Last year, I struggled to give on-the-fly thoughts about the Switch 2 as it hits the shelves amid a ton of hype. The long-awaited follow-up to one of the most successful game consoles ever felt like it should be a slam dunk.
My thought at the time was Switch 2 it was the best mobile gamesbut it’s not something any Nintendo Switch owner needs to buy. And that’s always been the irony: For everything the Switch 2 does better than the Switch, it’s also the same proposition in many ways. It’s another Change, but with better graphics and some new games, somehow, that didn’t include the new Zelda or 3D Mario.
In 2026, things are already different. The economy has been brutal, driving up the prices of electronics and comfort games all the time. PC Gaming Handhelds and Steam Decks now they are going up in price which can reach $1,000 or more. Age PlayStation 5 again Xbox consoles they are very expensive too. Nintendo has also raised its prices for Switch hardware, but not nearly as much. The price of Switch 2 is to find its first expansionincreased by $50, to $500 on September 1. The $500 price tag for a Nintendo console is a lot, but now it’s on the lower end of the price spectrum that goes up more than I thought. Console games are a luxury now.
That’s the thing: Nobody needs a game console, for sure, or ever did. PCs and phones and tablets can play tons of games.
And yet, I really appreciate what the Switch 2 brings to the table right now. It’s more clear than ever that it can compete with current PC gaming handhelds in graphics (though that may change soon), and I like that it includes a TV dock and modular controls as part of the package. It’s an easy-to-use multiplayer feature, something that, somehow, competitors haven’t found a way to emulate or beat.
Donkey Kong Bananza wasn’t Mario, but it was the next best thing.
Switch 2’s first year of games didn’t have Mario or Zelda, sure, but there were plenty of good ones. Donkey Kong Bananas I was surprised, it was so Metroid Prime 4 (also playable on Switch, but in its best form on Switch 2). Pokémon Pokopia it suddenly became the next version of Animal Crossing. There were some pretty weird wild cards, too, like that Kirby Air Riders again Yoshi and the Mysterious Book.
The third-party game ports probably impressed me even more, just to show that the Switch 2 can play big mainstream games. Bad Need for Residents he is really beautiful. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle she looks beautiful. There’s Cyberpunk 2077, too Pragmataand while Madden wasn’t great, it was playable: I haven’t played Madden on tour like that in over a decade.
There are obstacles. The Switch 2’s battery life is average, lasting around a few hours depending on the game. I have come to accept it. I bring a battery pack, or re-docking. Also, the LCD screen is good, but not the vibrant OLED. And, frankly, the Joy-Con controllers don’t feel comfortable enough, and they don’t have analog triggers. I prefer other gaming handhelds and controllers.
Pokemon Pokopia is a great example of a great value game.
Also, there is the price of Nintendo games, which tend to be higher than similar games on other platforms over time. That said, Nintendo reduced the price of its digital games $10 advance earlier this year, which helps a bit.
I still won’t say you “need” the Switch 2, but now I think it’s worth buying, especially before the price goes up in the fall to $500. Nintendo is throwing in a free game right now for that $500. Considering it’s also some of the Switch 2’s best games — Donkey Kong Bananza, Pokopia, Mario Kart World — and usually costs $70 and up, it’s a good deal. And in this topsy-turvy world, where I used to wait for prices to drop, we could see console prices keep going up in the coming year.
I said last year that Nintendo would continue to release compatible games for the Switch 1 for at least another year. Those days may be over now. With the exception of Rhythm Heaven, which is coming this July, Nintendo’s games are increasingly likely to be Switch 2 exclusives going forward. Indie developers can still release both because over 100 million Switch owners still have access to them, but Nintendo’s biggest and best games will be Switch 2-bound from now on.
The Switch 2 will never be what the first Switch was, but it never was. Repetition. But it’s an important upgrade that gives you the ability to hold hands to find the next big games, and finally have enough good games of its own, even for one year, to justify the plunge.
But, again, you can just get it out with the original Switch. Just keep your expectations for first-party Nintendo games low.
