Nintendo Switch 2 Quick Review

At long last the Switch 2 has finally arrived. I’ve spent a bit of time with the console and this is a quick review and impression of the new console.

The contents of the box include:

• Nintendo Switch 2 Console
• Joycons (Left and Right)
• Joycon Grip (Standard Non-Powered)
• Joycon Straps x2
• Switch 2 Dock
• 60W USB C Power Brick
• 60W USB C to USB C Cable
• HDMI Cable
• Mario Kart World Game (Digital Copy – only included with MKW Bundle)
• Nintendo Switch 2 Health & Safety Info Pamphlet

The Switch 2 sports a 7.9″ LCD screen with 1080P resolution and supports HDR10 and VRR up to 120hz. When connected to a TV through the dock, it supports 4k output at 60 fps. For 120fps, supported resolutions include 1440p and 1080p. The Switch 2 runs on a custom Nvidia Tegra T239 SoC and the dock is kitted with a Realtek RTD2173 chipset. The console supports DLSS and ray tracing. Device storage is 256 GB (UFS 3.1) and 12 GB of LPDDR5X RAM is provided. If you need additional storage space for the system, there is a microSD express slot. Nintendo has confirmed that the older standard microSD cards are not compatible due to the slower read and write speeds compared to the express versions. The 5220mAh battery is rated for 2-6.5 hours of usage, depending on the software used, screen and volume brightness and usage of wireless.

The dock has a USB C port for power, one HDMI port, LAN and two USB A ports for accessories. On the bottom edge of the console, there is one USB C port, two speakers and two air intake grills for cooling. On the top edge, there is a power button, volume rocker, cooling exhaust grill, a USB C port, 3.5mm audio jack and the game slot with cover. Both USB C ports can be used to connect accessories like a keyboard, controller or a webcam. It’s been confirmed that the top USB C port does not support video output. I’ve tested that it does support keyboards and generic third party webcams. Unfortunately there is no support for USB mice at this time.

Initial setup was quick and easy. If you have a Switch and want to perform a system transfer, you will need to do that during the initial setup as it will not let you do so otherwise. All game saves and screenshots were transferred over as well during this process. If you played Animal Crossing New Horizons on the Switch, you may be aware that if you wanted to transfer your island to a new Switch, you’d need to use the transfer tool. This was not needed if you did the initial transfer to the Switch 2. I ran into the problem of running out of space in the built in storage due to the amount of games I have, so I would recommend grabbing a microSD express card for those who have a large digital games library. The eShop is greatly improved as it’s a smoother experience and isn’t laggy. A little popup shows up for games in your wishlist that go on sale, which is a neat touch.

The hardware itself feels sturdy and has heft to it. Playing in handheld mode is comfortable, but can get a little tiring on longer sessions as it is heavy. Attaching and removing the Joycons from the console is easy and the connection is snug with no give. This is a huge improvement compared to the rail system on the original Switch that had a little bit of wiggle when it was attached. Charging the system can be done with either the top or bottom USB C port, which is convenient especially if you’re playing on tabletop mode. If you plug in a wireless charger directly into the USB C port, the controller will charge and draw power from the Switch 2. The U-shaped kickstand is decently sturdy but would have preferred if the U-shaped part of the kickstand was a touch wider for durability.

Pairing old Joycons and the original Pro controller is easy and lets you reuse old controllers. Some third party controllers may have issues connecting as I have that problem with the 8bitdo Pro 2 not being compatible at this time. This issue should mostly resolve itself over time once there are firmware updates. I did not get a chance to test out the new Switch 2 Pro controller as I did not purchase one, but initial reviews are good as the d-pads and joysticks are improved and the charge time is cut in almost half. Wired keyboards and webcams work without issue for me and can save money if you have one laying around and don’t want to purchase a licensed webcam for GameChat. At this time, all third party USB C hubs or docks, even those with passthrough power capabilities to provide the 60W of power will not work for video output. I would not be surprised that in a few months time that licensed and unlicensed third party docks with video output will be available.

Original Switch games get a performance boost with running on beefed up hardware. I spent some time playing Animal Crossing New Horizons, Super Smash Bros Ultimate and Breath of the Wild. Load times were cut by about half and rendering the landscape and in-game objects was smoother. On occasion in Animal Crossing if you had an area with a boatload of items displayed in a house or outside in the island, it would take a second for those items to render and show up. With the Switch 2 this doesn’t happen and it’s great. I spent some time playing Mario Kart World and it runs smootly with no lag while loading tracks or going in between menus. Colours and textures are rendered beautifully, tracks are fun to play and as always there’s new characters and vehicles. As expected with a system with backwards compatibility, the vast majority of software works, but there will be a few issues with compatibility. Software tends to be updated over time, but some of the ones I’ve noticed at this time is the Youtube app does not work, but a dedicated Switch 2 youtube app is on the way. Smash Bros Ultimate has a bug involving the Mii Fighter when used in online play and Nintendo has advised to not use the Mii Fighter online for the time being. Nintendo Labo may not be able to be played properly due to hardware size difference between the Switch and Switch 2 and the cardboard cutouts nay not fit the new system properly. Overall they’ve done a good job with compatibility.

Overall it’s a nice upgrade from the original Switch and the hardware is built well. My complaints on it are that accessory and game prices are quite high and there could be a few more big titles available right at launch. Another issue is that some physical games will be a game key, which essentially makes it a digital game with the need to insert the physical cartrige to make it playable. This will be a problem in the future as it’s not a true physical copy and there will be a day where Switch 2 eShop servers will be taken offline and games cannot be redownloaded if the data becomes corrupted or the hardware gets lost or damaged. In conclusion, the Switch 2 was worth the wait for the improved hardware and backwards compatibility for most games and software.