Nintendo Switch 2 Hands-On: The Successor I’ve Spent Years Waiting For

On April 2nd, Nintendo Switch 2 finally got a full reveal, offering us a much better idea of what to expect from the new system when it launches later this year. Ahead of the big launch, I had the chance to go hands-on with the new system and its software. At first glance, Switch 2 has a lot in common with its predecessor; the system freely bounces between handheld and console gaming, and it has a library consisting of major franchises like Mario Kart, Metroid, and Kirby. However, Switch 2 definitely feels like the premium successor that I’ve hoped to see for years now, and it seems like a lot of the company’s passionate fans are going to feel the same way.

Nintendo Switch has been on the market since 2017, and it’s not controversial to say that the graphics and performance have started to feel pretty dated. While later games like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom were able to push Switch to its limits, it was long past time for Nintendo to move into the modern era. In this regard alone, Nintendo Switch 2 already seems like a big step up. Nintendo allowed me the opportunity to play several games in development, including existing titles that take advantage of the new hardware, such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Kirby and the Forgotten Land + Star-Crossed World. Both of these games not only looked significantly prettier, but they also ran much smoother, with no slow-down in sight.

Graphics and performance have always been a key selling point for new hardware, but as any Nintendo fan can attest, that’s only part of the appeal when it comes to the company’s systems. Nintendo fans have come to expect innovations from the company; while Nintendo has never been known for cutting edge graphics, the company’s systems have offered a lot of unique technological concepts. Some examples of this include controller rumble on N64, as well as glasses-free 3D on the 3DS. Some fans were worried that Nintendo Switch 2 would fail to innovate, but it already seems to have one big tech idea that I think a lot of users will come to appreciate: mouse controls.

Mouse controls on Nintendo Switch 2 were one of the most poorly kept secrets when it comes to the platform. Nintendo blatantly teased the feature in the original announcement back in January, and there had been rumors for years about the functionality. After getting to actually try out the mouse function, it seems obvious to me that Nintendo is really looking to push this feature, both in ways that PC gamers have come to expect, but also in ways that feel quintessentially Nintendo. Games like Sid Meier’s Civilization VII and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond are giving Switch users the types of mouse experiences you’d expect if you were playing these games on PC. However, Nintendo has also shown how mouse controls can be combined with the Joy-Cons’ other functions to do things that can only be achieved on Nintendo Switch 2.

At the start of any new platform generation, Nintendo often has a game or 2 designed with the intention of showing what the system can do. Drag x Drive seems to be that game for Nintendo Switch 2. The game basically uses both Joy-Cons in the mouse position to simulate wheelchair basketball. The concept is really unique, and while I’m not sold on the game itself just yet (it left my arms pretty tired), it feels like Nintendo is trying to show developers the ways they can innovate. The new mini games in Super Mario Party Jamboree similarly push mouse compatibility in ways that feel simultaneously clever and also natural. One of the new mini-games I most enjoyed was Pull-Back Attack, which tasked players with using the mouse controls to repeatedly pull back a toy car to make it go, with a goal of crossing the finish line more times than the opposing team.

The new functionality of the Joy-Cons isn’t the only improvement the controllers have seen. The current Joy-Cons can often feel pretty fragile, but the new ones felt bigger and sturdier. As someone that broke a Joy-Con’s plastic connector clip on my Switch (causing it to slide out unintentionally), I’m also very happy with the new magnetic attachment method. If Nintendo really has fixed the prevalent issues with Joy-Con Drift, these new controllers will be everything fans have asked for, and a whole lot more.

If there’s one thing that I’m not sold on just yet, it’s Nintendo Switch 2: Welcome Tour. Nintendo Switch 2 is clearly an attempt to improve on a lot of the shortcomings of the current system. Nintendo Switch 2: Welcome Tour seems like an attempt to replicate Astro’s Playroom on PS5, showing new owners everything there is to see and do with the console. The developers are also using the game to break down concepts that might be foreign to casual gamers. This can be seen in things like quizzes, which task players with guessing the frames per second of a moving object, or playing mini-games to test out the mouse functionality. Nintendo has always had strong feelings about the value of its products, but it feels like this should have been a pack-in experience. We didn’t learn how much it would cost, but it’s hard to imagine a price that will make Nintendo Switch 2: Welcome Tour feel worth it.

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From my time with the system so far, Switch 2 seems like a compelling new chapter for Nintendo. The system’s actual design is a lot sturdier, and the graphics and performance really make it feel like a premium product. After a few hours playing many of the system’s new games, I’m eager to get more time in, and to learn what else Nintendo has to offer. Thankfully, I won’t be waiting too much longer, as Nintendo Switch 2 is set to launch on June 5th.

Are you excited to try out Nintendo Switch 2 for yourself? What did you think of the Nintendo Direct presentation? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!