A New Era for Nintendo’s Hybrid Legacy?
The Nintendo Switch 2 has finally arrived, and is making history with record console sales. It marks the next step in the company’s ambitious hybrid console journey. Since the original Switch revolutionised the landscape of portable and home gaming in 2017, fans have been waiting for a true successor that can combine Nintendo’s unmatched first-party experiences with modern hardware capabilities.
Now, in 2025, Nintendo answers that call, but not in the way everyone might have hoped. The Switch 2 is not a revolutionary leap forward, but rather a thoughtful and measured refinement. It brings genuine improvements across performance, display technology, and docked output, while still staying true to what made the Switch a household staple. But in a world where the Steam Deck and ROG Ally X offer near-desktop levels of power on the go, can the Switch 2 keep up?
Design & Build Quality — Familiar Form, Premium Finish
At first glance, the Switch 2 appears to be an evolution of the original model rather than a radical redesign, and that feels intentional. Nintendo knows it has struck gold with the hybrid form factor. The core experience of transitioning effortlessly between handheld, tabletop, and docked play is fully intact, and the console still feels unmistakably like a Switch.
However, upon closer inspection, numerous refinements make the Switch 2 feel more premium. The chassis now features a matte finish with subtle texturing that repels fingerprints far better than the glossy plastics of the past. The slight increase in thickness (and a marginally heavier frame) lends a reassuring sturdiness. At the same time, the Joy-Con rails now use magnetic latching to eliminate the wobble and drift-prone feel of the originals.
In handheld mode, it’s more comfortable for long sessions thanks to subtly re-contoured grips. The kickstand, a weak point on the original Switch, is now a full-width, metal-reinforced design that offers adjustable angles and rock-solid stability, rivalling even tablet stands. Compared to the Steam Deck, the Switch 2 feels significantly slimmer and lighter, making it a more natural fit for portable play. It’s also less bulky than the ROG Ally X, whose ergonomics are designed more like a PC gaming handheld.
Switch 2 Display & Audio
One of the most surprising choices Nintendo made with the Switch 2 is opting for a 7.9-inch LCD instead of an OLED one. Given how well-received the Switch OLED model was, many expected that technology to carry forward. However, in practice, this new 120Hz HDR10-capable LCD is impressive, and in some ways, superior.
The display is remarkably bright, with peak brightness levels that make outdoor gaming far more viable, even under direct sunlight. The colour accuracy is excellent, and HDR support brings out more detail in both dark and bright scenes. The 120Hz refresh rate and VRR (variable refresh rate) support mean games feel smoother and more responsive, with reduced screen tearing, something the OLED Switch couldn’t match.
While OLED enthusiasts may miss the deep blacks that only self-emissive panels can provide, Nintendo’s LCD implementation here delivers vibrant, clean visuals with no burn-in concerns. The result is a screen that’s better suited for a hybrid console, which may display a lot of static imagery during menus or multiplayer sessions.
Audio hasn’t been neglected either. The stereo speakers are louder, clearer, and provide a broader soundstage with impressive spatial depth. Dialogue in games sounds cleaner, explosions have more punch, and you can game without headphones and not feel like you’re missing much, something the original Switch struggled with.
Performance Is Next-Gen Nintendo Power
Under the bonnet, the Nintendo Switch 2 is powered by a custom NVIDIA Tegra T239 SoC, built on a more advanced process node that delivers a significant jump in computational and graphical capability. We’re talking about an octa-core CPU with modern ARM cores, a GPU with over 1,500 CUDA cores, and features like DLSS upscaling and hardware-accelerated ray tracing.
This means that in handheld mode, you can enjoy games at 1080p with frame rates of up to 120fps, depending on the title. Docked, the Switch 2 can output a true 4K resolution at 60fps, with DLSS helping to maintain high performance without compromising image quality. This alone represents a generational leap for Nintendo, placing the Switch 2’s docked performance far closer to that of a PS5 or Xbox Series X than its predecessor.
Gameplay Experience: Mario Kart World and Hitman: World of Assassination
Mario Kart World
One of Nintendo’s flagship titles for the system, Mario Kart World, serves as a showcase for what the Switch 2 can achieve. In handheld mode, it offers smooth 1080p visuals at 120fps, featuring stunning environments, dynamic weather effects, and a noticeable enhancement in texture detail and lighting compared to the Switch OLED version. When docked, the game appears razor-sharp at 4K/60fps, making multiplayer on the big screen a visual delight. Load times are virtually non-existent, and online play is seamless. We will publish a full game review soon.
Hitman: World of Assassination
A much sterner test of the hardware, Hitman pushes the Switch 2 to its limits. In handheld mode, it achieves a solid 40–50fps at 1080p, occasionally dipping slightly during complex scenes packed with NPCs and particle effects. Docked, it benefits from DLSS to deliver a surprisingly consistent 4K/60fps output, albeit with some reductions in shadow resolution and texture filtering compared to the PC version. Still, it’s a remarkable achievement for a hybrid system, and it outclasses cloud-streaming alternatives for this title by a long shot. A full review of the game is coming soon.
Both games, along with titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and other upcoming AAA third-party releases, demonstrate that the Switch 2 will deliver a more complete package, offering first-party hits, indie favourites, and now major third-party AAA titles.
Battery Life For The Nintendo Switch 2
Here’s where the trade-offs become clear. The Switch 2’s enhanced performance and high-refresh display draw more power than any previous Nintendo handheld. Depending on the game and display settings, battery life ranges from around 2.5 hours on demanding titles like Hitman to 6 hours for simpler games or capped frame rate modes.
By contrast, the Steam Deck and ROG Ally X also struggle with battery endurance at higher settings, but the Switch 2 is no longer the king of battery endurance among hybrids. On the positive side, charging is quicker, and Nintendo has included smarter power-saving features, such as dynamic refresh scaling and a low-power suspend mode.
Backwards Compatibility & Cart Controversy
One of the best features of the Switch 2 is its virtually full backwards compatibility with the entire Switch library. Whether you own physical cartridges or a library of digital purchases, you can bring them forward without issue. Many older titles even benefit from faster load times, higher frame rates, or slight resolution bumps thanks to the newer hardware.
The Switch 2, however, has stirred debate with its introduction of Game Card Keys. These are physical cartridges that don’t contain game data but instead serve as licenses to download the game from the eShop. While this approach allows publishers to release larger AAA titles that exceed the storage limits of traditional cartridges, many fans see it as a step backwards for physical media. Collectors and preservationists argue that these carts offer none of the permanence or ownership that physical games once promised and worry about the long-term accessibility of titles tied to Nintendo’s servers. Critics also point out that this shift blurs the line between physical and digital purchases, leaving consumers confused and disappointed when they discover their ‘physical’ game is just a download code in disguise. Thankfully, this is not the case for all games, and they are clearly labelled on the box where it is the case.
Dock & TV Mode Finally Gives Switch 2 4K
The dock is more than just a glorified HDMI passthrough this time. It features enhanced cooling for extended sessions, an integrated Ethernet port for reliable multiplayer gaming, and native 4K/60fps output via HDMI 2.1. Thanks to DLSS upscaling and advanced anti-aliasing, games look sharp and clean even on large TVs.
While it doesn’t quite match the sheer muscle of a PS5 or high-end gaming PC, for a hybrid console, it’s impressive how well the Switch 2 holds up in docked mode. Big-screen gaming no longer means compromising on image clarity, and the Switch 2 finally delivers the console-like living room experience that the original hinted at but couldn’t quite achieve.
What’s In the Box?
- Nintendo Switch 2 console
- Joy-Con 2 (L) / (R)
- 2 x Joy-Con 2 straps
- Nintendo Switch 2 dock
- Joy-Con 2 grip
- Nintendo Switch 2 AC adapter
- Ultra High Speed HDMI™ Cable
- Nintendo Switch 2 Important Information leaflet
- Mario Kart World Digital Code (with the Mario Kart Bundle)
Final Verdict: Who is the Switch 2 For?
The Nintendo Switch 2 is not a revolution, but it is the best version of the hybrid concept that Nintendo has ever delivered. With true 4K docked gaming, a high-refresh display, meaningful performance upgrades, and full backwards compatibility, it offers a compelling reason to upgrade for existing fans.
It doesn’t replace the Steam Deck or ROG Ally X if what you want is raw PC power. But if you want a versatile, no-fuss gaming system with access to Nintendo’s unmatched library and some impressive new capabilities, the Switch 2 is easy to recommend.
