My history with Nintendo goes way back: I’ve been lucky enough to play on nearly every game console the brand has released since the N64, from the Game Boy Color and GameCube to the Wii and Nintendo DS. I eventually graduated to the original Switch, and later grabbed Nintendo Switch 2 when it first came out last June.
As a testing engineer who constantly evaluates tech and toys, (and as someone who has spent plenty of time gaming on additional platforms like PlayStation, Xbox, and PC), I’ve had plenty of time to figure out whether it was worth the purchase.
A year later, I still love the new magnetic controllers
When I first received the Switch 2, the first difference I noticed from the original were the controllers. One of my biggest gripes with the original Switch was how inconvenient it was to disconnect and connect the controllers from the screen, especially when you had it docked. With these new controllers, they magnetically slot into the screen, and easily pop off when you need them to.
After one year, they are still one of my favorite parts about the Switch 2. It’s such a small difference, but it’s one of those changes that you didn’t know you wanted it until it happened.
The battery life left me wanting more
I wasn’t sure if that was because I was playing more demanding games, or if the console hardware itself just needed more power. So I decided to time it. I alternated between playing Hades I and Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom before it died, two games that have a lot going on both action-wise and visually.
Playing straight, while connected to my Bluetooth headphones, the battery lasted 4.5 hours. It gave me two warnings when the battery was about to die. The first warning came an hour before it died, and the second came 15 minutes before.
Considering it’s advertised to run 2.5 to 6 hours depending on what games you played, this was within the bounds Nintendo states—but honestly, it’s not great. Compare it to the original Switch, and it’s a similar battery life. Compare it to the OLED Switch, and it’s actually worse! Perhaps this feeling of a bad battery life came from my assumption that a more powerful console would also last longer.
Now, does this bother me one year later? Honestly, it doesn’t. Most of the places I go have places I can plug in my Switch, even airplanes. If for some reason I don’t have a place to plug into, I carry a portable charger with me everywhere, which allows me to charge it no matter where I am. However, I can understand why someone upgrading or buying a Switch 2 for the first time might expect more.
I love that everything you need comes in the box
In this day and age, one of the things I really appreciate, even a year later, is what comes with the Switch 2. You get absolutely everything you need in one purchase. That includes the main console, the Joy-Con 2 left and right controllers, the Switch 2 dock, a Joy-Con grip (which allows you to connect the separate controllers into one regular controller), two Joy-Con straps, an AC power adapter, a USB-C charging cable, and an Ultra High Speed HDMI cable. This means you can start playing immediately, without needing to purchase an extra brick or cord.
You don’t have to leave your Switch game library behind
The beauty of the Switch/Nintendo Ecosystem is their unique games that can ONLY be played on a Nintendo system. Games like Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, Donkey Kong Bananza, Rhythm Heaven Groove, Pokemon Pokopia, and so many more can only be played on the Switch.
Nintendo is constantly updating their library, bringing games that were originally previously unavailable on the Switch, such as Borderlands, Split Fiction, and even Cyberpunk 2077. The original Switch wasn’t powerful enough before, but that’s not the case with the Switch 2.
A year later, I’ve consistently had something new to play. Games like Hades II and Vampire Survivors have made the Switch 2 a go-to for travel, while my girlfriend has become obsessed with the much more laid-back Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream. That range is one of the reasons the console still gets so much use in our house—and because it’s portable, neither of us has to fight over the TV.
A fun component of the Switch 2 is that it is also backwards compatible with the physical game cards, not just the digital ones. The majority of the original Switch games will work on the Switch 2, UNLESS the game involves the special features of the Switch controllers. The Switch 2 and Switch Joy-cons are different. If the game uses a specific feature of the original Joy-cons, such as the IR features, that game would not be compatible with the Switch 2 Joy-cons.
If you are ever unsure, you can always search a game on the Nintendo website and it will tell you if it’s compatible. Don’t let this deter you from upgrading though. If you happen to own an original Switch before purchasing a Switch 2, you can actually pair the original Joy Cons with the Switch 2, so any game that might not be compatible because of a controller will still work.
But it still can’t compete with a console or PC on performance
That doesn’t make it worse—it just won’t be able to run certain games at the same resolution or frame rate. The Switch 2 is optimized for on-the-go gaming, so there’s already a significant size difference that limits the amount of hardware it can hold.
Traditional consoles are meant to stay in a single location and constantly be powered, so that allows for more powerful components. So if you don’t care about Nintendo games and you are just looking to play with the best possible graphics and performance, a traditional console may be a better fit.
Traveling with the Switch 2 is a breeze
I’ve been lucky enough to travel all over the world in the last year, and I’ve brought the Switch 2 with me everywhere: back home to Los Angeles, on vacation in the Dominican Republic—I’ve even had to lug it back and forth on the subway to take pictures of it at work.
The Switch 2 is light, weighing only 1 whole pound, so it easily slots into my backpack. I barely feel it. There are cases you can buy online that fit the charger, console, and physical games if you have them, which makes it easier to organize when you’re transporting it. I’ve tried out other handheld consoles, such as the Lenovo Legion and the ROG Ally, but to me these were extremely bulky in comparison and not as easy to transport.
Where the portability has really stood out for me, though, is when I played with friends or family. There are so many fun co-op and local multiplayer games you can play with the Switch 2, it’s easier than ever to have a game night.
I’ve used my Switch for everything from Mario Kart at bachelor parties to co-op games with my girlfriend on flights. Since each Joy-Con doubles as an individual controller, playing together is incredibly easy wherever you are. It’s a simple feature, but one Nintendo does exceptionally well—and a big reason the Switch is so great for families, big groups, and couples.
One of the biggest flaws, I think, with traveling with the Switch is its lack of streaming options. Other handheld competitors can access services like Netflix, HBO, and Amazon Prime Video. Traditional consoles can too, even if you can only do it at home. When you’re traveling, how often do you download episodes to your phone or tablet to help pass the time? The Switch 2 can’t really fill that role. If you are getting it, you are getting it to game, and that is it.
The final verdict
Originally, I thought it wasn’t super necessary to upgrade or even purchase. I had the original Switch for so long, and was able to play the games I wanted to play. The simple fact of the matter was that the games were getting bigger and better, and the original Switch wasn’t powerful enough to keep up.
What truly got me to upgrade wasn’t that the games were becoming more advanced, but that the games were so unique. Nintendo makes games that no other console makes or can even play. The majority of games on consoles like Xbox or PlayStation can also be played elsewhere, including on PC or other handhelds. Nintendo has hundreds of IPs that you can only play on Nintendo, and the quality of those games alone made it worth upgrading for me.
On top of that, the portability and ease of local multiplayer make the Switch 2 something I use in ways I simply don’t with my other consoles. I’m not going to pretend this console is the best to ever do it. But what it does, it does really well. If you want something portable, easy to play with other people and packed with high-quality games you can’t play anywhere else, the Switch 2 is still absolutely worth buying.
