After months of hype and endless questions, the Nintendo Switch 2 is out for all. And I have one right here, unboxed and ready to test.
In a change from the norm, outlets weren’t granted early access to the console to have reviews ready ahead of launch. Instead, I like many others got my review unit late on Thursday afternoon (June 4).
This means that the review process will be a little different, and I’ll be documenting my early impressions here before publishing a full review with a star rating. As always, we test stuff properly here at Trusted Reviews and I’ll only score the console once I’ve had enough time with it.
So with all that in mind, what are my early impressions after two days with the Nintendo Switch 2?
The setup process is incredibly smooth and quick
Right, I am going to do this in order – and my first notable impression was just how smooth the whole setup and transfer process was.
Even though unboxing the console was the first thing I did, there’s nothing really here that’s new. The box is virtually the same as the older Switch, and there’s nothing all that different with what’s included. The charger is in two parts now, which is nice, and there’s still an HDMI cable included, but really, Nintendo has mostly stuck to what it knows with the packaging.
Having a Switch OLED, my plan was always to try the System Transfer feature and move everything across. So I charged up the Switch OLED, updated to the latest firmware (I hadn’t turned it on in a while) and got it ready.
The process is seamless. Follow the instructions on the Switch 2 startup screen, place the consoles near each other on the same Wi-Fi connection, and they’ll do their thing. The process was quick, painless and even changed the theme on the new console to the same one I was using before. The only issue I had was that both consoles had to be plugged in for it to work, and I only had one cable.
A UI change would have been nice, Nintendo
Once the transfer is completed, you’re taken to a very familiar homescreen. Sorry to all those hoping Nintendo had redesigned the UI for the Switch 2, but it very much has not.
The homescreen is basically the same, with a row of games running through the centre and shortcuts to things like the e-Shop and Settings below. There are two themes (light or dark) and still very limited customisation.
Now, there are two ways to look at this. If you’ve used an OG Switch, then you’ll feel right at home. You’ll know where all the settings you require are located, you’ll know how to tweak the brightness or add a new friend – there’s nothing new to learn.
I have always enjoyed a new console UI and it’s a shame Nintendo hasn’t entertained it. Yes, the UI itself is perfectly fine, but I’d have liked a different way to display games and a little more customisation – maybe some themes centred around iconic Nintendo franchises.
You’ll probably want an SD card – the games are big!
A boxed copy of Mario Kart World Tour came with my review pack from Nintendo, but I was also keen to download a few of the updated games (Pokemon Violet, being a big one for me after failing to play it due to its awful performance on the OG Switch) and a few of the new big launch titles.
My eyes were drawn to Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition. This felt like a perfect way to test what the new console is capable of from a performance perspective, and all the pre-launch footage I had seen looked impressive. Plus, the Ultimate Edition packs the Liberty City DLC – something I hadn’t explored.
Cyberpunk 2077 highlights a likely issue many will have with the Switch 2 – and that’s storage space. It’s correct that the console does have 256GB of internal storage (although around 7GB is taken up with the system software), which is 8x the amount on the OG Switch. But games here are much bigger.
Cyberpunk 2077 is 60GB, while No Mans Sky is 25GB. Download a few big third-party titles and you’ll be filling that 256GB of space in no time.
Of course, the answer to this conundrum is expandable storage. The Switch 2 only works with a new type of microSD card called microSD Express – so that 1TB card you’ve got inside your old Switch won’t be supported.
There seem to be only two sizes of microSD Express readily available in the UK: 128GB and 256GB, although larger sizes should come soon. They’re also a bit pricey – around £50 for the 256GB one. For comparison, a Nintendo-branded 256GB card for the OG Switch is available on Amazon for £19.99.
I think it’s an important Switch 2 accessory though, unless you’re keen on waiting for those bigger sizes to arrive.
I am not convinced the jump in size is for me
It’s been a few months since I first held the Switch 2, and I was taken aback a little at just how large the new console is.
I’ve typically been a fan of smaller portable consoles rather than hulking behemoths like the Steam Deck OLED. Valve’s handheld might be portable in theory, but I wouldn’t want to whip it out on a plane.
The Switch 2 is a lot bigger than the OLED. It has a 7.9-inch display and much larger Joy-Con and you can really feel that size difference. This is purely my first impression, but I think I prefer the smaller dimensions of the previous Switch models, even if the Switch 2 is no thicker.
Maybe my position will change, but the larger size makes the Switch 2 feel decidedly less portable.
Huge design improvements just about everywhere
The Switch 2 could be described as a grown-up Switch. Even though it’s still very plastic-forward, it has a premium air that just wasn’t present before.
The updated Joy-Con snap in magnetically with a satisfying thump, and there’s no creaking whatsoever. This is a solid piece of tech that feels like it’s worth its price point.
I like the small pops of colours from the accents, and again the lack of neon Joy-Con play into the grown-up feel. More colour choices would have been nice, but the black is smart.
The little slot where the game cartridge sits is firmer and more rigid than before, and the kickstand gets the job done. Plus, the addition of an extra USB-C port on the top is great for charging while in tabletop mode.
I love an OLED, but the Nintendo Switch 2 screen is great
Of course, the bigger screen does mean it’s more immersive. Mario Kart World looks fantastic, and I was instantly taken into the world.
The display on the Switch 2 has caused some concern, notably as in some respects it’s a downgrade as it’s no longer an OLED, but rather an LCD.
I have many thoughts about this. Some positive, some less so, and it’s certainly not as clear cut as OLED = a better screen.
There’s no doubt that there’s a difference between OLED and LCD, and it is immediately obvious. As I was transferring content between the two consoles, I could see that the deep, inky blacks of the Switch OLED have been replaced by slightly murkier greys. I was expecting it, but it was disappointing nevertheless.
Perfect blacks aside, I think there’s enough here to make the screen a big upgrade overall. It’s 1080p for one (not 720p) and everything, from the menus to gameplay in supported titles, is crisper as a result. There’s VRR in handheld mode up to 120Hz and HDR. I’ll have to do more testing to see how well the latter two work.
I’m so glad the e-Shop is faster
The e-Shop was a right slog to navigate on the OG Switch. It was always so slow, grinding to a halt all the time and made buying games a chore. I can happily confirm that’s no longer an issue.
Nintendo Switch 2 battery life could be…an issue
I was slightly concerned when I heard Nintendo’s claim of the Switch 2’s battery life being around “two and a half to six hours”. That’s a wide range, and basically the same as the very first Switch model. With the Switch OLED, it was possible to get around eight hours with less demanding games.
Now, of course, these are just very early impressions, but so far I’ll say that Mario Kart World sits towards the lower scale of that claim.
I played the game for 90 minutes with brightness set to a comfortable 60%, and the battery went from 100% to 50%, so another 90 minutes should drain it completely. Three hours of charge for Mario Kart World? I was hoping for more.
The Pro Controller is wonderfully comfy
Along with the console, game, camera and SD card, my review kit also included the Pro Controller. Typically, this wouldn’t be something I would pick up, and I didn’t use the previous Pro Controller.
After an hour or so of use, though, I am sold. This is a ridiculously comfortable, perfectly proportioned controller that has a lovely matte finish and some handy buttons around the back. I can’t wait to use it more.
The launch lineup is mixed but very varied
Finally, for now at least, is the Nintendo Switch 2 game lineup. Mario Kart World is the big one, and first impressions are good. It’s definitely a Mario Kart game and is fun to pick up and play. There’s more to this title than previous entries, including a Free Roam mode that adds a Forza Horizon-like open world, and I’ll be using this as my primary test game for the console review.
Both Tears of the Kingdom and Breath of the Wild have received paid-for Switch 2 upgrades, which I am keen to try, then there are some big third-party titles like Cyberpunk 2077, which looks like a stellar port.
Some other Switch titles have picked up smaller free updates, mostly to address performance issues, up the resolution or add HDR. I’ll be trying some of these two, and I am particularly interested in seeing whether games that ran poorly on the older hardware, like Pokémon Scarlet/Violet and Zelda: Link’s Awakening, perform better this time around.
Early Thoughts
There’s still a lot that needs to be tested here before I give my full verdict, and in my first 48 hours, I’ll be honest: I’ve barely scratched the surface. I need to test the camera, the GameChat features, the performance of the launch titles, and so on.
But my first impressions are very positive. This isn’t a revolutionary switch-up of the formula, it’s just a Switch with many quality-of-life improvements that those who have used the OG model extensively will really appreciate – and that’s quite something.
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