Here are our first impressions of Nintendo Switch 2 -.

As you’ve probably seen elsewhere, Nintendo chose, in a relatively curious way, to drop an actual press strategy in connection with the launch of the Switch 2 console. It’s curious because this particular console is in all likelihood going to be one of the biggest ever, and publicity from the world’s press in the days leading up to the launch may have only served to further increase the already high level of excitement.

But here we are – we picked up our Switch 2 console yesterday, played with it for a day and a half, and present here the very first critical impressions of the final console platform, which will be supplemented by a final verdict at a later date. In the same breath, I’m happy to present our review impressions of Mario Kart World and Welcome Tour, and below you’ll find gameplay of the former, our Quick Look video and an unboxing of the final package.

First and foremost, and this is something that will resonate, the Switch 2 is a sublime piece of hardware, purely from a down-to-earth, physical perspective. The matte black materials with the subtle color coding exude quality, the dimensions of 116x272x13.99 millimeters make it stunningly thin and light in the hand, especially considering its size, and the new magnetic handle in each Joy-Con 2 is much more intuitive and infinitely reliable. The slightly larger size also makes it much more comfortable to hold for those of us with slightly larger hands. Simply put, this console doesn’t feel old, ambitious or cheap – it feels like a more mature, more grown-up and refined version of an existing idea.

And that’s basically what it is. What’s also striking when you first pick up a Switch 2 is how much this feels like … well, a Switch. A Switch on steroids, or, as I said, just a Switch taken back to the drawing board, with every single aspect of use upgraded, streamlined and improved. Some fans may lament the loss of crazy innovation, but I’m not one of them. Nintendo’s Switch idea works – at its core.

It is extremely difficult to say in the long run whether Switch 2 has enough horsepower out of the gate. I’m not too worried about WIFI 6, or the Bluetooth connection to various accessories, and the speakers produce nothing but clear sound in handheld mode either. The 256 GB of UFS space isn’t a problem either, as you can use microSD up to 2 TB. No, we’re talking about Nvidia’s SoC design and whether it offers enough overhead to hit the graphics and performance evolution that makes this feel like a Switch 2 – even three years from now.

So far we pretty much only have Mario Kart World, because taking older Switch games like Tears of the Kingdom and Scarlet/Violet and presenting them in a better resolution with a more stable frame rate can pretty much only be considered expected and the bare minimum. What I can say is that testimonials from developers and Mario Kart World in 4K/60fps completely reassure me about the Switch 2 power pack, and considering how much Nintendo and others managed to push the old Tegra chip in the original Switch, it seems like they struck a good balance.

Speaking of resolution, I’m one of those who wish Nintendo had used an OLED panel. It’s not that this 1080p HDR10 panel isn’t impressive, but by introducing Switch OLED a few years ago, there is an expectation that should be reflected here, as it is sunshine specification-oriented upgrade. I also regret the rather obvious screen bezel on this 7.9-inch 1080p LCD. It’s not offensive, but on a handheld it would have been advantageous to utilize all the physical space reserved for the screen as much as possible.

In terms of user interface, I still find it absolutely sublime. All navigation, all menus and every piece of interface design walks the fine line between childlike playfulness and more sophisticated function-oriented use. The little UI sounds are also back and remain an excellent touch. The extra horsepower makes using the eShop a little smoother, and all forms of interaction between you and the console are infinitely easier to understand. But GameChat is a somewhat odd feature, to say the least. The accompanying camera (which we will review separately) is not particularly good, and while the interface is quite responsive, it is not particularly innovative or particularly engaging. Yes, it’s nice that the microphone is in the console itself, so you don’t need more equipment than necessary, but this feature is hidden behind a Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription, which is also a somewhat odd decision, given that this is one of the most rudimentary features a consumer can afford to expect to be included directly in the price of the console.

That said, it’s a pretty minor issue, all consoles start with gimmicks and having responsive, good voice chat is nice, since online infrastructure hasn’t always been Nintendo’s strength. GameChat works fine, but that’s about all I can say about it.

However, I have nothing but good things to say about the other major gimmick, mouse mode, which comes about the moment one of the two Joy-Con 2 controllers is placed with the LED strip facing down. No, it’s not the most ergonomic way to hold it, but I was mildly surprised at how intuitive and precise the controls are. And to be honest, this is a much more organic implementation of a challenge that has plagued console manufacturers since the dawn of time. Could we see a sea of RTS games flowing into Switch 2? Based on my impressions, it’s entirely possible, and if nothing else, this is a much more responsive way to offer this input format than, say, Valve’s haptic boards on Steam Deck.

Battery life is slightly worse than the OLED model, it’s not great either, but overall this is just a rock-solid upgrade that ushers in a renewed focus on the aspects of the Nintendo ecosystem that so many consumers around the world love. It’s more of the same, and in some ways it’s even a step backwards. But at the same time, this is an exciting new day for those who fundamentally like the Switch concept, and I am certainly among that group. We anxiously await to see how developers, large and small, respond to the horsepower, and how elements like DLSS and Ray-Tracing affect the resource budget each studio has, but for now, it is certain that Nintendo has thought carefully about the way they have put this console together.