Nintendo Switch 2 review: The good, the bad and the middling of the $719 console
The Switch 2's most noticeable upgrade is its 7.9-inch 1,080p screen with up to 120Hz refresh rates. PHOTO: AFP
Nintendo Switch 2 review: The good, the bad and the middling of the $719 console
SINGAPORE – Nintendo has done it again.
Eight years after the Nintendo Switch revolutionised console gaming by offering a hybrid experience that combines handheld gaming and home consoles, the Switch 2 brings key refinements to the Japanese gamemaker's flagship console.
The question is not whether the Switch 2 improves on its predecessor – it does – but whether these improvements justify the hike from the first iteration's $425 launch price.
Despite key improvements, playtesting the console reminds me more of the modest step from Nintendo's Wii to the Wii U, rather than the revolutionary leap between the latter console and the Switch.
The Good: A better Switch
The Switch 2's most noticeable upgrade is its 7.9-inch 1,080p screen with up to 120Hz refresh rates – a big improvement over the original's 6.2-inch 720p screen. Games look visibly sharper and crisper, and the larger screen makes extended handheld sessions more comfortable.
Under the hood, hardware improvements enable technically demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 (2020) and Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade (2020) to run smoothly on Nintendo hardware for the first time.
Storage also receives a long overdue upgrade from 32GB of internal storage to 256GB – addressing one of the Switch's most frustrating limitations: insufficient space for today's increasingly expansive digital games.
Build quality remains a Nintendo hallmark, but the new aesthetic abandons the bold neon red-blue scheme for subtler accents and sleeker lines.
The new Joy-Cons have a magnetic attachment system that make for easier attachment and removal. And they now allow for motion-controlled mouse functionality, opening up games that were originally made for the PC, like Civilization VII (2025), to more intuitive gameplay.
Backwards compatibility with the original Switch's games is another selling point. Only a few of the over 15,000 games available for the device cannot be played on the Switch 2.
The Lukewarm: Launch games are hit or miss
The biggest new release in the small line-up of games made for the Switch 2 is racing game Mario Kart World (2025).
PHOTO: AFP
What might turn some enthusiasts off is the new console's reliance on this backwards compatibility.
The biggest new release in the small line-up of games made for the Switch 2 is racing game Mario Kart World (2025) – unlike in 2017 when the original Switch launched with The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild (2017) as one of its exclusive titles.
Most of the other launch highlights are Nintendo Switch 2 ports or remakes of popular hits like Breath Of The Wild , Cyberpunk 2077 , Split Fiction (2025) and Bravely Default (2012).
While all original Switch games can be played on the new Switch, not all games will receive the free update that allows them to fully utilise the Switch's new features – like the social function GameChat or the device's upgraded hardware.
As a gamer whose most anticipated upcoming Nintendo release is Pokemon Z-A (set for an Oct 16 release), one point of frustration is having to pay US$10 (S$13) more for the Nintendo Switch 2 edition. T his mark-up on Switch 2 game prices appears to be the norm for games also available for the Switch.
Other small but easy-to-miss tweaks include the console's new kickstand. When coupled with a new USB-C charging port on top of the device, this allows for yet another mode of portable gameplay.
A new feature, GameShare, lets players share their e-cartridges – digital versions of games they have bought – with fellow Switch 2 owners for up to 14 days. However, porting over old digital games from the original Switch locks them out of that device.
The Ugly: Cost of technical refinements
The technical refinements come with some frustrating drawbacks. The biggest among them is that the new console's battery life marks a regression from that of the original Switch.
While the original has a battery life of 4½ to nine hours, the new Switch has only two to 6½ hours of battery life – a step back for the hybrid console .
The console's weight with Joy-Cons attached has also gone up to 534g from 400g , though it still feels comfortable to hold.
Nintendo's traditional stubbornness also persists in unintuitive ways. For one, Singapore still lacks a dedicated eShop, meaning that Singapore users looking to buy and download their favourite games must do so in foreign currencies.
The Switch 2's $719 price point positions it as a premium gaming device, approaching the cost of a PlayStation 5 ($669+) and Xbox Series X ($799+), but with greater portability – at the cost of poorer technical performance in certain areas.
As an evolution of the concept, the Switch 2 delivers what it promises: a better Switch. But it does not fundamentally reimagine what that means.
Verdict: To buy or not to buy?
If you are a gamer already satisfied with your current Switch and do not crave the technical upgrades necessary to run hardware-demanding games, it might make sense to hold off until more exclusive games are released for the Switch 2.
But if you loved the original Switch and everything it represents , the Switch 2's refinements make it a clear upgrade in every regard except for battery life and price point.
For dedicated Nintendo fans, these upgrades seem to be worth the investment. The console s old 3.5 million units worldwide in its first four days. I n contrast, i ts predecessor sold 2.7 million units in its first month.
Part of what explains this feat – beyond the Switch 2's refinements – is how, much like the original Switch, Nintendo's flagship console arrives at a lull period in video game console development.
Console-makers Sony and Microsoft have only just begun to tease the next-generation PlayStation and Xbox. Their last new consoles were released in 2020.
In the absence of other next-generation offerings, console enthusiasts seeking a shiny new bauble are hardly spoilt for choice.
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