Nintendo Switch 2

The Nintendo Switch 2 launched June 5, 2025, the long-awaited follow-up to the massively successful original Switch, with better graphics, a bigger console and display, and reworked Joy-Con functions. Standard console runs $449.99, with a $499.99 Mario Kart World bundle, and as of this review it is still sitting at launch pricing in the US, though Nintendo has already confirmed the base console jumps to $499.99 on September 1, 2026, citing “market conditions.” Worth grabbing if you have not already, or fine to skip for now?

With the new Fire Emblem and the Ocarina of Time remake coming, I bit the bullet and bought one so we could actually play and cover this stuff.

The Switch 2 keeps the same core idea: one console that works handheld or docked into a TV setup. The upgrade in output quality is real. The original Switch ran handheld at 720p and topped out at 1080p/60fps docked. The Switch 2 runs 1080p handheld, up to 4K docked, and some titles hit 120fps. The Joy-Cons no longer slide into rails; they snap on magnetically and release via a back button. They are bigger, which actually helps when using just one as a standalone remote. The new sideways mouse-style function felt odd on paper and turned out genuinely useful in games like Pokopia for placing or breaking blocks. The right Joy-Con adds a C button tied into the GameChat feature, which is present and a little pointless if you are not paying for Nintendo Switch Online, basically a dead button. They redesigned plenty here and still did not fix stick drift under regular use, which is inexcusable at this point.

Battery life is not great. Where the original Switch could go a long stretch before needing a charge, handheld play on the Switch 2 drains noticeably faster, to the point you will likely want that top charging port active if you are playing handheld for any real length of time. The dock keeps the two USB ports and the ethernet port added on the Switch OLED dock, but it is bigger now, housing a cooling fan the original dock never needed.

This is a solid console overall. Seamlessly switching from TV to handheld remains a genuinely great piece of design, letting your playstyle match your situation on the fly. The bigger screen, better graphics, and smoother performance are a clear, welcome step up. Docked, Smash Bros., Pokopia, and Kirby Air Riders look great: responsive, colorful, exactly what you want. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is actually playable and enjoyable here, after being a frame-rate nightmare on the original Switch and even the OLED model.

Handheld mode is where my issues live. Biggest one: this is not a very ergonomic console. Hand size will vary the experience, but for me the smaller original Switch fit better; the bigger, more curved Joy-Cons on the Switch 2 get uncomfortable over longer sessions in a way the first Switch never did. I can already see myself needing a case or a grip attachment just to make extended play comfortable.

The second issue is battery life. On the original Switch, the game you played roughly dictated how fast the battery drained. On the Switch 2, everything seems to eat through it. Two hours in and you are already getting the low-battery warning. That undercuts the console as an effective handheld. Part of what made the first Switch great for travel was charging it the night before and being set. On a four-hour flight with a Switch 2, there is a real chance you hit low battery before landing. This is a real enough problem that Nintendo is having to build a replaceable-battery version to comply with European regulations, since the current battery does not meet that standard.

The Switch 2 does not feel like a true system upgrade. The Wii U to Switch jump felt like real technological advancement. This jump feels like a Pro revision of the existing Switch, not a successor. The improvements are good; it still feels like a bigger Switch. This probably should have been called the Switch Pro or Super Switch, though I get why Nintendo avoided another Wii/Wii U-style naming mess.

Should you buy one if you have not already? Depends what you want from it. If you are not a fan of Nintendo’s current business practices, skip it. If you do not play Nintendo games, skip it. If you are a Nintendo fan who has been waiting for the games you actually care about and want in before the price hike, go for it now. Buying it right now feels more like buying for what is coming than what is currently available; Fire Emblem is close, Ocarina of Time likely lands around November, but the current exclusive lineup is not exactly a “rush out and buy this console today” list yet.