Switch 2 after a Month
It’s what I wanted
We’re just about a month on from the release of the Switch 2. The fevered anticipation of its release was at a pitch greater than probably any other console before it, but how as the machine fared since? Was it worth the hype?
I’m not one to string you along Reader, so let me just start by saying I’m happy with the Switch 2; it is what I wanted from the home-handheld-hybrid. The sequel to Nintendo’s smashing success system is more of the same, only more powerful. The Switch 2 keeps the same ease of use, light-weight design and quick access to software, meaning you’ll be playing games rather than fiddling with the ‘desktop’ user-interface that has blighted videogame consoles for years now. The Switch 2 does everything its predecessor does, just with more punch. The new magnetic connection for the new Joycons are welcome, eliminating the sometimes awkward rail system that the original Switch had. The new dock is bulkier, though feels less weighty and more flimsy; the back cover for the dock too, it feels cheap, and clip on nature of it rather than a hinge is disappointing.
The big issue with the Switch 2 is its launch titles though.
The games for the Switch 2 at launch are almost entirely made up of older titles ported to the new system; that’s not bad in and of itself, but the console could have done with Donkey Kong Bananza releasing alongside Mario Kart to strengthen the pack. Speaking of Mario Kart and ports of older games, Cyberpunk 2077 illustrates the point: I’d never played Cyberpunk before the Switch 2, but having the first proper physical copy of the game, along with its DLC, all on the cartridge, was enough to get me to pick up the game. And I’ve been playing – more than I’ve played Mario Kart – and it’s an example of how a port to a system can be a real selling point. I don’t feel the same way about Nintendo’s many ‘Switch 2’ editions however. Breath of the Wild and its sequel, Sonic X Shadow Generations, Fortnite; it’s hard enough to swallow some games that are literally years old being released on the Switch 2 as exciting new titles, but games ported from the original Switch? And the paid upgrades to these games can be frustrating when there are example of Switch games that run better on its big brother for free. That’s one of the Switch 2’s best surprises by the way, the performance of Switch games on the new system. Just having extensive backwards compatibility from an expansive library like the Switch’s would be boon enough for anyone asking themselves whether to move over to a Switch 2, but the improvements made to so many games is something that Nintendo didn’t shout about before the console’s big release. Fear of boring you, Reader, prevents me from listing the many games that see improvement both notable and not, and there are a wealth of videos showcasing the changes, but it certainly is a welcome surprise to see just how many free updates to games that I’m either revisiting or finally getting around to playing.
The performance of the Switch 2 when browsing the eShop is also much improved by the extra power of Nintendo’s next generation, with results loading smoothly and video previews for games loading without pause.
At risk of redundant repetition, the I been left happy with the Switch 2; Nintendo didn’t try to reinvent anything, adding only the performance upgrade needed to see third-party developers coaxed into porting more demanding titles that couldn’t reasonable run the original hybrid, and additions like improvements to older games and mouse functions on the new joycons only add the console’s appeal. I just want to see some more exclusives on the Switch 2, and on physical cartridges too, no gamekey cards or codes-in-a-box, thank you.
Playing videogames, writing about videogames, considering videogames—that about sums it up. Videogames are the one hobby that I’ve kept since I was only little, zapping ducks on the NES or knocking out MR. X. And when I’m not enjoying classics from the bit generation of games or checking out those earliest of polygons, I’m probably playing something from today’s age of modern gaming: if I’m not complaining about it. Fiddling with the Lenovo Legion Go.
