Now that theNintendo Switch 2has been out for a bit, players have had the opportunity to get used to the system and see exactly how it holds up to the Nintendo Switch. While there’s no denying that the Nintendo Switch 2 is an improvement on its predecessor, it’s a relatively simple upgrade compared to Nintendo’s more ground-breaking consoles.
Given that it is still early on in the Nintendo Switch 2’s life, and the Nintendo Switch itself definitely wasn’t without issues surrounding its launch in 2017, it’s not necessarily unexpected to see some issues arising. That being said, considering the price, it is unfortunate thatthe Nintendo Switch 2 does seem to be falling short of some of the expectations set for it.
10GameCube Is A Great Addition To NSO, But It’s A Bit Lackluster At Launch
GameCube On NSO Currently Features A Small Selection Of Games
Adding the GameCube to the Nintendo Switch Online classics library was one of the best decisions Nintendo could’ve made. The GameCube is huge among Nintendo fans, and it holds many fan-favorites that have otherwise become lost to time. That being said,despite this exciting reveal, the number of games available at launch is a bit disappointing. While a few more have been confirmed for release at a later time, theGameCube virtual console on NSOcurrently offers three games.
The available games includeSoul Calibur 2,The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, andF-Zero GX. While these aren’t necessarily disappointing selections, some of them would’ve been better with something else in their place. For example, in the case ofWind Waker, this spot would likely have been better for something likeTwilight Princess, sinceWind Waker’s HD remake on Wii U offered more substantial improvements thanTwilight Princess’s.
9Battery Life Is Still Struggling To Meet The Demands Of Intense Games
While Improved, Battery Life Remains A Concern For Those Who Enjoy Big Games
While thebattery of the Nintendo Switch 2is certainly more powerful than that of the original Switch, it can still manage to run down more quickly. Thankfully, that may not be a problem for everyone if your Switch 2 is primarily used for things likeAnimal Crossingor otherwise. However, part of the Switch 2’s main appeal was the ability to run games that the original Nintendo Switch couldn’t, likeCyberpunk 2077.
If one of the Switch 2’s main advertising points is also something the hardware struggles to support fully, it does raise some disappointment among players. After all,there’s no major point in upgrading to play something more demanding if the Switch 2 can only allow you to play it in small bursts, especially with other competition in the handheld market beyond the Switch 2 that may be able to provide the necessary battery and hardware support for the games you want to play.
8The Switch 2’s New Features Might End Up Irrelevant
New Hardware Features Rely On Game Developers To Take Advantage Of Them
When a new console drops, part of the hype largely revolves around all the latest and exciting features it will offer. In the case of the Switch 2, a major talking point was the early speculation that theJoy-Cons would double function as a mouse. When this was confirmed, it sparked a buzz throughout the Nintendo community, as mouse controls could open the door for new games on the console.
That being said,a new feature is only as valuable as the games that utilize it. For example, players may not remember that the original Switch debuted a feature in which one of the Joy-Cons would include an IR reader. Despite being advertised as a feature that would change the way games are played, only roughly thirty games out of the entire Switch library bothered to use it. So, while the mouse-like use of Joy-Cons on the Switch 2 is great, it could face the same fate.
7Game Upgrades Remain Mixed
While Some Switch 2 Game Upgrades Are Free, Others Come At A Cost
A major selling point of the Nintendo Switch 2 is that it will resolve the issues people had with the original Switch, so it stands to reason that paying an additional fee to see those upgrades is a bit of a controversy among the community. While some games, likePokémon Scarlet & Violet, are receivingfree Switch 2 upgradesthat make them feel like entirely different games, others require an upgrade pack to take advantage of the Switch 2’s capabilities.
While this makes sense as the games are being enhanced to meet the new specs the Switch 2 can offer, it raises the question of why this is a paid requirement for some games and whether it’s worth it. Arguably,Scarlet & Violetwas perhaps the most in need of an upgrade, while games likeZelda: Tears of the Kingdomaren’t. Sure, it might be a bit more visually appealing, but is it truly worth the additional cost when other games are seeing massive improvements for free?
6Handheld Players Might Be Taking A Loss In Quality
For Now, The Original Nintendo Switch May Still Be The Best Way To Play Handheld
With the Switch 2’s enhanced performance, it was naturally expected that original Switch games would run their docked version of the game, even on handheld. However, as many are unfortunately finding out, that is not primarily the case. Instead,most games remain locked to their handheld limitations of 720p, even on the Switch 2, which, with the upgraded hardware, creates a worse overall image than just playing it on the Switch.
This will become less of a problem with time as the Switch 2 library continues to stock games designed for it.
With720p games being stretched to fit a 1080p screen, the better frame rate doesn’t make up for the awful look of the games. Unfortunately, there’s likely no way to truly remedy this easily either, as one of the most obvious solutions would be to provide the option to display the games as they should be, which would result in a black border around the screen and somewhat defeat the purpose of upgrading to the Switch 2 in the first place.
5Graphics Overall Fall Short Compared To Modern Consoles
With Graphics Comparable To Last Gen, The Nintendo Switch 2 Still Trails Behind
While it was never anticipated that the Nintendo Switch 2 would see graphics comparable to the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X, it was expected to at least fall somewhere in the range of last-gen consoles. Although that’s not something you necessarily want to hear when it comes to a new console, for the Switch 2, this was still a massive improvement on its predecessor, so many were willing to accept it.
Now, however, that we’ve had the opportunity to get a good look at just how it compares, many are finding that the progress made since last-gen graphics are a bit more drastic in comparison to modern consoles than they might’ve remembered.Despite the obvious improvements against the Switch, the Switch 2 just doesn’t hold a candle to most modern consolesin terms of power or performance. While it delivers on its promises, this may still be a letdown when jumping between games on a Switch 2 and PS5 or Xbox Series X.
4Joy-Cons Remain An Issue For Switch Consoles
The Switch 2 May Soon Be Seeing The Same Joy-Con Issues That The Switch Did
If you were around for the original Switch launch, you might remember the Joy-Con disaster that shortly followed, in which Joy-Con drift was ruining the experience for players everywhere. To help make up for this widespread issue, Nintendo offered players free repairs if they mailed in their Joy-Cons, something that many accepted and utilized with hopes that the Switch 2 would make an effort to reduce this issue overall.
Unfortunately, that’s unlikely to be the case. Since the Joy-Cons are still largely utilizing the same hardware that contributed to the issue to begin with,Joy-Con drift will likely soon become a rising problem all over again. Additionally, another issue has now appeared, as some players are receivingminor injuries from their Joy-Consas a result of the magnetic attachment, which can pinch skin when reconnecting to the base.
3The Line Between Digital & Physical Games Continues To Blur
With Nintendo’s Shift Away From True Physical Copies, Buying A Game Doesn’t Mean What It Used To
With the introduction of the Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo also took the opportunity to begin implementingVirtual Game Cards and Game-Key Cards. Though this is unsurprising, as the majority of the gaming industry seems to be making the same shift away from physical media, Nintendo’s approach has caused confusion and concern, primarily because they are still advertising physical and digital versions, even though they’re mostly the same.
Most would assume that a physical game is exactly what it sounds like: a physical cartridge with the game on it. However, that’s not always the case with all Switch 2 games anymore. Instead,you might be surprised to open up a Switch 2 game and find that what you have is a Game-Key Card. This cartridge, rather than having the full game, justunlocks access to a download, leaving a lot of players to feel as though they no longer truly own their games. So far, third-party games seem to largely utilize Game-Key Cards, making this a common disappointment.
2The Nintendo Switch 2 Lacks New Games
Nintendo May Be Relying Too Heavily On Game Upgrades To Carry Its Launch
Unfortunately, one of the most disappointing aspects of the Switch 2 launch is just how little it had to offer in terms of new games. WithMario Kart Worldbeing theSwitch 2’s launch title, it is the sole focus for a lot of players, but for those who aren’t interested, there isn’t much else.In a technical sense, the Switch 2 did bring a lot of new games to the Switch library, likeCyberpunk 2077andStreet Fighter 6, but these can hardly be considered new games when they’ve been out for several years at this point.
Rather than focusing on a handful of great new titles to share at launch, theSwitch 2 primarily focused on building hype around the upgrade packs and games that were new to the Switch 2, but not new overall. Although this is still a positive for the game library, it’s hard to be excited about a new console when the majority of things you’re able to use it for are all the games you’ve been playing for the past few years.
1It’s Mostly Just A Nintendo Switch Upgrade
The Overall Player Experience Isn’t That Different
Overall, the biggest reality that Nintendo Switch 2 players are now facing is simply thatthe Switch 2 is an upgraded console, but not a truly new console. Some would argue that’s the point and exactly why it was named the Switch 2, but its still a break from Nintendo’s recent tradition of bringing major new ideas to the table with every generation.
If you don’t have a Switch at all or are still utilizing a day one launch model, the Switch 2 is probably worth the upgrade. However, if you have a later OLED model that already features some smaller enhancements, you may be better off holding out until the Switch 2’s version of the OLED launches. TheNintendo Switch 2is by no means a bad console, but for several reasons, it might not exactly live up to the hype that’s been built around it.
Nintendo Switch 2
The Nintendo Switch 2 is the successor to Nintendo Switch, scheduled for release in 2025. Confirmed as backwards compatible, it will play both physical and digital Nintendo Switch games. A full reveal is pencilled in for June 09, 2025.
