Hardware Review: Nintendo Switch 2

Is Nintendo's first new console in eight years worth a purchase at its very steep price? To help you find out, we are compiling reviews of the Switch 2 console hardware itself from dozens of publications.

by Jason Dietz — June 6, 2025 ￨ Updated June 6, 2025 at 3:29 PM PDT

What is it?

Nintendo Switch 2 Console
$449.99
Available from June 5, 2025 at Walmart, Best Buy, Target, and other retailers.

Nintendo's first new console since the launch of the original Nintendo Switch in 2017, the Switch 2 is a similar (and almost identical-looking) hybrid device that works as both a handheld and (through a docking station) a traditional console hooked up to your television. Like its predecessor, Switch 2 games are available in both physical and digital formats, and the new console will be backwards compatible with most Switch games (in both formats).

So what's different here? Changes include:

Higher-resolution gaming (1080p as a handheld, 4K when hooked up to an appropriate display) at higher framerates
A larger (7.9-inch) built-in LCD touchscreen
Greatly improved CPU and GPU, plus triple the built-in RAM (now 12GB)
Improved Joy-Con 2 controllers that now feature magnetic attachments for easier connections, slightly larger buttons, and a new ability to function like a computer mouse when detached
New "GameChat" social features (including a dedicated button, built-in microphone, and optional add-on camera) intended to provide easy in-game chatting between competitors
Eight times the built-in storage capacity (now at 256 GB)
Improved "3D" audio
"GameShare," a new feature that allows you to play multiplayer games with others who do not own them
Some versions also come with free holes

Perhaps the most notable improvement is the graphical performance, which brings Nintendo's console much closer to Microsoft and Sony hardware (sort of like a PlayStation 4.5 or an Xbox One and a Half). The expected result is that major third-party games with high-end tech specs that previously steered clear of the Switch will become available on the Switch 2, making the latter more of a true third console and less of a niche product (albeit a huge niche) aimed at a different audience. (A list of launch games for the Switch 2 can be found at the bottom of this page.) Of course, that also means you can expect to see higher pricetags—like Mario Kart World's $80 cost—for major Switch 2 releases.

What are critics saying about the Switch 2 console?

Are there enough upgrades over the original Switch—the #3-selling console of all time—to justify a purchase right now? Below are reviews of the Switch 2 console from a variety of professional sources. (Click on any publication name to read the full review.) Scores (converted to our 0-100 scale) are listed ONLY if one has been assigned by the publication itself; otherwise, we have grouped the reviews into rough categories, from most to least positive, based on the conclusions of each reviewer (and not necessarily their exact scores).

NOTE: Because Nintendo opted not to send advance hardware (or games) to reviewers, reviews for the Switch 2 are expected to trickle in slowly over the next week. (We are not including "reviews in progress" until they have been finalized.) We will update this page daily.

90 GamingBolt:
"[T]he Switch 2 feels premium. [...] It lacks in the novelty or the sheer impact and shock value of the original Switch, and its emphasis on continuity and cross-compatibility can only contribute to that sense further. But what it lacks in freshness, it more than makes up for in sheer quality. If the Switch 2 is to be Nintendo's only platform for the next 5-7 years, then they have situated themselves extremely well for another round of success to follow up on the trailblazing, pioneering, Nintendo Switch."

90 The Independent:
"It's the small things that really make the Nintendo Switch 2 such a brilliant system. The magnetic Joy-Cons, the improved mic, the snappier UI, GameChat, accessibility – all these quiet upgrades just make using it smoother and more enjoyable day to day."

90 The Telegraph:
"[T]here's no doubt in my mind that this is the best portable games console you can buy right now."

ComicBook.com:
"From a hardware perspective, Nintendo Switch 2 offers nearly every improvement a user could want over the original. It doesn't feel like a substantial leap in terms of the system's User Interface, and the battery life could end up leaving a lot to be desired. That said, all of the other changes add up to a substantial offering. It feels sturdier, the screen is nicer, the graphics and performance are substantially improved, and new features like GameShare should lead to more enjoyable multiplayer sessions."

80 Comic Book Resources (CBR):
"There are some missteps along the way, like the video function of GameChat and storage space. These are the hurdles that gamers will eventually have to deal with down the line. But right now, playing the Switch 2 has been a blast and makes the future of Nintendo exciting. [...] Nintendo fans shouldn't hesitate to buy this console."

80 Dexerto:
"It's hard not to see the Switch 2 as a mere upgrade over what came before. Nintendo has taken a leaf from Sony and Microsoft's playbook, releasing a similar-looking console with beefier hardware under the bonnet. That's no bad thing, though – in fact, this decision to step back and hone in on the success of the original Switch is what makes Switch 2 a winner. It's a safe move and feels necessary if Nintendo wants to keep Valve's Steam Deck and Asus' ROG Ally from nipping at its heels. For Nintendo fans, getting a Switch 2 is a no-brainer."

Game Rant:
"At launch, the Nintendo Switch 2 is not a console that everyone needs to go out and buy right away. [...] The Nintendo Switch 2 is a much more powerful machine than the Switch 1 and is fun to play, but right now only diehard Nintendo fans and those that have to play Mario Kart World right now need to go out of their way to get it. Once more Switch 2 exclusives are announced and the console's library grows, it will be a no-brainer, but it's OK to stick with the Switch 1 until then."

80 NME:
"There have been plenty of complaints about a lacklustre launch day lineup of games stopping Nintendo's latest being an insta-buy. [... B]ut the Switch 2 is powerful enough to makes old favourites feel new. [...] This is an essential console with a very bright future."

90 Pocket-lint:
"If you don't own a Switch, or a handheld PC, then the Nintendo Switch 2 is definitely worth considering. It's a joy to play handheld, looks beautiful, and can handle far more games than the original Switch could. ... If you already own a Switch, is there enough to the Switch 2 to make it worth upgrading? At the current price and with the current line-up of games, that's a tough call. If you play docked, you're probably not going to notice a mind-blowing difference in terms of performance when you're playing games like Mario Kart. If you play handheld a lot, then upgrading is a much easier sell."

Rolling Stone:
"Although Switch 2 offers a better version of a familiar experience, there's very little that feels revolutionary."

Paste:
"Top to bottom, the Nintendo Switch 2 is a luxury console: although it offers noticeable frame rate and graphical improvements in a hybrid package, it's very expensive and doesn't have much exclusive software to justify its hefty price tag. Perhaps most deflating, though, is that it lacks that classic Nintendo spark, where an out-there idea spins into something unexpected and new."