Switch 2: Some Initial Thoughts

A lot of people were really disappointed when Nintendo finally showed off the Switch 2 in February - and loaded it up with a short video that really only confirmed that the new Switch did indeed look almost exactly like the old Switch and that Mario Kart 9 was on the way. Then it was said that we would learn more in April.

An unconventional way to announce hardware, to say the least, but we've waited, speculated, held out, read leaks and bided our time. Today, however, it was time to show off the device, and I've been one of those who thought that Nintendo had made a mess of things beforehand. On the one hand, Switch 2 felt a little too much like Switch 1.5 rather than something new, and on the other hand, I was not entirely impressed by the graphics in the case of Mario Kart World. The console was said to be as powerful as the PlayStation 4 Pro, and you know as well as I do what it spat out in the case of The Last of Us: Part II, for example.

So did Nintendo deliver? Unfortunately I have to answer 'no' to that question, because although there was a big bag of sweets on offer, a little too much of it felt to me like that cheap off-brand that always gets left last in the loose bag. But let's go through what was there.

The event kicked off with the only game we actually knew was coming to the console, namely Mario Kart World. And as usual, it turned out that Nintendo had no plans whatsoever to just release a sequel with more tracks and new drivers. Here, the entire game system has been thoroughly overhauled and racing now takes place in an open world. Instead of short laps, the cups will go between different stretches of the world and 24 players can play.

In addition, there are new game mechanics such as sliding along rails, wall jumping and the ability to ride on water. We also saw several returning power-ups - but also new ones like the ability to throw Hammer Bros hammers, which will hopefully be fun. Because the world and tracks are so much bigger, there are some concerns that local multiplayer might be a little less intense, but hopefully it will be as great as in Mario Kart 8. If I had to comment on anything, I'd have to say that the graphical leap is a little less than I would have expected from a Switch 2 exclusive title.

The most interesting thing beforehand was of course the release date and price tag of the device. The former was revealed quite early into the stream and it turns out that the device will be launched on 5 June. However, no prices were mentioned, which is perhaps not surprising, as they are downright outrageous. For example, a physical version of Mario Kart World will cost €90. The console won't be launched at any favourable prices either, but will cost €470 without games and €510 with Mario Kart World - which I assume will be by far the most popular package. If you add an extra set of Joy-Cons, a Pro Controller, two games, the new Switch 2 Camera (I'll get to it) and Nintendo Switch Online, around €1000 feels like something you can count on for a fairly normal starter package.

The console comes with roughly the same equipment as the previous Switch, which in practice means the console, a docking station, two Joy-Cons with straps, a Grip (which allows you to use them as a hand controller), USB cable, HDMI cable and charger. This time, it's a much better screen as standard at a full 7.9 inches in 1080p resolution and 120Hz. This must of course be considered a very big boost, and if you play the dock, you will be able to run in both 4K and 120 frames per second.

The storage space has also been revised with 256GB built-in memory. Admittedly less than, for example, the Xbox Series S, but the games will generally require significantly less space than Xbox players are used to today. Other things we applaud are dual USB C ports (one on the top allowing USB accessories to be plugged in even when the device is docked), a significantly better stand, improved audio, and total compatibility with Switch 1.

Backwards compatibility deserves a special mention, because some games will receive improved support to really take advantage of the new console's capabilities and performance. This includes, for example, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, both of which will have better graphics and fluidity, as well as some minor gameplay news. In the case of Super Mario Party Jamboree, however, it is heavily loaded with new mini-games that take advantage of the new console with, among other things, camera mechanics and the fact that Joy-Cons for Switch 2 can be used as a kind of computer mouse. Fun - but these upgrades cost money. They should follow in Microsoft's footsteps and offer old versions in an upgraded state for free instead of trying to gouge loyal customers for more money.

Speaking of backwards compatibility, we can also mention Nintendo Switch Online, which is getting a much-needed feature, namely the addition of Gamecube games. In a first round, F-Zero GX (finally, but where's our remake or sequel Nintendo?), The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and Soul Calibur II are added. Spontaneously a stingy selection and I have to wonder why they are exclusive to Switch 2? Seems like an artificial limitation given that so many games from Gamecube and Wii have been released for Switch in updated condition. However, more games will be added and when a Gamecube wireless controller is sold at the same time, it's hard to complain.

One of the things that got the most time was the new features Nintendo calls Game Chat and Game Share. The former is conveniently used with the aforementioned Switch 2 Camera, a webcam that allows you to see those you're chatting to at the same time as they can see you. The idea is that you'll be able to play different games, chat while you play and check out what the others are doing. The set-up looks pretty slick, but unfortunately I find it hard to see any real need for this and think it's a feature very few Switch users have asked for.

We've talked about Game Share before, but basically it's the ability to play your games on more than one device so you don't have to buy them twice. We're guessing this will be a popular feature for families in particular, making it a little cheaper and easier to run hot single-player titles.

So what should we play for Switch 2 then? Nintendo's partners had a plethora of games in the pipeline, many of which are acclaimed ones not previously available on Switch, not least Cyberpunk 2077, Elden Ring, Final Fantasy VII: Remake, Hogwarts Legacy and Street Fighter 6, almost all of which are being released on the first day. But... while this is good news, these are games that are at least two years old. That's not why I'm buying a new console, and I would have liked more new titles, more from Nintendo themselves, and less of what feels like leftovers (no offence to Yakuza 0, for example - but we still play that best on PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series S/X).

Fortunately, there was some news, not least Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, which will certainly be fun, but will also have the weaknesses of the Musou games, and the FromSoftware title The Duskbloods, which almost feels like a spiritual sequel to Bloodborne.

What about Nintendo themselves? Well, in addition to Mario Kart World, the brand new Kirby Air Riders, created by Masahiro Sakurai (the father of the Smash Bros series) was also on display. Like its predecessors, this is a racing game, but I honestly find it hard to get excited. Couldn't this have been F-Zero instead? However, the other big new game - and the last to be shown from Switch 2 - on display was more exciting, namely Donkey Kong Bananza. Developed by EAD Tokyo (the Super Mario Odyssey team), it looked phenomenally nice and showcased the new Donkey Kong design we'd previously seen. Spontaneously it feels really nice, but still not the big surprise that was needed and not the crescendo the Switch 2 presentation was worth.

To some extent, the event suffered from the fact that so much had leaked beforehand, but unlike all the hardware Nintendo has released since the Nintendo DS premiered in 2004, the console feels unexciting, the games not quite as enticing as we know Nintendo can be, and the features are a little too often things that are more interesting to streamers rather than the regular gamers that make up Nintendo's core audience. In addition, it is difficult to see past the price tags that are unreasonably high where Nintendo still wants to charge for upgrades of games.

I realise I sound highly critical here, but I'm not really. Switch 2 is promising and I'm looking forward to playing Mario Kart World at the premiere, and I'm sure as hell going to get a console. But that said, I can't say Nintendo blew me away and I don't think they've ever had so little to say about a new console that really made me salivate. Too cowardly and too unexciting, unfortunately because Switch 2 deserves better and Nintendo knows we can definitely do better.