Back in 2017, Nintendo did something no one expected: it made handheld gaming relevant again. The original Nintendo Switch blurred the line between portable and home consoles (and sold over 130 million units doing it). Fast-forward eight years, and the Switch 2 has arrived. And while it’s not a total reinvention, it’s still a clear step forward.
The core concept remains unchanged: you can still dock it to a TV, play on the go, and pop off the Joy-Cons with a mate. But almost everything else has been overhauled. There’s a new 7.9-inch Full HD LCD with HDR and an eye-pleasing refresh rate. It’s not OLED, but it’s brighter, smoother, and noticeably better in motion. Battery life sits between 2.5 and six hours, slightly less than the original, though it now charges in just under three.
Internally, the machine runs on a custom Nvidia chip, along with 12GB of RAM. That means silky-smooth performance, even during the most manic of gaming sessions. You also get the benefit of DLSS upsaling and 4K output via a new dock, so even your old games will benefit from that better graphic card, giving you sharper visuals and more consistent frame rates.
The Joy-Cons have been redesigned too. They now snap in magic-netically, are slightly larger, and come with a new C-button. “Mouse mode” turns one Joy-Con into a motion pointer, and the right one features native voice and video chat via GameChat (no companion app needed anymore). Add to that dual USB-C ports, a sturdier kickstand, and doubled internal storage, and the Nintendo Switch 2 feels ready for the modern console era.
Games from the original Switch are supported, in both physical and digital form. But be warned: old MicroSD cards no longer work. You’ll need MicroSD Express cards going forward.
For launch, Nintendo has a slew of new titles that make the most of that better hardware. But it has also brought back GameCube classics like Wind Waker, F-Zero GX, and Soul Calibur II, now paired with a wireless GameCube controller.
Third-party support is also strong: Hades II, Borderlands 4, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4, and even Elden Ring are all confirmed. The standard model starts at US$450 with 256GB of storage.
A $500 bundle includes Mario Kart World, the headline launch game. It’s an open-world racer with dynamic weather, linked tracks, and a new Knockout mode. Demand is already high, and if history’s anything to go by, stocks won’t last long.
