For the last eight years, Nintendo has charmed consumers worldwide with the Nintendo Switch, a gaming system that is essentially two devices in one — both a console that can sit in your living room and a portable device that you can easily take with you anywhere.
What’s not to like about that?
The strategy helped Nintendo sell more than 150 million Switches, making it one of the best-selling game consoles in history. It’s no wonder that Nintendo is back with more of the same.
The $450 Nintendo Switch 2, which arrived in stores this month, is simply a bigger and better Switch. Its overall hardware design and software interface are the same as its predecessor’s. The trade-offs also remain: Compared with bulky PlayStation and Xbox consoles that stay plugged in, the Switch 2 is less powerful in order for it to be portable. Its graphics and speed are not on a par with the latest and greatest gaming technology.
Still, based on my last week of testing, the Switch 2 will be another hit that will satisfy plenty of gamers, especially families. As a hand-held device with a roomy, bright screen and sped-up computing power, it made zipping around a racetrack in the new Mario Kart World game delightful on the go — until the battery died. When the Switch 2 was placed in its dock to connect it to a TV, its graphics looked vibrant and sharp. (Read our review of Mario Kart World from our games critic.)
The main difference now is how much more we have to pay to play games. At $450, the price of the Switch 2 is a big jump from the original Switch, which cost $300. Future games are also likely to cost more — Mario Kart World, which was released alongside the Switch 2, costs $80, a sharp increase from previous $60 Nintendo Switch titles. Games for Sony’s $450 PlayStation 5 and Microsoft’s $600 Xbox have seen a similar price creep in the last few years, in part because they now cost more to produce.
Gaming is becoming a significant long-term investment, which could pressure many households to pick only one console. Is the Switch 2 right for you? Here’s what to know.