2025
After the massive flop that was the Wii U, consumers had every reason to believe the original Switch, released in 2017, would be yet another Nintendo gimmick that would push people to buy a PlayStation or Xbox instead. But the original $300 Switch’s handheld/console design, with its detachable Joy-Con controllers, proved to be a major hit with gamers of all ages. The handheld and TV-dockable game system was inventive and could be understood immediately. It felt like another Wii moment for Nintendo, only this time the Switch was the game console’s final form. How could the company that gave us Mario, Pokémon, and Zelda possibly top that?
See Nintendo Switch 2 at Walmart
See Switch 2+ Mario Kart World Bundle at Walmart
Apparently, with a $450 Switch 2 that has just enough new hardware upgrades and nothing too wacky. You get more performance, a bigger and sharper screen, Joy-Con 2 controllers that now magnetically attach and support mouse controls for exciting possibilities in shooters and real-time strategy games, and GameChat video and voice communications. The Switch 2 hardware is iterative—a specs bump—but it’ll also be the exclusive platform for Nintendo’s biggest and most recognizable gaming franchises. If you want to play Nintendo’s latest and greatest titles, like the now-available Mario Kart World or the upcoming Donkey Kong Bananza, the Switch 2 is the only option, even if you have a PS5 or Xbox Series S/X.
In the same breath, Nintendo has also crafted a console that’s more restrictive than any other similar device in recent memory. Only Nintendo could make game ownership so onerous when the hardware is this good and the top-quality games aren’t available anywhere else. It’s extremely frustrating that sharing games or managing game saves is so needlessly cumbersome on the Switch 2, and it’s outright maddening that a company that’s perfected making complex hardware easy to use—with arguably the best music and sound design—is also so reluctant to embrace how basic gaming features work on other, more open, game platforms.
Nintendo Switch 2 The Switch 2 has just enough new things to keep it interesting, but most importantly it lets you play original Switch and modern games with higher fidelity. Pros Lightweight feel with solid controls
Lightweight feel with solid controls Great display with HDR support
Great display with HDR support Mouse controls offer new gaming possibilities
Mouse controls offer new gaming possibilities Powerful enough for games like Cyberpunk 2077
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