Nintendo Switch 2 is now on sale with the Japanese gaming giant promising that the new console is a ‘huge leap forward’ after eight years of development – but is it worth the £400 price tag?
Nintendo’s highly anticipated Switch 2 is now in stores – and gamers have already had their honest say on whether you get more bang for your buck.
It’s being heralded as a ‘once in a decade’ moment as new games consoles from Nintendo are so rare. The new console, released today (June 5), has a larger and higher-quality screen, with double the number of pixels as the original Switch. A key difference is with the controls, which now magnetically attach. There is also the Joy-Con 2 controller, which can be operated like a computer mouse by sliding it on a surface.
The updated Switch also comes with a range of new social features, centred around a new tool called GameChat, which allows players to voice or video chat with friends while playing. Stock is proving in high demand as Nintendo has already sold out, although retailers including Currys, Amazon and EE have consoles available to buy now.
The Japanese gaming giant also confirmed the new console supports the ability for players to share a game and play together with up to three friends, even if those friends do not own the game.
Reviews are currently few and far between, as Nintendo decided not to send review units out until the day before release. However there are some popular opinions being shared online in the first few hours of release.
Shoppers had the option to buy the console on its own, or with a digital version of Mario Kart World, the new open-world racing game, included. Gaming YouTuber Marques Brownlee shared an unboxing video with fans, along with a first try.
Sharing his initial thoughts, he told the camera: “This new bigger screen looks way better.” Comparing it to the Switch 1, he shows off the new full-length kick stand and larger display, adding: “It’s an obvious upgrade.”
Having a go with the detachable controls, Marques says it’s “so much fun”, adding: “They’re so much better than the old ones.” Referring back to the new controls experience, he explained: “Just having these huge new buttons, ergonomically it’s better. It’s much better to game on the individual Joy-Con on the new ones, so if you’re thinking about Switch 2, is it really that much of an upgrade? Is it really that different? It’s going to feel different just because of the Joy-Cons as much as the bigger screen.”
One follower replied: “The Switch 2 start up music is a vibe” while a disgruntled viewer shared: “Will never be as cool as the DS’s evolutions (DS, DSI, 3DS, 2DS)”. In response to Marques comments about the impressive screen protector, one replied: “For those who take out the switch a lot, that wiggle is awesome, it means it probably mitigates a little bit the scratches in the screen.”
In another initial review, Tabitha Baker, from gamesradar+, said: “I’ve just finished up my first day testing the Nintendo Switch 2, and so far things are looking pretty strong. While I’ve been surprised by the OLED’s ability to display its own Switch 1 games slightly better (those without the Switch 2 Upgrade that is), the performance I’ve experienced from Cyberpunk 2077 and the overall feel of the console over the last eight hours point towards a worthy upgrade for those after a little more grunt under the hood.”
Kez McDonald, of The Guardian, explained that while he doesn’t have his hands on the console just yet, he had a chance to play the console at Nintendo’s offices. While he’s keen to emphasise that the new features are indeed an upgrade, for the £400 asking price, he expected something more.
He wrote: “Hardware-wise, it is the upgrade of my dreams: sturdier JoyCons, a beautiful screen, the graphical muscle to make games look as good as I want them to in 2025 (though still not comparable to the high-end PlayStation 5 Pro or a modern gaming PC).”
But he said the upgrade feels rather “belated” after eight years of waiting. “I was hoping for something actually new, and aside from the fact that you can now use those controllers as mice by turning them sideways and moving them around on a desk or on your lap, there isn’t much new in the Switch 2.
“Absorbed in Mario Kart World, the main launch title, it was easy to forget I was even playing a new console.” Nintendo say the Switch 2 has significantly improved gaming performance, as well as eight times the storage capacity of the original, with 256GB of built-in storage.
The original Switch has proven hugely popular since its release in 2017. Its hybrid home and mobile gaming system allows players to carry the screen and detachable remote controls with them and dock the device in a station at home to use it with a TV.
Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said the Switch 2 was a “leap forward” for the company and its customers. “Nintendo Switch 2 is the next step in at-home gaming that can be taken on the go based on eight years of play and discovery that began with Nintendo Switch,” he said.
“With its new features that expand the possibilities of gaming experiences, I truly believe that Nintendo Switch 2 is a leap forward in our journey of putting smiles on the faces of everyone that Nintendo touches.”
The new console costs £395, or £429 for a bundle which also includes Mario Kart World.
