Switch 2: The console that should have launched two years ago
Initial impressions of one of Nintendo's most financially ambitious gaming console to date.
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I had a conspiracy theory back when Pokémon Violet and Scarlet launched on the Switch in 2022. Given the games were so buggy, lagging and pushing the Switch's ageing architecture to its limits, I genuinely thought they were meant for the next Nintendo console.
They must have been brought forward to fill a release calendar gap, I thought at the time. This must mean the next Nintendo device is imminent. They'll be re-released on it. Why else would Nintendo, known for its quality control on games, allow this to pass?
Lucky I wasn't writing Infinite Lives at the time, as I would have been dead wrong in print. Another online proof point that my crystal ball on gaming is about as hazy as anyone else's. But I wasn't alone in this thinking. From as early as 2023, rumours were flying left, right and centre about the release date of the new console. While the rules of the game are changing, historically consoles are released every six years. With the original Switch out in 2017, people were right to start asking questions.
Three years on and thousands of articles of speculation later, the Switch 2 is finally out. Two years overdue? Possibly. But at least all was said an done within a six-month marketing cycle from initial announcement to launch.
It's a curious console, with Nintendo using it to focus on iteration over innovation. There's no strong gimmick that will sell this new device, and little in the way of new games too. But that hasn't stopped Nintendo from telling its investors that it expects to sell 20 million units between now and March next year. Gaming industry analysts tell them that's way too conservative.
It's off to a good start, selling a bumper 3.5 million devices since launch last week. Anecdotally, Nintendo's rumoured gamble of waiting for stock to build up before launching appears to be paying off too. The device is being restocked in many countries, meanwhile Australia's major retailers are still reporting ample reserves of the console.
So should you contribute to that goal and pick one up? I'm a firm believer in reviewing devices a good six months after they're out, as it leads to a more holistic take. That's especially the case here as there's only really one Switch 2 native game worth considering: Mario Kart World.
So I'll have my full take online in time for the Switch 2's next big test: Christmas. Stay tuned for this down the line. But for now, I wanted to discuss some parts of the console that stand out.
A significant upgrade that rewards Nintendo's most faithful
Chances are, if you bought a Switch 2 at launch you are already well entrenched in the Nintendo ecosystem. And if so, good news – you are likely going to see the most benefit from it.
While launch games are thin on the Switch 2, Nintendo has gone to the effort to upgrade older Switch titles for the device. Namely, the two Zelda games (Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom) and the two latest mainline Pokémon games (Scarlet and Violet). The upgraded versions of the Zelda games come at a cost, unless you are a member of Nintendo's highest tier of subscription – then they are free to download.
Both now run at a smooth 60 frames per second. But it's a testament to Nintendo that with the Zelda games, you hardly noticed that they were locked to 30 frames per second on the old console. In hindsight, the power they eked out of that old device is a marvel in and of itself.
Beyond this, the console feels like an upgrade, especially when juxtaposed against the original Switch. Not only can you do just about everything the Switch can on it, but the device is larger, sturdier and feels more expensive. The Nintendo Online store is much improved, the overall UI has a pop to it that was absent in the original Switch. If you play your Switch regularly, upgrading is a no-brainer. That's especially true given most of your old accessories for the Switch will work here too – a nice touch that dampens some of the console's expense.
Given this, I'd expect the original Nintendo Switch and OLED Switch market to collapse in the short term. If you are considering selling your old device, do it sooner rather than later. Or hold onto it for posterity – I still have my old Super Nintendo.
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