Nintendo Switch 2 hands-on preview: it’s not an upgrade, it’s a transformation
Many, myself included, believed that the Nintendo Switch 2 would be a relatively safe upgrade over its predecessor. But after four hours of hands-on with the upcoming console at a recent event in Paris, I’m happy to say that we were completely wrong with that initial assessment.
You’ve likely now seen in the accompanying Nintendo Switch 2 Direct that the console can support a 4K resolution (both native and upscaled) as well as frame rates of up to 120 frames per second (4K when docked with a 4K TV playing on a compatible game and limited to 60 fps). In practice, it means that Nintendo Switch 2 titles including the shortlist of Switch 2 launch games we already know about – not to mention some of the best Nintendo Switch games – look sharper and play smoother than ever before.
Meaningful improvements have been made to Switch 2’s ergonomics, too. While adopting a much sleeker design and a larger 7.9-inch screen, it maintains the same thickness as the original model. It also feels much nicer in the hands thanks to larger, more rounded Joy-Con 2 controllers.
While I certainly do take issue with some aspects of Switch 2’s pricing – namely its eye-wateringly expensive software and paid ‘Nintendo Switch 2 Edition’ game upgrades – it nonetheless gave me a near-immaculate first impression.
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How does Switch 2 feel?
In person, the Nintendo Switch 2 looks significantly less toy-like than the original Switch. The Joy-Con 2’s colors have been inverted, with black as the main color, and orange and blue as its accents. While some will certainly miss the fun neon red and blue aesthetic, the new look does position the Switch 2 as a more serious piece of kit.
As I alluded to earlier, holding the handheld feels very comfy and it is surprisingly lightweight given its wider berth and larger screen size of 7.9 inches (compared to the Nintendo Switch OLED’s 7-inch display).
Button actuation also feels much snappier, and less mushy than on the original hardware. This extends to the refined bumpers and digital triggers up top. Overall, it’s an extremely comfortable play experience in handheld mode, also greatly helped by the rounded nature of the Joy-Con 2, which I found dug into my palms much less.
What improvements do the Joy-Con 2 bring?
The Joy-Con 2 now connect to the Switch 2 magnetically, as opposed to the rail system of the original model. They pop out easily, simply by holding in a button on the rear of each controller. They also snap back into place in a satisfying manner.
If you have any concerns about the connector appearing brittle or prone to wearing down, there’s some potentially good news. Nintendo Switch 2’s core developers stated that much of that magnetic impact is dispersed upon connection, meaning there’s actually very little load on the connector itself.
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I was also able to ask if there have been any improvements on the front of preventing dreaded stick drift on Nintendo Switch 2. In response, general manager Tetsuya Sasaki said: “The new Joy-Con 2 controllers have been designed from the ground up. They’ve been designed to have bigger and smoother movement.”
The team didn’t commit to any specifics here – such as if Hall effect technology is being implemented – but in my experience, the Joy-Con 2’s thumbsticks did feel much smoother and less grainy than the previous model.
What about the Switch 2 Pro Controller?
Take what I just said about the Joy-Con 2’s smoothness, and apply that tenfold to the Switch 2 Pro Controller.
Again, I’m not sure if it’s utilizing drift-resistant sticks, but the new controller provided a sublime play experience and you’ll likely see it land in our best Nintendo Switch controllers guide somewhere down the line.
The Switch 2 Pro Controller has some of the smoothest-feeling sticks I’ve ever tested, and I found that I could be impressively precise with their position. Face buttons also feel exceptionally snappy near non-existent travel time. I don’t think they’re quite a microswitch or mechanical, but they sure feel close to it.
The Switch 2 Pro Controller has also had something of a facelift compared to the original unit. Its bumpers and triggers are now cast in white. The triggers are still a fully digital press – no analog here. Once again, I feel this is an ideal choice for Nintendo Switch 2, and keeps in line with this philosophy of responsiveness I think the new controller is going for.
So how’s performance?
Generally, games on Nintendo Switch 2 ran well in my experience. Shockingly well in many instances. The fact the console’s 1080p handheld display can push 120fps and features HDR support is nothing short of astounding.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is a fantastic showcase of the Switch 2’s hardware heft. Playing it and Tears of the Kingdom at a rock-solid 4K 60fps on console feels like it’s not real. But it is on Switch 2. Both games also have drastically sharper image quality, meaning they’re absolutely the definitive version of each release.
Other graphically impressive titles like Hogwarts Legacy, Street Fighter 6, and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond all also boasted fantastic, stable performance and sharp image quality. By and large, what we have here is a leaps and bounds improvement over the original Switch.
But once again, it does feel like Nintendo has fallen short when it comes to Switch Online’s retro libraries. For the new Nintendo GameCube lineup, performance was a little all over the place.
While The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker largely performed as you’d expect, F-Zero GX often failed to maintain its original 60fps target, leading to much choppier racing. Soul Calibur 2 thankfully fared better, aside from a slight framerate hiccup at the start of each match played. Hopefully, these are issues that can be ironed out before launch.
Games, games, games
The main title on the testing docket during my hands-on preview was Mario Kart World. I’ve written a more in-depth impressions piece on the anticipated kart racer, but in short, it’s the evolution of the series I didn’t even know I wanted.
I was also able to spend some time playing a handful of other Nintendo Switch 2 games. Next, I’ll give you the rundown of some of my highlights during my four hours.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond was absurdly impressive on Nintendo Switch 2, with much higher visual fidelity here than last week’s standard Nintendo Direct showing would have you believe. The demo I played was in the game’s performance mode (1080p at 120fps) and it simply didn’t miss a beat.
One very cool thing about Prime 4 is its utilization of the Joy-Con 2’s mouse functionality. Yes, you can play the game with mouse controls as if it were a PC first-person shooter. It works amazingly well, and you can also seamlessly transition to a more standard stick or gyro aiming by simply lifting the Joy-Con 2 off its surface. No option tweaking needed.
Next up was the newly announced Donkey Kong Bananza, which was playable on the show floor. Now in terms of performance, this game wasn’t as rock solid as Samus’s adventure, but it was still a heck of a lot of fun.
DK is essentially a playable wrecking ball in Bananza, tearing levels apart with his bare hands through swinging punches or by ripping chunks out of the geometry. There were lots of little secrets and treasures to find, too, so I’m willing to bet Donkey Kong Bananza will feel like a playground for players who love modular destruction.
I also sampled Street Fighter 6, because as a lover of the best fighting games, I simply had to. While image quality isn’t quite on par with its PS5 and Xbox counterparts, the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Capcom’s fighter is, well, a fighter. It maintained a solid 60fps throughout gameplay and felt as responsive (and loaded just as quickly) as versions on those other systems.
The verdict right now
We’ve some time to go before the Nintendo Switch 2’s June 5, 2025 launch. And I do still have some concerns as mentioned above. For one, software pricing seems absurdly expensive even compared to competing consoles, and while pre-orders are next week in the US, they are popping up in the UK already which is a bit haphazard.
Monetary concerns aside, though, I truly believe Nintendo Switch 2 is the console we’ve been waiting all these years for. I’m beyond impressed at its performance gains over its older sibling, and the massively increased third-party support is something I was especially hoping for. It’s fantastic to see high-profile single-player games like Cyberpunk 2077, Elden Ring, and Star Wars Outlaws all find homes on Switch 2 and look – for the most part – none the worse for wear. The severe visual cutbacks and compromises – at least around launch – appear to be a thing of the past for Nintendo Switch 2.
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