Nintendo Switch 2 preview: I'm quietly optimistic Nintendo has struck gold

When the Nintendo Switch 2 was first announced, there was a bit of fuss from some corners of the internet.

See, it turns out some people were a little disappointed that the successor to the Nintendo Switch is simply a more powerful version of its predecessor: a handheld/home console hybrid with extra zip and kick.

That never bothered me. As someone who has put an ungodly amount of time into his Nintendo Switch, I was terrified Nintendo would go in completely the opposite direction for its next console when what I wanted was iteration.

Now, having spent a good few hours with the Nintendo Switch 2 and a stack of games coming at launch - and a few beyond that - I’m largely convinced the new console is going to be a hit. For one thing, it is very clearly a sturdier, more powerful Switch - and that’s a really good thing! But it also has a bunch of new features and surprises that help it stand apart from the OG Switch.

I kicked off my preview with Mario Kart World, the brand-new entry that Nintendo is clearly positioning as the Switch 2 system seller. Not surprising, given how much of a hit Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was (and still is). I’m happy to report that this new Mario Kart absolutely slaps, offering up a more expansive experience with bigger races, more options, and a much higher chaos quotient.

After giving the game a go in docked mode, where the 4K resolution and silky smooth framerates really helped to bring Mario Kart’s trademark colourful vistas to life, I switched over to handheld mode to really see the difference between the Switch 2 and the OG.

What really struck me right out of the gate is that the screen is bigger, crisper, and capable of delivering much better-looking games - but the console itself doesn’t feel like an unwieldy monster as a result. Compared to the Steam Deck, the Switch 2 is much sleeker, lighter, and still functions as the kind of gaming handheld you can actually fit in your bag - which is kind of the only thing I need from a handheld.

The Joy-Cons, too, are far weightier and feel less liable to simply slip away from the console. The buttons, sticks, and triggers are all just the right side of larger without being overkill, with the control sticks in particular feeling much less likely to develop drift. I must stress this is nothing more than a feeling, however. We’ll have to wait and see until after launch whether Nintendo has really learned to combat the dreaded drift.

A brief demo with Metroid Prime 4: Beyond allowed me to get to grips with the console’s motion controls, as well as the Joy-Con’s ability to double as a mouse. Nintendo has always largely excelled at giving us lots of different ways to play, and Metroid Prime 4 was a real showcase in terms of just seamlessly the Switch 2 is set to allow us to change things up to suit our tastes.

Elsewhere, Cyberpunk 2077 and Hogwarts Legacy were a testament to just how much power the Switch 2 is packing. Both games look and run fantastically on Switch 2, and the fact both are launching with the console is a real statement of intent in terms of third-party support. We’ve come a long way from the days of the Wii U.

Finally, I got to spend a little bit of time with The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild and Tears Of The Kingdom, their small but massively noticeable upgrades giving me all the excuse I need to go back and sink another few hundred hours into Hyrule. Getting to play these masterpieces at 60fps with better loading times is almost enough to sell me on the system by itself.

The Nintendo Switch 2 has a lot of work to do to justify some of the stranger pricing decisions around games and peripherals, but the console itself is a joy to play and already looks to be boasting a killer launch lineup. Eight years after the launch of the Switch, I daresay Nintendo might just have struck gold again.