I never found the Nintendo Switch 2 particularly interesting until the recent Direct. But it was, so I was pretty sure I’d be writing an article titled I want a Switch 2, but now I don’t need one’ after watching the showcase. But like many people, I was expecting the Switch but slightly better, with a slate of Nintendo games at or near launch and the novelty of using its Joy-Cons as a mouse. But my expectations were obviously low.
Now my mind has changed. We knew the Switch 2 would be more powerful than the Switch, but I never expected it to have the technical capabilities to run games like Cyberpunk 2077 let alone bring blockbuster triple-A games to the platform on day one, or have technical specifications so robust. The Switch 2 has exponentially more capabilities than its predecessor, which is impressive, considering the Switch was already an incredibly popular console.
Let’s Be Honest You Didn’t Buy the Switch for AAA Games
The Switch has long been categorized as a very different console from the PlayStation or Xbox - they are, as the title says, a Nintendo machine. Sure, there are third-party games, but they're generally not modern triple-A blockbusters. You're much more likely to see indie games on the platform than the big names in gaming (outside of cloud streaming) simply because the console doesn't have the processing power to run modern big-budget titles.
Sure, you might find modern classics ported to the Switch long after release, like The Witcher 3 and Skyrim, but they won't look great. But just because you can play these games on the Switch doesn't mean you should play them. If it's another console or PC you own, you'll always want to play it on those by default.
But really, if you're buying a Switch, you're doing so for Nintendo games. And that's the only reason to buy a Switch compared to any other console. That's the specialty - you can't play those games anywhere else. Mediocre ports of old classics are a bonus, and you definitely won't see big triple-A games released day one anywhere on the console. And it just doesn't have the features for that big guy.
Nintendo Switch 2 Is Changes What Switches Are Capable Of
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| Credit _Thegamer |
That's all changed with the Switch 2. Not only is the console now capable of bringing games like Hitman, Cyberpunk 2077, Elden Ring, Split Fiction as well as Star Wars Outlaws to Nintendo fans, but it's also bringing some of the very best games to come: Borderlands 4 and IO Interactive's Project 007. It also has a huge third-party Switch 2 exclusive in The Duskbloods, which has got many FromSoftware fans excited.
Plus those games won't look so bad anymore. While it's not much bigger than the Switch OLED, and also the Switch 2 will have an HDR-supported LCD screen rather than an OLED display, the Switch 2 performs very well when docked. It's capable of 4K output when connected to your TV, and it can also upscale games to 4K if the resolution isn't natively supported. But ultimately, the Switch 2 has outperformed every other console.
This is a huge shift in how we view the Switch 2. It's no longer a Nintendo machine that plays indies and the occasional old triple-A port it's actually a viable console for playing big games on day one. It's still not going to keep up with the technical capabilities of the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X but it's a real option for people who don't have those consoles or a high-end gaming PC.
Consider that Xbox is now trying to push its games onto other consoles, part of its policy of becoming a publisher first and a console-maker second, and the Switch 2 could become not just the best (and maybe even the only) option for Nintendo games, but a real contender for best overall console. While I probably still won't spend the money for a Switch 2, since I already have more powerful consoles and don't like Nintendo games it's finally going to be a great option for people who just want to have one console. So I never thought I'd see the day.
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