Is the Switch 2 Worth It?

Tons were surprised by the huge cost of the Nintendo Switch’s successor, but is the almost $200 price hike appropriate for the upgraded console? Well I’ve had the Switch 2 for about a month now, so I’ll compare the specs and give an honest review of the exclusive games and benefits so you can decide for yourself if it’s worth $450.

Size comparison of the Switch and Switch 2

To start out, the hardware has tons of much-needed improvements. From obvious changes like resolution to less-noticeable ones like the size of the buttons on the Joy-Cons, Nintendo really made sure the Switch 2 had given every single aspect of the original Switch an upgrade. For me, the biggest deal is the resolution. handheld didn’t get much of an

improvement, but the docked resolution jumped all the way from 1080p to 4K support! Games also run way smoother, especially ones that used to stress the old Switch’s processor, like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The Joy-Con enlargement is a huge help for me, as it’s hard for anyone over a certain age to hold A for the whole duration of a round in Mario Kart. Also, the mouse capabilities entice me, and I can’t wait to play a game that can utilize the full extent of them. The massive storage boost is another feature I love, as someone that owns nearly 20 games and has five profiles’ worth of save data on her Switch.

Size comparison of the Joy-Con and Joy-Con 2

Now let’s pivot to the two exclusive games out right now - Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza:

Mario Kart World is really fun — especially if you’re more of fan of playing with friends and family. Some of the mechanics of the game were hard to get used too, (I still haven’t completely figured out rail grinding) but you’ll come to understand them overtime. Their are so many possible shortcuts and hidden collectibles in the game which make the open world mode exciting. My friend even found a shortcut on the ? Block Ruins course that saves about 30 seconds if you can pull it out without missing a jump. I love the design of the new courses and character outfits. All in all, I’d give it five stars.

I was expecting more out of Donkey Kong Bananza after IGN gave it a 10/10, but I was super disappointed. It’s too repetitive and it feels like you’re grinding way too early in the game. I will say that I’m impressed with how complex DK’s moves can become as you progress through the sublayers. Overall, I’d rate it 6/10. I have a higher standard for Nintendo games, and Donkey Kong Bananza didn’t meet that standard. It’s pretty entertaining at the beginning, I just don’t think it’s worth $80 to play it a bit, then get bored after the first couple hours.

Next, are the upgrades for the preexisting games worth it? I definitely think so. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet got a free much-needed performance upgrade, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom both look amazing in 4K with improved FPS. Also, the Zelda Notes feature that comes with either The Legend of Zelda upgrade is a must-have for any Zelda fan.

Another cool feature I love about the Switch 2 is its compatibility with the Nintendo Switch app - you can easily download screenshots and recordings to your phone and share them with friends. It’s amazing if you want to brag finding diamonds in Minecraft or send a clip of you falling of the track in Mario Kart and laugh about it. Gamechat also seems fun, but I’ve yet to try it.

An example of a high-quality screen recording I downloaded to my phone.

And that’s all from me! I hope this helped you decide if the Switch 2 is worth it.

Extra:

If you’d like to check out all the hardware specs, here’s a chart comparing each Switch.

Nintendo Switch

• 6.2 inch wide LCD touchscreen

• 2 Joy-Con Controllers

• 1 USB-C port located on the bottom

• 720p resolution in handheld mode

• Up to 1080p resolution in docked mode

• Doesn’t support HDR

• NVIDIA Custom Tegra processor

• 32GB of built-in storage

• 4.5-9 hrs of battery life

• About 3 hrs charging time

• Stereo speakers

• 3.5mm 4-pole stereo headphone/mic jack

• MicroSD Card slot

• Game Card Slot

Joy-Cons

• 4.1 inches long

• Weigh about 2oz each

• Button diameter is .3 of an inch

• Joystick diameter is about .6 of an inch

• HD Rumble (vibration system)

• Gyroscope, Accelerometer, Motion Camera

• About 20 hrs of battery life

• About 3 hrs 30 min charging time

Dock

• AC Adapter port

• System port

• 2 USB ports

• HDMI port

• LAN port

Nintendo Switch 2

• 7.9 inch wide LCD touchscreen

• 2 Joy-Con 2 Controllers

• 2 USB-C ports on the top and bottom

• 1080p resolution in handheld mode

• Up to 4K resolution at 60fps in docked mode

• Supports HDR

• NVIDIA Custom Tegra processor

• 256GB of built-in storage

• 2-6.5 hrs of battery life

• About 3 hrs charging time

• Stereo speakers

• 3.5mm 4-contact stereo mini-plug audio jack

• MicroSD Express card slot

• Game Card Slot

Joy-Con 2s

• About 4.6 inches long

• Weigh about 2.5oz each

• Buttons diameter is about .4 of an inch

• Joystick diameter is about .7 of an inch

• HD Rumble 2 (vibration system)

• Gyroscope, Accelerometer, Mouse Sensor

• About 20 hours of battery life

• About 3 hrs 30 min charging time

Dock

• AC Adapter Port

• System Port

• 2 USB ports

• HDMI port

• LAN port

(All the info on the chart above was found on the official Nintendo website)