Nintendo switch 2 is the start of something big and not just 4k upgrade

WE’VE GONE HANDS-ON WITH THE SWITCH 2 AHEAD OF LAUNCH THIS WEEK, AND WE’RE MORE CONVINCED THAN EVER THAT NINTENDO HAS ANOTHER BIG HIT IN STORE—HERE'S ALL WE LEARNED 15:00, 03 Jun

2025Updated 15:52, 03 Jun 2025 We might be a little sad to see our Nintendo Switch shuffle off over the horizon (albeit with a huge array of games to play on it), but Switch 2 will be here

in less than 48 hours (it's come round quickly, hasn't it?). Much has been made of Nintendo’s new console. Is it too pricey? Is Mario Kart World a big enough launch title? Should

the screen be OLED? Will the controllers drift? And yet, having spent another afternoon playing the system in both handheld and docked modes, all of those worries melt away. The Switch 2, as

the headline suggests, is poised to be big. A CHANGE OF CONTEXT It’s worth noting that the Switch 2 is launching into a very different landscape than its predecessor did, both in terms of

Nintendo’s own reputation and what rivals are doing. While Sony and Xbox are reportedly looking to make their own handheld systems, a surprise disruptor appeared in Valve’s Steam Deck. It’s

helped popularise a wave of portable gaming PCs with huge libraries and plenty of power, but Nintendo enters from a much more promising position. Article continues below The doldrums of the

Wii U are long gone, and in their place there’s a whole generation of gamers introduced (or reintroduced) to Mario, Link, Samus, and Pikachu. These two situations coalesce into a point of

real strength for Nintendo, because it’s console is drastically more powerful than the original Switch, with the modern conveniences a prospective Steam Deck owner could ask for (aside from

the OLED display, more on that later) and with a software library that’d make any other company envious. While PlayStation 5 games go to PC and Xbox games go just about anywhere, Nintendo

knows you’ll buy a Switch 2 for Mario Kart World if you’re desperate to play it (and have the cash). GET TO THE CONSOLE With all that context established, what about the hardware? Let’s get

the fly in the ointment out of the way first—no, Switch 2 doesn’t have an OLED screen. We were as disappointed as anyone when that was made clear, and yet, as we said in our earlier

hands-on, it’s hard to find fault with what Nintendo has managed here. Up to 120FPS is a fair trade-off, in our mind, and the HDR support means it’s a drastically better-looking display than

the 2017 original. Would a brighter panel with more contrast and deeper blacks be welcome? Yes, definitely, but you’re not going to play on the Switch 2 and be considering switching back

for it. In our session, we weren’t permitted to undock the console or remove the Joy-Con controllers, but we can confidently say that each of the controllers feels much more comfortable in

the hand than their predecessors. We also got to check out the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller, and to no one’s surprise, it’s likely to be the best way to play games on your TV, whether

you use the extra buttons on the back or not. It’s just super comfortable to hold, and much, much quieter in terms of stick movement than the last model. NINTENDO GOES 4K We’d heard rumours

that Nintendo was preparing for 4K for its existing titles, and now we’ve seen it in action, there really is no going back. “A 4K Switch” might be the easiest way to boil down the Switch 2’s

“elevator pitch”, but it didn’t take long to spot huge improvements in track detail in Mario Kart World. Stickers and decals look clear on tracks, and effects like rain look fantastic in

the open world or mid-race. Add to that a much slicker frame rate, and having gone back to the last generation, my beloved Mario Kart 8 Deluxe that got me and my friends through a global

pandemic just feels, well, slow. I’m desperate to see more games wield the power on offer from Nintendo, notably the likes of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Breath of the Wild, but just

from this slice of Mario Kart, there’s simply no going back. FINAL THOUGHTS “No going back” really could be the takeaway from this entire experience. There’s still much, much more to see for

Switch 2 like how its UI works, battery life, and more, but for now it really does feel like a generational leap. Article continues below For more on Switch 2, be sure to check out our

preview of Welcome Tour and Mario Kart World. _PREVIEWED ON NINTENDO SWITCH 2. PREVIEW EVENT HELD BY THE PUBLISHER._