The Nintendo Switch 2 Shows a Promising Future For Nintendo Fans

After eight years, Nintendo has released the Nintendo Switch 2 to the public. It’s been a fascinating journey to witness as Nintendo experienced a significant bounce back from the Wii U with the arrival of the first Switch. Since then, the company has had record sales and critical acclaim from critics and fans. So, fans got nervous when the concept of the next console came up, as gamers are reminded of the dark days of the Wii U.

That would have been a slam dunk as well, but lots of bad decisions put Nintendo in a dark hole. When the Nintendo Switch 2 was revealed, some people called it safe, but that’s a relief. Instead of doing something drastic and deviating from what made the first Switch a success, Nintendo has kept the updates simple and on brand with the Switch audience. The pre-launch has been met with so much hype and a little disappointment because of canceled pre-orders. There are a lot of things done right with the Switch 2 that make the fears of another Wii U seem like a fading thought.

Everything Is Improved With the Device Itself

Nintendo Listened To Fans

Nothing is jarring about the Switch 2 console. The fear that the Switch 2 would be too radical is gone, as it’s similar to the system players got in 2017 but with major upgrades. When opening the console, the screen is bigger than the Nintendo Switch OLED model and even the PlayStation Portal. It’s comparable to a Steam Deck, but the Switch 2 is slimmer.

The Joy-Cons look and feel the same except for one big difference: no immediate Joy-Con drift. That’s a humongous quality of life difference to easily navigate the Switch 2. There’s also the new magnetic connection of the Joy-Cons to the screen, which feels great. The ease of connecting and taking them out is not only effortless but also shows why it became a focal point in Nintendo’s marketing.

The new Dock doesn’t feel like cheap plastic. It can be easily opened without the fear of accidentally breaking it. There are also two USB-C ports on the bottom on top of the console. The little details show that Nintendo listened to the criticisms of the first Switch and made the right changes.

The Switch 2 Shows That Nintendo Is Starting To Catch Up

4K and 60 FPS Are Finally Here

It’s no secret that Nintendo is far behind compared to Sony and Microsoft regarding tech. Features like high resolution and frame rate are something that PlayStation and Xbox gamers have enjoyed for years. With the Switch 2, fans of Nintendo finally get a taste of that next-gen quality and performance. While it’s more aligned with what games looked like at the end of the last generation, that’s still a considerable step up for Nintendo that's been rumored for a while.

It's a promising sign to get a consistent performance without any huge drops. The only things that haven’t caught up to Nintendo yet are game capture and storage space. On the one hand, this is the most GB in a Nintendo system so far, with eight times the space of the original Switch.

Yet, games have gotten bigger, and third-party games will eat up a lot of space with just a couple of downloads. Players can get microSD express cards, but they cost a lot of money. That would also explain why the game capture is still 30 seconds. It’s still awkward to use, and it's disappointing to see this feature work the same for the next eight or so years.

The Launch Lineup For the Switch 2 Is Stacked

The Launch Line-Up is Divided Into Four Unique Parts

Besides the consoles themselves, players are most excited about the launch lineup of games. With the Switch 2, it’s fascinating to think that the lineup is split into four parts that feel equally exciting. The first is the new first-party games like Mario Kart World. It could have just been a new Mario Kart game, and everyone would have gone crazy for it. This leads to the second part of the third-party support.

Street Fighter 6, Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition, Yakuza 0 Director's Cut, and more are available at launch. To have these games run on this console compared to the disastrous third-party performances on the first Switch, the future's looking bright for more games of this caliber. If Cyberpunk 2077 can run well, the chances of more huge AAA games coming to the Switch 2 are bright.

The third aspect is finally having Nintendo GameCube games via the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership. While it’s not a huge list, with only three games available at the moment, it’s encouraging to see. GameCube games haven’t been featured as much as other Nintendo console exclusives, so this feels like the perfect opportunity. With the library continuing to grow, more excitement is sure to come.

Finally, the backward compatibility of Switch 1 games makes the whole ordeal feel special. Games like Pokémon Scarlet and Violet feel like new experiences. A good chunk of Switch 1 games get a visual and performance boost. Going through the library and seeing the difference brings a lot of joy to gamers who’ve been with the first Switch since the start.

The Mouse Function & GameChat: Hit and Miss

Some Gamers Will Have To Warm Up To These Features

Two big marketing points that Nintendo has made about the Switch 2 is the GameChat and the mouse function. GameChat is Nintendo’s new social feature that allows for up to 12 players to chat together. The whole thing is just fine and doesn’t outshine other services like Discord. It’s cool that it’s a part of Nintendo, so families that use it can have an easier time and hopefully have no problems online. Unfortunately, the video chat feature suffers from it.

If any player has a USB-C camera hooked up, then they can see each other as well as game share their screen. The whole ordeal is choppy and is distracting overall. The quality is more of the early webcam days, which is terrible. Now, the mouse function is very surprising in terms of how responsive it is. Players can use their Joy-Cons as a computer mouse, and it’s very easy to use.

Gamers don’t even need a mousepad for it. I used my couch and leg to see how responsive it is, and the results were reaffirming. When using it for games, it makes the experience more interactive than expected. The mouse combines functionality and interactivity when used.​​​​​​​

The Switch 2 Shows a Strong Future For Nintendo

Nintendo Has Another Success On Their Hands

It’s hard to say where Nintendo will be with the Switch 2 in five years, but for right now, it looks fantastic. The much-needed adjustments to having 4K resolution and 60 FPS might not seem like a lot, but for longtime Nintendo fans, it’s marvelous to see. The Switch 2 has a good feel to it and functions well to house the many games at launch. There’s a lot to enjoy in games and could make the Switch 2 a great home for third-party support.

There are some missteps along the way, like the video function of GameChat and storage space. These are the hurdles that gamers will eventually have to deal with down the line. But right now, playing the Switch 2 has been a blast and makes the future of Nintendo exciting. Think about all the franchises we haven't got yet, like a new 3D Mario or Animal Crossing that would make use of the hardware. With the excitement surrounding Switch 2, Nintendo fans shouldn't hesitate to buy this console.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is available now.