Nintendo Switch 2: what the reviews agree on

Reviewers call the jump over the original Switch large and say third-party ports now run properly. None put it level with a PS5 or the faster Windows handhelds.

• IGN says Cyberpunk 2077 runs more than respectably and is not on par with other modern platforms, and that the console will not threaten the PS5 Pro on raw power. Docked, IGN lists 4K with HDR, or up to 120 fps at 1440p in supported games.
• Engadget found Mario Kart World ran beautifully, with the only slowdown in four-player co-op with GameChat video streams. It rates the Cyberpunk 2077 port as excellent, while some effects in Street Fighter 6 look less striking than on other consoles.
• Tom's Guide says the best portable versions of Cyberpunk 2077 and Hogwarts Legacy are on Switch 2, and that the console cannot outmuscle a PS5.
• PC Gamer notes that the custom Nvidia T239 chip is outpaced by the Ryzen Z1 Extreme in the ROG Ally, and credits DLSS in many games for picking up the slack.

Reviewers measured roughly two to three hours in demanding games and just over four hours in older or lighter titles. All call it a weak point, though PC Gamer and Engadget say it is in line with Steam Deck and ROG Ally X.

• Engadget measured 2:23 in Mario Kart World, 2:56 in Breath of the Wild and 4:15 in Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S at max brightness of around 400 nits.
• GamesRadar+ got two hours 40 minutes in Breath of the Wild at full brightness, and just over four hours in Doom and Link's Awakening. A full charge took 2 h 9 min to 2 h 20 min, depending on the port.
• Tom's Guide got just shy of two and a half hours in Breath of the Wild with automatic brightness, against about five hours it measured on the Switch OLED. IGN says it rarely got far past two and a half hours in Mario Kart World, Cyberpunk 2077 or Civilization 7.
• PC Gamer got 2:10 to 2:25 in Cyberpunk 2077 in quality mode at full brightness, which it calls middling, against about an hour and a half on a Steam Deck in a comparable test.

The 7.9-inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD is a big step up from the original, and reviewers did not miss OLED much indoors. Black levels, brightness and HDR are the soft spots.

• Tom's Guide calls the panel gorgeous despite the move back to LCD, and says it did not feel shortchanged after coming from a Steam Deck OLED. IGN is happy with the jump to 1080p and a 120 fps cap.
• Engadget measured around 400 nits with auto-brightness off and 450 nits or more with HDR content, and says black levels trail an OLED Switch, so dark scenes look closer to gray.
• PC Gamer says the screen is not as bright or lush as the OLED model and that handheld HDR is mediocre. GamesRadar+ left HDR off while it waited for patches.
• IGN played Mario Kart in a sunny park without visibility problems, but found a dark game like Cyberpunk 2077 basically impossible to make out at times.

The magnetic Joy-Con and sturdier kickstand get praise from every reviewer. Comfort over long sessions splits them, because the body is flat with no grips and weighs 1.18 lb (535 g) with the Joy-Con attached.

• IGN, Tom's Guide, PC Gamer and Engadget all like the magnetic Joy-Con attachment. GamesRadar+ notes the magnets let the Joy-Con attach the wrong way round.
• Tom's Guide, IGN and GamesRadar+ say the flat body is uncomfortable for long handheld sessions compared with a Steam Deck or ROG Ally, and GamesRadar+ needed breaks to stretch its hand after a couple of hours.
• PC Gamer finds it not uncomfortable to hold and good for long RPG sessions at just over 500 g, but warns the new Joy-Con can still suffer stick drift.
• IGN calls the Joy-Con mouse mode precise but uncomfortable over long sessions, and Engadget finds it a welcome option for games like Civilization 7. PC Gamer finds it better for strategy games and menus than for shooters.

Reviewers describe a cool and quiet console. The dock has a fan, and the only heat remark concerns 4K docked play.

• PC Gamer calls it the quietest handheld it has used and says it never got too hot on the lap.
• IGN says it stays consistently cool in handheld mode. It got warm to the touch in 4K docked play, though not to a worrying degree.
• Engadget and GamesRadar+ describe the dock fan as relatively quiet and say they did not notice it spinning up in Cyberpunk 2077 or Breath of the Wild.

Backward compatibility is praised and many older games run better. Reviewers criticise the thin launch lineup and a system menu that changed little, and GameChat needs a paid Nintendo Switch Online plan after the free first year.

• Engadget says the vast majority of original Switch games work, with exceptions such as Ring Fit Adventure, and that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet gained a higher frame rate and longer draw distance from a free upgrade. IGN says patched and upgraded games load much faster and run as intended.
• GamesRadar+ counted 24 confirmed launch titles with only two new first-party releases, Mario Kart World and Welcome Tour. Tom's Guide and PC Gamer also call the launch library thin, and IGN says only one launch exclusive is worth playing.
• IGN says the home screen still cannot be customised, media app support is limited to YouTube and some others, and friend codes remain. PC Gamer likes the clean interface that needs no tuning.
• Tom's Guide says GameChat is free for a year and then needs a $19 subscription. Engadget puts Nintendo Switch Online at $20 a year.

At $449 the console costs 50% more than the original Switch. Reviewers split on whether the upgrade justifies it, and PC-focused reviewers point to cheaper handhelds with larger libraries.

• Engadget says the console is worth it, but notes its own set of console, two physical games, a Pro Controller and one year of online service came to just shy of $800.
• IGN says the price is a premium of 50% over the original for an upgrade that feels like a catch-up, and scored it 7/10. Tom's Guide and GamesRadar+ still recommend it, with Tom's Guide giving it Editor's Choice.
• PC Gamer notes the Steam Deck has a $399 MSRP and a bigger library of cheaper games, and that similarly priced Windows handhelds are more performant.