Tech: Nintendo Switch 2 review

The first Nintendo Switch was a "bet the company" moment.  After the failure of the Wii U, Nintendo risked combining its portable and home console lines into one expensive, do-it-all hybrid machine.  Fortunately, the gamble paid off, and the Switch became one of the top 3 bestselling consoles of all time.

The Switch 2 is a gamble of a different sort.  Unlike Nintendo's previous consoles, which introduced new controllers, new features, and even all-new layouts (the DS), the Switch 2 is a straightforward sequel that gives you more of everything you loved and hated about the old Switch, at an even higher asking price ($450).  Is it worth the coin?

Like with most things, it depends on what you want.  The Switch 2 is a generational leap in power over the Switch; it's as fast or faster than a PS4, plus it supports Nvidia's DLSS upscaling.  The upshot is that the system can actually play current-generation games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Split Fiction, albeit with lower framerates and fewer effects than the PS5 and Series X. This was simply not the case back when the original Switch launched in 2017.

However, if you already have those consoles (or a high-powered PC) and you don't need the versatility of a portable system, the Switch 2 makes much less sense. Then the only attraction of the system is the ability to play Nintendo's exclusive first-party games. While that's nothing to sneeze at, given that the big "N" is the home of Mario, Zelda, and Metroid, it's a big investment for a system that you might ultimately end up playing four or five (great) games on.