Nintendo’s much-awaited sequel to the Switch has finally arrived, but does it live up to the hype, and is it worth the lofty price tag?
Representation pic
The all-new Switch 2, announced a few months ago, is finally available, although not officially in India. However, you can pick one up for under R65,000 from the grey market. I got to spend some quality time with the new Switch 2 Mario Kart bundle, and here is my takeaway. For starters, it still looks iconic and very much feels like a Switch. They have done a good job of balancing the device’s weight, which feels really good in the hands. The dock is also quite solid, and I’m glad Nintendo included the piece of plastic that makes the Joy-Cons a complete controller.
Turning it on for the first time you will notice the screen is not an OLED. I would have assumed the new Switch came with an OLED at this price point, not the Full HD LCD it has. Fortunately, the screen supports a variable refresh rate of up to 120Hz, so you can expect some silky-smooth graphics. The larger 7.9-inch size is also surprisingly comfortable. I am also a bit annoyed that the screen is covered by plastic and not glass, which means you have to be extra careful while travelling and storing it.
The dock unlocks the true potential of the Switch 2, by increasing the output of the device from Full HD to 4K. The new Nvidia chip makes it comparable to last console generation devices but in a handheld form factor. I also appreciate the inclusion of the kickstand; many PC handheld manufacturers overlook this essential aspect of portable console design. It lets you set up anywhere and play.
The Joy-Cons are also a bit larger this time. They attach magnetically to the console, and it feels like a nice fit, but I would be wary of dangling the console from the Joy-Con. I would have also liked hall-effect triggers and joysticks to prevent future joy-drift issues, but no luck there. While it has a sensor that lets it behave like a mouse, I don’t see it being very useful in mouse-heavy games like first-person shooters. For now, it feels like a gimmick unless Nintendo can prove otherwise. The battery life is not bad; you can get around four hours of use with light to medium gaming. It takes around three hours to charge fully.
As a fan of Mario Kart 8, I was ready to jump into this latest version, Mario Kart World. However, I found this version of the game a bit confusing and maybe a step back from the joy that 8 brings. Sure, you can play in its open world and stuff, but there are some bad design choices in the game, which try to highlight and insist on using the open world even when you might not want to. I like the tracks, and playing with friends is still fun, but it isn’t as intuitive. I don’t want to do a full review of the game here, but you might want to consider saving some money by getting the non-bundle version. Something tells me the racing game will be discounted soon enough.
In my opinion, the price tag, regardless of the grey market tax, is very high. While the console is much more powerful than its predecessor, Nintendo has yet to prove its gaming catalogue for the Switch 2, which will make or break this device. For me, despite the advances, it feels like Nintendo is short-changing me in terms of what’s on offer. I could easily pick up one of the PC handhelds for almost the same amount and get a lot more utility for the device. This emphasises the fact that Nintendo needs to deliver on the games. For the die-hard fan, nothing I say will make a difference. However, if you are on the fence, I would say wait a while, especially if you already have a Switch or Switch OLED to keep you company.
Rs 65k
Cost of the Switch 2 in the grey market
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