Why Nintendo’s Switch 2 is too little, too late

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.

You can port all of your old Switch’s data straight to the new one.

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.

Multiplayer and online features have finally caught up

Mario Kart World, one of the new Switch’s most notable online multiplayer games.

Perhaps one of the greatest weaknesses of the original Switch was its online capabilities. It was hard to connect with others on the Switch, often leading to the exchange of lengthy friend codes you had to manually punch in. That’s a lot easier now, mainly thanks to Nintendo’s companion mobile app for the device, which allows for direct copy and paste of said code or a QR code for adding others.

Then there’s Game Chat, the feature that had the internet in a tizzy a few months ago as it’s tied to the “C” button on the new controllers. The console’s internal microphone does a surprisingly good job of picking up your voice over the game noise, and does lead to a more seamless multiplayer experience that doesn’t require headphones. There will be some teething issues with this though.

Firstly, Nintendo requires all users of GameChat to confirm that they’re happy for them to hold recordings of all of their chats. Given its family-friendly focus, this is likely for moderation purposes. But a similar update to the PlayStation Chat service sent the web spiralling back in 2020. That’s yet to catch up with Nintendo, but I’d expect a clarification here soon.

Then, how effective GameChat is for you will come down to your console set-up. If you have your device obscured by furniture or far away from you, your voice will come out muted or distorted.

It’s hard to quality control for this from Nintendo’s end, but I’d again expect more guidance from them. Especially given that after March 2026, they are expecting users to pay an additional fee for accessing it.

The Switch 2 is still a bit unergonomic… but the accessory market will fix this

This is a bit personal and awkward, but my hands are way too big for the original Switch. They would cramp playing long sessions of Zelda on extended plane journeys out of Australia. The new Joy-Con controllers are larger and easier on the hands. But they still are missing the contoured design of other mainstream gaming controllers that makes them ideal for longer play sessions.

The Switch’s Pro controllers have always solved this. But I’m not a fan of packing an extra controller for the plane ride. Accessory makers will end up releasing controllers that solve for this – as they did with the Switch. But I’m surprised Nintendo didn’t look to what was being released around its console as inspiration for its next device, much like developers look to mods as inspiration for updates to their games.

There’s likely a good reason why the Joy-Cons are the way they are, especially given now they also double as a mouse. But I’ll be investing in new ergonomic Joy-Cons as they come onto the market.

Promise for the future

Overall, the Switch 2 is a promising start for a new generation of gaming. Mario Kart World is a fantastic showcase game for the device’s capabilities. Even against some graphically superior PlayStation titles, the graphical fidelity and smoothness of the new Mario Kart is genuinely impressive.

I’m excited to see what Nintendo can do with more power up its sleeve and a greater focus on online play. I’m equally keen to see how indie developers work with this device, given it will be one of the most ubiquitous consoles in history if Nintendo meets its targets.

Could Nintendo have done more here? Possibly. Eight years is a long time between drinks, and to only be sated with an update as opposed to an overhaul is perhaps a little unsatisfying. But the true magic of Nintendo has always been in its games over its gimmicks. The device is just window dressing for its software. As such, with only a few games out, it is way too early to render a more complete verdict on the console’s capabilities. Let’s hope an imminent Nintendo Direct at least addresses this point too, giving some launch dates and showcasing some upcoming games.

Hopefully the Switch 2 gives Nintendo the horsepower it needs to release more ambitious games that continue to break new ground. Or at least avoid another Pokémon Scarlet and Violet fiasco.

• Harrison Polites writes the Infinite Lives newsletter. Follow him here. 

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