a handheld or as a traditional console. While the Nintendo Switch did not have direct backward compatibility with the Wii U, you could play games with the Virtual Console. I have purchased a number of games for the Switch, including Zelda: Breath of the Wild, since that was the only game available at launch. Of course, I have played the other Mario games, like Super Mario 3D All-Stars, Mario Kart 8, Super Mario Odyssey, and Super Mario Wonder.

Nintendo consoles are not my main console; that is the Xbox, but I do enjoy playing the Mario games when they are released. I thought I would pick up a Nintendo Switch 2, not only because of Mario Kart World, but also because of Bonanza, which is a Mario-like platformer but starring Donkey Kong.

Let us look at various aspects of the Switch 2, starting with my pre-order experience.

Pre-Order Experience

I am not new to pre-ordering items. I have pre-ordered many things, including numerous iPhones, Apple Watches, iPads, and even other gaming consoles. Every pre-order has its own quirks, and the Switch 2 is no different. There were some retailers who began allowing pre-orders on April 23rd, or six weeks before the Switch 2 was set to go on sale. As is the case with many pre-orders, it did not go all that well.

I initially tried ordering with Target, and had the Mario Kart bundle in my cart, but it kept failing when I tried to pay. Eventually, it told me they were out of stock. So, I switched over to Best Buy. They put me into a queue, and I waited for a bit, but eventually gave up. I eventually tried Walmart and encountered issues there as well. After some perseverance, I was eventually able to pre-order the non-bundled version of the Switch 2 from Walmart. They indicated it would have a delivery date of June 6th, so one day after launch day.

A couple of days later, Walmart had additional stock, so I cancelled my first pre-order for the non-bundle and attempted to order the bundle. Unfortunately, I could never get that added to my cart, so I frantically tried to re-order the non-bundle version again. After about 15 minutes of trying, I was able to re-order the non-bundle, this time with a delivery date of June 5th.

Nintendo was also allowing pre-orders; however, there were restrictions, specifically to combat scalpers and bots and allow for it . You had to have 12 months of Nintendo Switch Online and have played for at least 50 hours, as well as sharing that gameplay with Nintendo. I was not sure if I would qualify, but I put my request in to pre-order. Nintendo began sending those emails out on May 8th.

One of the limitations for the pre-orders directly from Nintendo is that you had 72 hours to order. If you did not order, your invite would go to someone else. On May 15th at 5:50 p.m., I got an email from Nintendo saying that I could order my Switch 2 bundle. So, I did just that.

I did not cancel my pre-order from Walmart, just in case someone else I knew wanted one. It turned out that nobody did, so I ended up returning it to Walmart a week after launch. Coincidentally, the woman in front of me in the customer service line wanted to buy one, so I returned mine and she immediately bought it, so at least she was able to get one.

It was announced on June 12th that the Switch 2 sold 3.5 million units in the first four days, making it the fastest-selling console to date.

Now, let us look at what is included in the box.

In the Box

What is included in any console depends on the manufacturer. For example, Microsoft’s Xbox One Series X includes the console, a power cable, an HDMI cable, an Xbox controller, and a pair of AA batteries. The Sony PlayStation 5 includes the console, the power cable, a DualSense controller, a USB cable to charge the controller, and an HDMI cable. So, basically, they include the same items. Nintendo includes a bit more.

Nintendo includes quite a bit in the box of the Nintendo Switch 2. The Switch 2 includes the Switch 2 console, a power brick, a USB-C to USB-C cable for the power brick, the Joy-Cons, the Dock for outputting to a TV, and an HDMI cable. These are the same as the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. The Switch 2 also includes Joy-Con straps and a charging cradle for the Joy-Cons. Initially, it might seem that including the straps and charging cradle is not a lot, but in fact, it can be super helpful, and it would cost extra to have a charging cradle with other consoles.

Power Brick

The Power Brick on the Nintendo Switch 2 is different than that of the original Nintendo Switch, in that the power brick is separate from the USB-C cable. This was not the case with the original Nintendo Switch, where the power brick and cable were one piece. This has a couple of advantages. The first being compatibility, in that you can use any USB-C cable and power brick to charge the Nintendo Switch 2. This was the case for the Nintendo Switch as well, but many might have been reluctant to use a non-Nintendo power brick.

The second benefit is that you can buy replacements for both the power brick and USB-C cable quite easily, so should one of them fail, you can simply replace it. The power brick is a 60-watt power brick, so should you need to charge it, you might want to look for something that is at least 60 watts. It is possible to charge with a lower-wattage power brick, but it may take longer to charge, or it may not be able to keep up the charge, if the game you are playing requires a lot of power.

Now, let us move to setting up the Switch 2.

Setup

Setting up any console will take a little bit of time. The Nintendo Switch 2 is no exception. The initial setup steps include:

1. Country
2. Agree to User Agreement
3. Connect to Wi-Fi
4. Perform Software Update
5. Set the Timezone
6. Go through Play Styles A. Use Stand B. Detached Joy-Cons C. Attached
7. Update the System

Once the system has updated, it will restart the system. The system update only takes a few minutes. Once it restarts, then you can begin the system transfer, so let us look at that. There are usually day-one system updates, which Nintendo announced there would be a day-one patch for the Switch 2.

System Transfer

If you have an existing Nintendo Switch, you may want to move from your original Nintendo Switch to the Nintendo Switch 2. I opted to move my data. The Switch 2 indicated that I needed to perform a system update on the original Switch. Once I did that update, there was a popup on the original Switch asking if I wanted to transfer my system.

For this step, the Switch 2 was a bit confusing. There was a graphic that indicated that I needed to move the Switch 2 and original Switch close to each other. My thought was that it would use Bluetooth to recognize that the systems were closely and would start the transfer. Nope, I had to hit a button on the Switch 2 to actually begin the transfer. Once I did that, there was another popup, this one was about compatible software.

Many of the games that I had were compatible and could be moved over. There were some where their data would not transfer. The list of items that would not transfer included:

• Demos
• Test apps
• Fortnite

I did not care about any of those because I do not need demos and test games on my system. And for Fortnite, I do not play it, I downloaded it for my nieces and nephews to play.

The Switch allows two different types of accounts, one that is linked to a Nintendo Switch Online account, and one that is local only. When transferring from a Nintendo Switch, local accounts will be removed from the original Switch, but the Nintendo Online-linked accounts will remain on the old Switch.

Nintendo does have a site dedicated to Switch 2 compatible games and accessories. You can access it by going to https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/region/d/switch2-compatibility.

Screen

The Nintendo Switch 2 is designed to work in both handheld mode, as well as connected to a screen. This is the same as the original Nintendo Switch, and the Nintendo Switch OLED, but not for the Switch Lite, which is handheld only. Just like with the original Nintendo Switch, the Switch 2 has an LCD screen; however, aspects of it have changed.

The original Switch had a 6.2-inch screen with a resolution of 1280 x 720. The Switch 2 has a larger 7.9-inch screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1080, or full 1080p. The Switch 2 also includes a wide color gamut, for even better colors, High Dynamic Range 10 (HDR10) support, and even has a variable refresh rate of up to 120Hz. A variable refresh rate means that the screen will refresh at the rate that is best for the current content. As an example, if you play an original game:

TV Mode

The Nintendo Switch 2 adds some enhancements over the original Nintendo Switch, in particular when it comes to when the Switch 2 is in Dock Mode. The original Nintendo Switch was capable of outputting games at 1080p when connected to the Dock, but these were only at 60fps. The Switch 2, on the other hand, can do 3840 x 2160, which is full 4K resolution. When in 4K, the games are limited to 60fps.

However, the Switch 2 is also capable of outputting 120fps, but this is limited to the resolutions of 1920 x 1080, and 2560 x 1440. Of course, this also depends on support from the games themselves.

The Dock also has a few ports on its own. There is a USB-C power port and HDMI port, two USB-A ports, and a wired Ethernet port. The wired Ethernet port is new. The original Nintendo Switch required a separate wired Ethernet adapter.

Improved Graphics

With the increase in resolution, from 1080p to 4K, Nintendo is offering some updates to games to take advantage of the higher resolution. Some of the games that have this improved resolution include:

• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Here is a video capture of the opening scene of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Any game may be scaled from 1080p or 1440p to 4K, but only while using the Dock. I attempted to set my Dock to output to 4K, but for some reason it just would not actually change. I tried switching HDMI Cables, switching HDMI ports, undocking the Switch 2, unplugging the TV, and none of it worked. I know my TV can do 4K, because I have 3 other devices that are capable of doing 4K, and two of them were running at 4K, so I knew it was not the TV. The way that I finally ended up getting it to work was to power off the Switch 2 and powering it back on. Once I did this, the system showed 4K.

My TV is not capable of handling 120fps, so for me, 120fps is not a consideration, but it was quite annoying that I could not figure out why it was not working. As is the case with all technology-based things, try turning it off and back on again. Now, let us move to the Joy-Cons.

Joy-Cons

Nintendo is known for having non-standard inputs. The Nintendo 64 had its weird three-handled joystick, the DS Lite had dual screens, the Wii had the Wiimote and Nunchucks, and the Wii U had its Pad. The original Nintendo Switch brought a new input mechanism, the Joy-Cons.

The Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons can be used in a couple of ways, including connected to the Switch, which is good for single-player games. They can also be used individually with many games.

As outlined above, the Switch 2 is physically larger than the original Switch. This also means that the Joy-Cons are also larger. The Joy-Cons on the original Nintendo Switch were about 4 inches tall and 1.25 inches wide. Contrast that with the Switch 2 Joy-Cons, which are 4.5 inches tall and 1 and 9/16 inches wide, including the Joy-Con connector that connects to the Switch 2.

As you might have guessed, the Joy-Cons from the Switch 2 are not compatible with the original Switch, and the original Switch Joy-Cons are not compatible with the Switch 2. This is not only because of the size difference, but also because of the connector. The Joy-Cons 2 have a connector that slots into the Switch 2. The Joy-Cons 2 have some magnets that are what actually hold the Joy-Cons to the Switch 2 console. The magnets are strong and have a very, very satisfying click when they connect.

Mouse Mode

The Nintendo Switch 2 with the Joy-Cons has a new trick, Mouse Mode. Mouse Mode is a new mode where you can turn one of the Joy-Cons 90 degrees and use the Joy-Con like a mouse. You can click on the buttons like you would a computer mouse.

I do not think I will be using this feature that often, but the option is there, should I find a need to use it. Even though I will not be using it that often, that does not mean that others will not. I can see a case where someone may find that using a Joy-Con in Mouse Mode is a better experience for them. Additionally, there may be games where it is the preferred method.

I did test Mouse Mode by navigating the Switch 2, and it does indeed work. There is a bit more control in some instances, and while the instructions indicate that you should use a flat surface, it does work pretty well on irregular surfaces.

The Joy-Cons are not the only controller that you can use; there is also the Pro Controller, so let us look at that next.

Charging Cradle

Like the original Nintendo Switch, the Nintendo Switch 2 includes a charging cradle in the box. The charging cradle can also double as a controller, although it not the same as a full controller. The charging cradle is not super comfortable for me to use. This is no different than the original Nintendo Switch. That one was also not comfortable for me to use as a controller.

I am sure it is usable by many, but it is just not for me. Instead of using the charging cradle, I prefer using the Pro Controller, so let us look at that.

Pro Controller

The Nintendo Pro Controller is very similar to other console controllers. The Pro Controller is designed to be more comfortable than just using the Joy-Cons with the charging cradle, or even using the Joy-Cons connected to the Switch 2 itself. The Pro controller has the same buttons as on the Joy-Cons. This means the buttons are:

• A
• B
• Y
• X
• Select
• Start
• Screen Capture
• Home
• L
• R
• ZL
• ZR
• GL
• GR
• C

These last three buttons are brand new. The C button is for GameChat, a new feature of the Switch 2. The GL and GR buttons are designed to be customized and mapped to any of the other buttons. The GL/GR buttons are located on the back of the controller, right where your index fingers rest. The original Nintendo Switch also had a Pro controller. It did not have the C button, nor the GL and GR Buttons. But it did have the remaining buttons.

The shape of the Pro Controller 2 is definitely different than the original Pro Controller. The grips of the Pro Controller 2 are more contoured and a more natural design. The contouring is to help accommodate the GL and GR buttons.

You do not necessarily need to purchase a Pro Controller 2 if you already own an original Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. That is because the original Pro Controller will work with the Switch 2. It has the same functionality, excluding the ‘C" button and the GL/GR buttons.

It has only been about two weeks since I got my Nintendo Switch 2, so I have not had to charge the Pro Controller yet, but I suspect it will be similar to the original Pro Controller, and I will not have to charge it that often.

Battery Life

If you are like me, you use the Nintendo Switch docked most of the time, so battery life is not usually a problem. However, there may still be times when you want to play in handheld mode. According to Nintendo, the battery life of the Switch 2 is between 2 hours and 6.5 hours, depending on the games you are playing.

I did a couple of tests, and my Nintendo Switch 2 lasted about 2.5 hours while playing Mario Kart World in handheld mode. The second test I did was to play some Nintendo Online, specifically I played Super Mario Bros. 3. I played this for an hour and the battery life dropped from 100% to 85%; so 15% battery loss in an hour. This means that the battery would last approximately 6.5 hours, which is a bit more than Nintendo’s estimate of a maximum of six hours of battery life.

Virtual Game Cards

One aspect of the Nintendo Switch that has only been available since April of 2025, and that is Virtual Game Cards. Virtual Game Cards are similar to those of physical game cards, but entirely digital. You can move virtual games between Nintendo Switch consoles on the same Nintendo account, just like you would with physical game cards.

If you have multiple people within your Nintendo family group, you can even lend games to other family members. Of course, if you have loaded a virtual game card on another system, or leant the game to another family member, you cannot play the game on your own Switch, but that is to be expected.

The idea of this is not new; in fact, Microsoft initially proposed this in 2014 with the Xbox One. However, there was such an uproar from the hard-core gamers that Microsoft decided not to pursue the idea, even though I was one who was super enthusiastic about it. It is good to see that the idea is entirely plausible, even if it is limited to the Nintendo platform.

You can read more about Virtual Game Cards on the Nintendo website.

System Memory and Memory Cards

The Nintendo Switch 2 includes 256GB of memory built-in. For many, this will be plenty of storage, particularly if you only buy digital games, because you can always re-download a game. However, should you need additional storage, this is an option by using a memory card.

You cannot use just any memory card in the Nintendo Switch 2. This is because there are specific requirements in terms of speed for the memory cards. Specifically, you must use microSD Express cards. The Nintendo Switch 2 is capable of supporting up to a 2TB MicroSD Express card. Therefore, if you are a super heavy Nintendo gamer and you want to keep all of your data on your Nintendo Switch 2, you now have that option.

Screenshots and Videos

One of the features of the Nintendo Switch 2, and even the original Nintendo Switch, is the ability to easily save a screenshot. This is done by simply pressing the dedicated capture button. Simply pressing it will capture a screenshot, but holding it down for a few seconds will capture video of the last 30 seconds.

I thought that I would be able to capture video in 4K, but you cannot do this natively on the Nintendo Switch. Pressing the capture button will only capture it at 1080p, even when outputting at 4K to a TV. It may be entirely possible to capture content at 4K if you are using an external cpature card, but it cannot be done natively on the Nintendo Switch 2.

Sharing Media

Capturing screenshots and video is great, but you probably want to share it on your site, YouTube, or even just on social media. The way that you shared media from the original Nintendo Switch was, to put it mildly, convoluted. The original Nintendo Switch required you to do the following steps:

1. Capture the screenshot or video.
2. Power off your Switch.
3. Remove the MicroSD Card from the Switch.
4. Put the MicroSD Card into an SD Card adapter.
5. Connect the SD Card adapter to a card reader, or plug it into your computer.
6. Open up the Finder/Explorer to find the SD Card.
7. Navigate the file structure to find the files that you want to copy.
8. Copy the screenshots and videos off of the card to your computer.
9. Remove the SD Card reader from your computer.
10. Remove the MicroSD card from the adapter.
11. Put the MicroSD Card reader back into your Switch.
12. Power on your Switch.

You would need to do this EVERY time you wanted to share media. I know this made me reluctant to capture and share stuff from the Switch, not because it was hard, just convoluted. The Nintendo Switch 2 makes this process much easier.

The Nintendo Switch 2 also allows you to share screenshots and videos, but now you no longer have to remove your MicroSD Express card to do so. Instead, you can now share from your Nintendo Switch 2 to the Nintendo servers. You can then use the Nintendo Switch app on your phone to save or share them. The steps for sharing from the Nintendo Switch 2 are:

1. Capture the screenshot or video.
2. Go to the Album app on the Switch 2.
3. Click on the "Quick Actions" button.
4. Select "Upload to Smart Device"
5. Select the user to use to upload the files for
6. Select the screenshots and videos you want to share.
7. Select the "Upload" button.
8. Open your Nintendo Switch app on your smartphone
9. Tap on the "Save" or "Share" button, depending on what you want to do.

This is a significantly simpler process than it was with the original Nintendo Switch. You no longer need to power off your device. You can upload files at any time. There are a few restrictions for this. The first restriction is that files will only be stored for 30 days on the Nintendo servers, so you want to save the files before then. The last restriction is that only the 100 latest files are saved. This means that if you save more than 100 files in a 30 day period, only the latest 100 will be saved, older files will be removed, starting with the oldest.

Carrying Case

One of the items that I ordered along with my Nintendo Switch 2 directly from Nintendo was the carrying case. I do not often take the Switch 2 with me when I go places, but on occasion I do, and for those times I like having the carrying case. The official Carrying Case has a harder outer shell. The outer case is made of the same material throughout. The interior of the case is made of a soft material to protect the screen of the Switch 2.

There is a flap on the interior that is used to protect the screen and also allows you to store some game cards. You can store six game cards in dedicated slots. There is also a pocket made of mesh where you can hold other items, like what? I am not sure.

Along the edge of the Carrying Case is a zipper to secure the Switch 2. There are two zippers so you can open and close it quite easily. One nice little touch is that the zippers have a string with a handle, and the handle colors actually match the Joy-Con colors. The blue handle is on the left, and the neon red handle is on the right; this mirrors the arrangement of the Joy-Cons on the Nintendo Switch 2.

The one issue I have is that the mesh pocket does not have any way to secure anything; it is open. I would have liked to have had this be zippered as well, or even have some sort of snap to secure things within the mesh pocket.

Closing Thoughts

Overall, the Switch 2 is a pretty good upgrade over the original Nintendo Switch. The improved graphics go a long way to enhancing gameplay. The screen size has increased from 6.2 to 7.9 inches. This is a gigantic leap and now allows you to choose various resolutions, including: 1920 x 1080 at 120fps, 2560 x 1440 at 120fps, and 3840 x 2160 at 60fps, just to name a few.

The larger screen means that you also have larger Joy-Cons, which can be more comfortable when playing, particularly for larger hands. The Joy-Cons are now magnetically attached to the Nintendo Switch 2, and the sound that they make when attaching to the Switch 2 is quite satisfying.

The Switch 2 is backward compatible with Switch 1 games, so you can play many of the games you already own on the Switch 2. If you have a Nintendo Pro Controller, you can also use this, so you do not need to purchase the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller, just to play games with the Pro Controller.

As of this writing, the Nintendo Switch 2 has sold more than 3.5 million units in its first four days, and is the fastest selling console of all time. For comparison, the original Nintendo Switch sold 2.74 million units in its first month. So, if you are looking for a Nintendo Switch 2, it might be difficult to find one at the moment, but it can be a good upgrade, particularly if you still have an original Nintendo Switch.