Update 2 : April 22nd - Preorders are back on in the US and Canada! We will be able to preorder the Switch 2, games and various accessories on April 24th. The console and games ended up staying the same price, but all accessories received a slight price bump due to US tarrifs.

Update : April 7th - Nintendo has made the unusual decision to halt pre-orders in the U.S. while it evaluates economic changes and the recent tariffs that have been put into place by the government. Considering the situation, many are worried Nintendo will increase the price of the Switch 2 and games, which has already received heavy criticism for how high the prices are.

Original article :

So back when Nintendo announced the original Switch, I had the absolute worst take on the internet. I thought it would fail terribly, leaving Nintendo a third-party publisher. I missed out on the advantages of portability and lamented the console lacked horsepower and didn’t keep up closely enough with the PS5. I could literally not have been more wrong. As history shows, the Switch was a fantastic hit, ushered in a new form factor that is wildly popular.

Nintendo did a full reveal of the Switch 2 today, and it was one of the better Directs I have seen in a while. Besides proving me wrong last time around, it feels like they genuinely tried to make up some ground with the Switch 2. A lot of the gripes I had before are rectified in the new Switch.

So this article doesn’t become too long and boring, I’m going to highlight my top five takeaways from the Switch 2 Direct.

Nintendo catches up (mostly)

Something I really appreciated was Nintendo making an effort to make the Switch 2 more capable than its predecessor. The Switch 2 has 256GB of storage, which while still small, is a big step up from the Switch’s built-in 32GB. Also, the screen has now grown to 7.9” at 1080p. Even more impressive, it now supports HDR and VRR. It also can display up to 120fps. When docked, a 4K scaling option is even available. Even the Joy-Cons have bigger buttons and thumbsticks. Finally, Nintendo now has party chat built into the Switch 2’s OS. It’s not Discord integration, but we’ve got to start somewhere, right?

This is still nowhere near the power of a PS5, but it inches up to PS4-ish levels. That’s very impressive given the device’s size. I’ll be interested to see how it performs in 4K scaling mode.

They brought the first party games

Nintendo has a trinity of games for the Switch 2 launch that I think will satisfy a lot of gamers. Mario Kart World is an open-world Mario Kart game, with 24-player races, a new Knockout mode, and lots more. This is the launch game, the system seller. Nintendo is offering a limited-time launch bundle with Mario Kart World for $499 as well.

Secondly, there is Metroid Prime 4. This game has been in the shadows for so long. Once the floodgates erupted, Prime fans have been eating good. Today, Nintendo confirmed that the game is getting a Switch 2-optimized version that, when docked, will include 4K/60fps mode and 1080p/120fps modes. The resolution drops to 1080p and 720p, respectively, in handheld mode.

To round this out, Nintendo announced a new 3D Donkey Kong platforming game. This looks fantastic, with lots of destructible terrain for DK to tear through. The graphics are very impressive as well.

They brought some help

Nintendo games sell systems, but third-party publishers help keep the platforms alive. With the Switch 2, Nintendo has brought in some heavy hitters :

Final Fantasy 7 Intergrade - Square

Hollow Knight : Silksong - Team Cherry

Cyberpunk 2077 - CD Projekt Red

Street Fighter 6 - Capcom

Yakuza 0 - SEGA

Star Wars Outlaws - Ubisoft

Hogwarts Legacy - WB

Fortnite

And many more…

The enthusiasm has carried over from Switch 1 to Switch 2 so far, which is great. And now with the more capable hardware, developers can bring over some games which just wouldn’t have worked on the original Switch.

Nostalgia sells

They gave us what we all wanted - if you upgrade to a Switch 2. Gamecube games on Switch Online Expansion pack. They are starting off really slowly, with only three games, which is a little concerning. Those are The Legend of Zelda : The Wind Waker, F-Zero GX, and Soul Caliber. More games were shown, like Mario Sunshine and Mario Strikers.

Oh, and they are making a Bluetooth GameCube controller for Switch 2. I’ll take one of those too, please.

A Complete Picture

The issue with Nintendo consoles to me has always been that they can’t be your main console. They are great to have, and Nintendo produces fantastic games all the time. But the systems themselves have been underpowered and lagging behind their peers. They fell behind in a lot of areas, and unfortunately, some of those things changed from niceties to requirements. I couldn’t in good faith recommend a person buy a Nintendo Switch as their only console because it still missed a lot of high-end games or got really shoddy ports. It also had no built-in voice chat to communicate with friends. They did have expandable storage and digital distribution through the eShop, so some credit is due.

The Switch 2 ups the hardware game, adds the sorely needed voice and even video chat, and includes 4K upscaling for docked gaming. The Joy-Cons can also function as mice for pointer-precision games. All in all, it’s a very nice upgrade from the regular Switch and really helps modernize the system. Unlike before, I’ve seen the power of hybrid gaming, and I think the Switch 2 has a bright future in front of it.

The Final Verdict

In conclusion, the hardware and software products were both fantastic. I don’t think there was much complaining about either. What did elicit some anger was Nintendo’s pricing. The Switch 2 starts at $449.99 for a console only, and $499.99 for a limited-time bundle with the Switch 2 console and a copy of Mario Kart World. If you want to buy Mario Kart World on its own, however, the MSRP is $79.99. Nintendo is really recommending $80 games, which has really caught people off guard. They mentioned that different games will cost different prices, such as Donkey Kong : Bananza, which is going to be $69.99. Also, the Switch 2 upgrades for the Switch Zelda games, Metroid Prime, and Mario Party Jamboree aren’t just free patches like on PS5 or PC. Nintendo is going to charge a fee for a patch, which feels a little wrong to me. It does appear that Switch Online + Expansion Pack members will get access to the Switch 2 upgrades for free, just like the DLC they received for Switch 1 games.

While that’s not great, and everything feels a little more expensive than it should be, the hardware and software overall look great. I can’t wait to get my hands on one and play Mario Kart and Donkey Kong. Now, this gen, can I please get a new Star Fox and F-Zero game?