Preview: Switch 2 Feels Like an Expected Upgrade

The Nintendo Switch 2 looks, well, a lot like the original console! It isn’t unexpected. The SNES resembled the NES, and the Wii U’s main console had a lot in common with the Wii. After going hands on with the Switch 2 at a preview event, as well as using it with multiple games in different ways, I feel like it is exactly what we would expect Nintendo to do next, and the changes that did happen are substantial. Before I even got to use a Nintendo Switch 2, I got a quick preview of the system itself. Units appeared for us to hold and mess around with, in order to better examine their construction. The magnets in the left and right Joy-Cons are stronger than I expected. Initial images concerned me, as my original Switch started to get a bit finicky and wobbly, and I know my Lenovo Legion Go’s controllers popped off when I thought they were secured. However, these seemed stable and secure! I yanked! They didn’t move unless I held down the buttons to release them. As for the console itself, the new Nintendo Switch 2 still felt as comfortable to hold as the original system. The weight isn’t all that dissimilar. Since the width is the same, it was just as comfortable to hold it in my hands. The larger screen size is immediately different, and once I did play Mario Kart World in handheld mode, I could see how bright and vibrant it is. In short, I can already tell I’ll want to prioritize playing it in handheld mode yet again. Photo by Siliconera I will say that I’m not so confident in the new stand. I feel the best Switch system stand so far is the Switch OLED model. It covers the whole length of the unit. It’s stable. It offers a range of angles to properly display things in tabletop mode. While the Switch 2 stand is better than the original system’s, I feel like the new one is slightly less substantial. The gap concerns me, considering it only offers something of an outline along the bottom of the system, and I noticed it already seemed to bend a bit when I pulled it out. As far as performance goes, I could already see some notable improvements during my preview sessions. For example, Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza seem like good showcases for what the system can do. The loading times during the demos for each one were minimal. Each one looked incredibly crisp and vibrant. The changes in weather in Mario Kart World especially offered a great example of how detailed everything can look and the improvements in lighting and texture. The differences between sunny skies and rain on the same track especially helped. And in the case of Metroid Prime 4 Switch 2 Edition, it looked so incredibly smooth and natural in 120fps. I also noticed that some of the more unique Switch 2 features added for this new version of the console impressed during preview sessions. The mouse support is fantastic. I sampled it in Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, Drag x Drive, Metroid Prime 4 Switch Edition, and Civilization VII. In each case, it was responsive, accurate, and in some cases offered additional valuable haptic feedback. With Super Mario Party Jamboree – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV, I was able to test out the microphone as it picked up my voice during a minigame. Even though this was an incredibly loud space, with other games being played and people talking, it caught my screams. I was impressed to see exactly how good it was picking up the sounds. The difference between the Nintendo Switch 2 and the original console may not be as drastic as, say, the change between the Wii U and Switch. However, what’s happening here still seems quite impressive. Games look and run better on the system. The Joy-Cons work well, with the mouse controls being a welcome addition for the games I tested. The time I got to spent checking out the Switch 2 at the preview proved impressive, and it seems like an encouraging view of things to come. The Nintendo Switch 2 will debut on June 5, 2025. The post Preview: Switch 2 Feels Like an Expected Upgrade appeared first on Siliconera.

Apr 3, 2025 - 15:03

Preview: Switch 2 Feels Like an Expected Upgrade

The Nintendo Switch 2 looks, well, a lot like the original console! It isn’t unexpected. The SNES resembled the NES, and the Wii U’s main console had a lot in common with the Wii. After going hands on with the Switch 2 at a preview event, as well as using it with multiple games in different ways, I feel like it is exactly what we would expect Nintendo to do next, and the changes that did happen are substantial.

Before I even got to use a Nintendo Switch 2, I got a quick preview of the system itself. Units appeared for us to hold and mess around with, in order to better examine their construction. The magnets in the left and right Joy-Cons are stronger than I expected. Initial images concerned me, as my original Switch started to get a bit finicky and wobbly, and I know my Lenovo Legion Go’s controllers popped off when I thought they were secured. However, these seemed stable and secure! I yanked! They didn’t move unless I held down the buttons to release them.

As for the console itself, the new Nintendo Switch 2 still felt as comfortable to hold as the original system. The weight isn’t all that dissimilar. Since the width is the same, it was just as comfortable to hold it in my hands. The larger screen size is immediately different, and once I did play Mario Kart World in handheld mode, I could see how bright and vibrant it is. In short, I can already tell I’ll want to prioritize playing it in handheld mode yet again.

I will say that I’m not so confident in the new stand. I feel the best Switch system stand so far is the Switch OLED model. It covers the whole length of the unit. It’s stable. It offers a range of angles to properly display things in tabletop mode. While the Switch 2 stand is better than the original system’s, I feel like the new one is slightly less substantial. The gap concerns me, considering it only offers something of an outline along the bottom of the system, and I noticed it already seemed to bend a bit when I pulled it out.

As far as performance goes, I could already see some notable improvements during my preview sessions. For example, Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza seem like good showcases for what the system can do. The loading times during the demos for each one were minimal. Each one looked incredibly crisp and vibrant. The changes in weather in Mario Kart World especially offered a great example of how detailed everything can look and the improvements in lighting and texture. The differences between sunny skies and rain on the same track especially helped. And in the case of Metroid Prime 4 Switch 2 Edition, it looked so incredibly smooth and natural in 120fps.

I also noticed that some of the more unique Switch 2 features added for this new version of the console impressed during preview sessions. The mouse support is fantastic. I sampled it in Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, Drag x Drive, Metroid Prime 4 Switch Edition, and Civilization VII. In each case, it was responsive, accurate, and in some cases offered additional valuable haptic feedback. With Super Mario Party Jamboree – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV, I was able to test out the microphone as it picked up my voice during a minigame. Even though this was an incredibly loud space, with other games being played and people talking, it caught my screams. I was impressed to see exactly how good it was picking up the sounds.

The difference between the Nintendo Switch 2 and the original console may not be as drastic as, say, the change between the Wii U and Switch. However, what’s happening here still seems quite impressive. Games look and run better on the system. The Joy-Cons work well, with the mouse controls being a welcome addition for the games I tested. The time I got to spent checking out the Switch 2 at the preview proved impressive, and it seems like an encouraging view of things to come.

The Nintendo Switch 2 will debut on June 5, 2025.

The post Preview: Switch 2 Feels Like an Expected Upgrade appeared first on Siliconera.